The project we are aiming to have funded is an educational visual arts program with the overarching theme of community. We see this program as vital because as the world becomes increasingly digitized, it also becomes increasingly distant. Our chosen demographic for the program is youth ages 14-18 in Arundel, Maine. With the town of Arundel being mostly rural and residents traveling elsewhere for education, jobs, entertainment, etc., our program will breathe life back into neighborly engagement, while also facilitating the formation of lasting bonds between Arundel youth. Students who register for this program will participate for six weeks total with each week centered around a different visual medium and prompt. Projects to be explored include a collaborative mural, collage self-portraits, photography chapbooks, and exquisite corpse paintings. Some mediums for creation include acrylic paints, mixed media, oil pastels, graphite, and watercolor paints. Each mentioned project is meant to have students think about and answer three major questions: how does one define a community, what makes a town a community, and how to be an engaged community member. During week six, a gallery of student work will be assembled in Arundel’s recreational center to celebrate the program’s completion and student work. Along with the event details, it is our hope to have a large portion of Arundel’s community attend not only to admire the outcome of the program, but engage with one another.
Journal #12 (WRT-317)
