art/vision/voice - Maryland Institute College of Art

28 art / vision / voice
mari The box city was the best project, because each child got to
choose his or her own part to design, their own building, from the
store to the post office to the church to the Art Club. But it was also
a shared project because, in the end, it all got put together by the
whole group. So, the kids could do their individual part and work
with each other at the same time.
The box city, assembled on two large folding conference tables, became
the centerpiece for the Art Club’s end-of-semester celebration, held in the
newly completed Art Club studio located in a renovated rowhouse near
Banner headquarters. Displayed around the gallery were the superheroes,
kites, sketchbooks with coats of arms, even the controversial contour
drawings. Parents were invited to the celebration, but as with many
community art projects in Baltimore’s poorer neighborhoods, engaging
some parents to attend their children’s special events and celebrations
can be challenging. Parent Bonnie Edwards had been an enthusiastic
supporter of the Art Club.
bonnie My son Marvin said, “Ma, you got to come see this art club.” I
work a full time job—sometimes twelve hours a day, but when there’s
something my kids are doing, I’m there to check it out and see who
the adults are that are spending so much time with my children.
cindy The final celebration is so important. It’s the opportunity for
the kids to show off their work. Some parents attended—as did
community association members. The adults asked the kids about
their work, and the kids took real pride in their art and the fact
that people were paying attention to them. It’s frustrating that more
parents don’t show up, but we continue to try to encourage it.
tree The kids got really excited about the end-of-project celebration.
Everyone was hugging at the end of the evening, and people were
asking if we were doing any programming during the summer. It really
ended very positively. The kids eventually began calling the Art Club
“Our Club.” One of the kids said that the closing celebration was
a very sad, very serious time because he knew the next Monday he
wouldn’t have the club to go to when school let out. And, you know,
I felt the same way. It was the part of my days that I always looked
forward to during the week.
cindy A lot of what Art Club accomplished was to help the kids develop
relationships with each other and a new set of adults. The relationship
building piece was a big piece. No other program brought that
mixed group of kids together.
a banner art club painter.
a mica cap student and banner art
club student working on a collage.