Admiral Seymour Elementary Community Portrait Project
We're standing in the middle of La Casa Gelato as Araz takes a big lick of the bubble gum double scoop ice cream cone and asks, "Oh yeah, I forgot to ask you something, what's your number?" Vito walks over, "My number? My number's 9. What's yours?" Araz looks down, "Oh, my number is 10, but 9's a really good number." Araz's eager earnest question about Vito's soccer jersey number demonstrates his reflection and assessment of his previous interview and his enthusiastic desire to learn more about Vito.
Araz and Frankie are two Grade 5 students from a group of 23 students in Grades 5,6, and 7 participating in an artist in residence Community Portrait Project from Admiral Seymour Elementary. In that one 40 minute interview with Araz, Frankie and Vito, at La Casa Gelato I saw more enthusiasm for learning then the four times prior in a classroom where I had met with them and the larger group at school. It’Äôs that kind of enthusiasm for learning and building community connections we are trying to inspire in the 23 students participating by interviewing, painting, and writing.
Project teacher Doug Masuhara and I, artist in residence Tara Carmichael, joined forces to aid young artists in reaching success. We have interviewed 12 community members of diverse backgrounds and experiences. We have explored our connections with the members and will tell back their stories to each other and the rest of the community. Through the interviewing process we have tape recorded their stories, photographed their faces and surroundings for our painted portraits. Lastly, we will put together a book with the 12 stories together.
The collaborations created throughout this project are what make it possible. We're grateful to Opus Framing & Art Supplies for donating the acrylic paints and the 12 canvases we've painted the portraits on. Learning painting skills and techniques including mixing acrylics to match photos, and working on fancy canvases is definitely special. We thank the community members for volunteering their time and life stories to build the connections with the young artists. We also thank them for being so good looking and their willingness to be photographed and painted! We also are grateful for the support of ArtStarts for providing us with the grant to get the project going and the Vancouver School Board. Of course a thank you to the three classroom teachers who loan us their students to make it all happen, their kindness and flexibility is vital to the success of the young artists.
She was flushed as she ran into the class to paint. I was there alone cleaning brushes. "Show me how to do the eyes now!" She demanded enthusiastically. "You mean you're skipping recess to paint?" I asked. "Yeah, I finally learned the patience to get it perfect." Laura said. "Great!" I replied. "Let's get it done!" Realizing learning is exciting enough to skip recess is a powerful thing. With entire communities participating, we can help young people realize and achieve their true potentials.
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