art/vision/voice - Maryland Institute College of Art

One way to engage parents is for program
staff and students to involve themselves in the
community and meet parents where they
are. A mid-program connection with the
parents and the community is important.
Communication among the cap students,
program participants, and the Banner
community is also important. As much as
possible, cap interns and volunteers must be
seen in activities outside of the art program.
Talking to and getting to know some of the
parents in front of their homes or inviting
them to the Art Club may help to build trust.
Community art is a holistic process and
must involve the children, the family, the
schools, local institutions like churches, and
the community. This is no small
commitment on the part of cap community
artists. They must realize they are not just
teaching art, they are impacting lives through
art and relationships. They are part of a
powerful movement to transform
communities by being the right person in the
right place at the right time with the right
heart and the right message.
The history of the Cooper Union Saturday
Program, which gave birth to the Queens cap
project, seemed to parallel what was
happening in New York and across the
country in the 1960s and ’70s. It was a period
that also had a profound impact on my own
development as an artist.