art/vision/voice - Maryland Institute College of Art

18 art / vision / voice
Standard cap procedure encourages regular, close contact between
mica students and participating youth. The degree to which this occurs
has a direct impact on the success of each cap project. cap’s mission to
help lift up the voice of youth participants (often unaccustomed to the
various modes of healthy self-expression) requires the presence of a
committed companion—the mica student—who is truly present to
listen and respond to each young person’s efforts.
Within a typical academic setting, there are limited opportunities
for college students to engage the life and spirit of community.
Considering the tremendously positive impact this work may have on a
student, the cap staff encourages all mica students to give cap a try. This
philosophy, however, sometimes bumps up against the pressing needs
of the community—which must be met in a timely fashion. The cap
staff doesn’t always have the means or luxury of assembling and placing
an ideally structured cap team in the field. The business of managing
cap projects requires a constant reassessment of its principles and
guiding practices as they relate to the real work and context at hand.
Ken Krafchek, Director, MA in Community Arts, formerly Director of
Community Arts Partnerships, Maryland Institute College of Art
a banner neighborhood student
shares a coat of arms depicting his
family and community.