On Saturday, March 6, ARTreach continued its Art With a Voice series with a presentation by Nigerian, multi-media artist, Folasayo Dele-ogunrinde. Art With a Voice exhibitions focus on art with a message of social justice – art that challenges our world view by taking us out of our comfort zone.

The show opened at 7 which gave those who attended the event a chance to take a look at Folasayo’s paintings and collages. The imagery spoke directly of the lives of women, particularly outside Western culture. In one series about the oppression of Afghanistan women, rope covered the mouth a woman to symbolize the silence that many women live under in cultures where they are unable to go to school or vote.

Also available for viewing was Folasayo’s 2006 short film, The Hunt (warning: strong adult theme, not suitable for some viewers, parental discretion advised).  A disturbing tale of a young woman who turns the table of kidnapping, torture, rape and murder on the men who ‘hunt’ women.

To highlight the evening, Folasayo entertained us with some of her spoken poetry accompanied by African drummers or piano pieces composed specifically for the event by Michael Guevara. With a voice ranging from strong to vulnerable, Folasayo recited poems that encompassed the complex relationships women share with men – romantic love, marriage and divorce.

Adding to the fine evening of art and poetry was a nice selection of wine provided by Katie Biggers. The event took place at The V Gallery at Villagio, Town Center, Cinco Ranch – a wonderful new place for ARTreach roster artists to showcase their work. We look forward to hosting more Art With a Voice exhibitions at The V Gallery. Thanks to all who attended!

Folasayo’s artwork will continue to hang at the V Gallery for another month.

February 4, 2010, Katy, Texas – ARTreach has just announced the list of Katy ISD schools that applied and have been selected to benefit from a variety of ARTreach Projects this semester. Benefitting campuses includes Schmalz Elementary, Raines High School, Opportunity Awareness Center, West Memorial Junior High, Morton Ranch Junior High, Rhoads Elementary and McRoberts Elementary. Other schools have applied for support and additional projects will be reviewed in March.

Photo above includes Schmalz Elementary Principal Karen Ladner, Assistant Principal Lorraine White, and Science team leader, Lynette Campbell along with Terri Bieber and Vickie McMillan of ARTreach. Schmalz Elementary was awarded their project based on their application which included a statement of need and their high interest in having an interactive mural created to support visual learning in Science. ARTreach calls projects like this “SM-ART”, because they combine Science and/or Math teaching objectives with visual arts learning opportunities. Schmalz’s project is a 9 x 65 foot mural that spans the 4th and 5th grade hallway, visually illustrating lessons associated with 4th and 5th grade curriculum including earth life cycles. This is a $20,475 interactive mural project benefiting the Schmalz school community of over 1048 students annually. The project is funded by grants and donations made to ARTreach supporting underserved schools in Katy.
Many of the Katy ISD schools applied for and will be receiving similar mural projects that integrate fine arts with other core educational objectives including STEM Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, or projects that focused on Character Education and Development. ARTreach is offering additional and unique Artist in Residence support to West Memorial Junior High in recognition of their counselor’s newest support program for girls called The ROSE (The Rising of Self-Esteem).

Over $78,000 in project support has already been pledged or distributed this year within Katy ISD and a list of social service agencies in Katy, Richmond and Houston including, Houston Aids Foundation patient center, Pregnancy Help Center of Katy, Coalition of Behavioral Health Services & Partnership for a Drug-Free Spring Branch, Houston Harris County Juvenile Detention Center, Houston Domestic Abuse Center and a number of CPS placement centers and youth shelters.
For more information and details about each project and how the community is involved, please contact Terri Bieber at ARTreach 281-392-5341 or visit www.artreachonline.org

ARTreach announces that the organization will open Art in the Park and free family ARTreach Center activities in Cinco Ranch this upcoming year. The events will be modeled after similar weekend events ARTreach hosted in downtown Katy at the Katy Heritage Park this past year. The move to Cinco Ranch is made possible by the donation of space made by The Villagio Gallery and Community Room located at the Villagio in Cinco Ranch.

The ARTreach Center in Cinco Ranch will continue to promote Katy artists and share information about cultural arts hot spots and happenings in the Katy area. ARTreach Center activities in Cinco Ranch each month will include free art classes and creative family workshops that will introduce a number of interesting teaching artists to the community. Music and cultural arts presentations that promote arts education will be included. ARTreach shares its resources with all local art groups and welcomes participation and partnership to expand art opportunities available throughout Katy.

Support for the arts in Cinco Ranch is growing

ARTreach Programs like this are funded by grants and donations. It is necessary for the organization be able to demonstrate there is public support for the arts in the areas they serve in order to qualify for state grants and private foundation funding for their range of art events, gallery and community projects as well as their primary outreach to underserved populations. ARTreach events held in Cinco Ranch are attracting higher numbers of attendees, representing growing public support.

ARTreach Community Programs already being hosted in Cinco Ranch include Property Owners Association neighborhood events and parade festivals, Summer Art Series at LaCenterra, annual storytelling, puppet shows and performing arts at Simply Cinco, and monthly ARTparties at Berryhill Baja Grill at Villagio Town Center. ARTreach first annual “Chair-ish the Arts” Gallery fundraiser in Cinco Ranch drew over 300 art supporters. ARTreach was also selected as the benefitting charity for the Katy Kids Festival held at The Villagio in Cinco Ranch where thousands of families attended.

“Public support for the arts in the Cinco Ranch area is definitely growing” says ARTreach Board President, Katherine Ammer, “ARTreach is offering community programs in all corners of Katy, Harris County, Fort Bend and Waller County. ARTreach Community Programs and events in the Cinco Ranch and Fort Bend County area are drawing the most support.”

“We make it a point to attend every event,” say Cinco Ranch residents Audralyn and Mark Allen. “We have five children and everyone in our family appreciates arts events that are in the neighborhood that we can walk to. We think it is all the art and music events being held in Cinco Ranch that are bringing the community to life and making it fun to live here!”

Exciting plans for Cinco Ranch

ARTreach is responding to the show of support and is unveiling a list of exciting projects planned for the Cinco Ranch area in 2010. A partnership with The Villagio allows ARTreach to host free ARTreach Center activities and fine art gallery events, Patio Concerts, and Art in the Park events every month in Cinco Ranch. Continued partnership with the Cinco Ranch Property Owners Associations and LaCenterra as well as a new ARTreach partnerships in the works with Houston art groups promises a host of special events coming to the Cinco Ranch area this upcoming year.

Katy Heritage Society and ARTreach are also ramping up phase two of the biggest public art project to ever hit Katy, endorsed by the Texas Commission on the Arts, called All aboard Katy! This special community project embraces the entire region and focuses on our unique heritage associated with the MKT train line. Visitors are invited to stop by and see the current collection of nine-foot fiberglass locomotives being displayed at LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch that will be painted by local artists in 2010.

For more information about ARTreach, and their outreach efforts to bring more art to Katy and underserved populations visit www.artreachonline.org

ARTreach has completed a 12 session Urban Arts program at Eiland Elementary in the Klein School District. Eiland is a Title I school with 670 children. Eiland lacked sufficient funding for enrichment programs and could identify a high number of children at risk. Funding for this Urban Arts Program was made possible in part by a grant to ARTreach from the Texas Commission on the Arts and the new TCA Arts Respond Grants Program supporting education and children at risk.

Chris Gamez is the Project Director overseeing the development of ARTreach Urban Arts and URGEWORKS Programs supporting children at risk. He and his team of dancers worked two hours a day for six weeks to teach 40 1st-3rd graders to dance. Both groups successfully choreographed their own routine and performed in front of an audience of teachers, family members and school administrators on the final day of the program. The Urban Arts Dance program supports TEKS objectives for math, and promotes team work. This program reinforces character traits related to perseverance and respect. There is also an anti-gang and drug abuse awareness component associated with this program.
All ARTreach programs support educational objectives and social skills development. The impact of this program and its success can be measured by improvements in the student’s overall grades, behavior or attitude based on report cards, conduct reports, teacher surveys and testimony.

ARTreach has just completed a 4 week pilot at the Pregnancy Help Center. The organization was piloting a dance program called “Nurturing Pathways for Babies” taught by certified instructor Erin Stanley. This is a creative dance program for new mothers and their infants developed to enrich a baby’s cognitive and physical development by using baby exercises, musical instruments and sensory rich creative play products.

The ARTreach Pilot is giving new mothers an opportunity to experience the joy of dancing while strengthening their bond with their baby at no cost to the Pregnancy Help Center. Erin Stanley generously donated her teaching time and materials to support the pilot. ARTreach is measuring the impact of the program and collecting testimony and responses from the mothers selected to participate in the pilot to support future funding.

New mothers registered for the program initially as an opportunity to get back in shape, bond with their infant and make new friends. There were additional benefits in that the program teaches a range of new parenting skills, how to make healthy choices, and how to find time to take care of yourself and your baby. The program also teaches a new mother how creative movement, play and touch will activate an infant’s central nervous system. These networks interconnect rapidly from birth to four years of age. The brain doubles in size during the first twelve months of life and achieves 95% of its adult brain weight by the age of four. During these years, the foundation is laid for eyesight, language, gross and fine motor skills and emotional and intellectual capabilities. Movement, play and touch contribute significantly to the healthy development of a baby.

The outcomes in this ARTreach pilot were positive. The class was well received and each client has requested that the program continue. This is motivating both ARTreach and the Pregnancy Help Center to seek sponsors to support ongoing classes at the center. They are hoping that by combining their resources they can fund the program and continue to offer it free to Pregnancy Help Center clients. General community interest is high enough that the classes will be open to anyone who wishes to register and pay just $12 per week. The organizations are seeking $725 in matching funds to sustain the program in 2010.

To conclude this pilot series, ARTreach teaching artist Stacy Baer came to the Pregnancy Help Center on December 12th to teach the moms that they can use their hands, feet and creativity to make a treasured keepsake that can be enjoyed for years to come. She showed them how to make ceramic plates using their baby’s hand and foot prints as the basic design. Stacy was teaching “Art with a Purpose”. This is an ARTreach Vocational Workshop that can spark the entrepreneurial spirit by demonstrating how easy it is to use your own hands and creativity to create an income for yourself.

“Nurturing Pathways for Babies” and “Art with a Purpose” are programs that the Pregnancy Help Center would like to offer weekly to PHC clients. The organizations have been working together for two years to develop programs that will creatively address difficult issues facing young mothers and mothers coping with crisis pregnancy.

ARTreach and PHC are participating in the Alliance of Charities fundraiser being held at Fish City Grill in LaCenterra in Cinco Ranch on Tuesday, January 19th. Please mark your calendar and come for lunch or dinner on that day. Fish City Grill is donating 15% of the proceeds to support the cause. Donations can be also made to Pregnancy Help Center or ARTreach at any time and can be designated to support these programs.

Michael Averitt is a sophomore at Mayde Creek High School. He is the first student to be selected to participate in a new ARTreach training program being offered to high school students. The program supports students seeking extra-curricular art enrichment, and who are interested in training to be a student teacher available to assist in ARTreach programs. Michael is interested in clay animation. He is learning stop action film making techniques, and once he has acquired the skills, he will be given the opportunity to practice teaching what he has learned to others in ARTreach outreach programs. ARTreach is currently training volunteers and student teachers to support expanding programs. Volunteers can be trained and certified in a variety of ARTreach teaching methods. Training Courses are six weeks and cost $390 to include supplies. Students are sponsored by ARTreach. Art Volunteers can be trained to teach clay animation, sculpting, illustration and painting techniques, and a variety of mixed media teaching methods. If you interested in training to become a teaching artist certified to work in ARTreach Programs or would like to nominate a student for the program, contact ARTreach info@artreachonline.org

The organization has received $30,000 in individual gifts to advance the mission of ARTreach in serving at risk children and adults with special needs in the Katy, Houston and Greater Fort Bend County area in 2010. ARTreach is accepting applications now for new projects in Katy ISD underserved schools. New and Title I schools can apply for library mural projects or Mentoring through Art programs funded by ARTreach. Please inquire.

Mural Projects are unique and designed by ARTreach muralist Vickie McMillan to the specifications of the applying campuses. Facilities and campuses serving children in need may also apply for Mentoring through Art Workshops and ARTreach SMART Programs that combine science and math curriculum with art based learning practices. These programs promote social skills development and support education and graduation.

ARTreach Programs serving children at risk are available to individual school campuses, Residential Treatment Centers, juvenile detention centers, crisis centers, domestic abuse centers, hospitals, rehabilitation and recovery centers. Up to 80% funding is available to support needy schools. Projects can be implemented as early as February 1, 2010.

Please inquire, 281-392-5341 or by email info@artreachonline.org. Visit the ARTreach website www.artreachonline.org to learn more about the programs and to apply for support.

ARTreach has concluded a 10 week pilot program supporting children at risk at the Helping Hand Home for Children in Austin, Texas with a student presentation held on Monday, November 23rd at 4 pm.

The ARTreach program is being developed by artist Dan Egger Belandria specifically to support the education and social development needs of children at risk and in foster care. Called The Rhythm Journey, it is a powerful experience that teaches rhythmic collaboration as well as the art of self expression. When working with children who have not been previously exposed to music or drumming, Dan uses a call and response technique to develop the group’s drumming vocabulary while emphasizing key learning points around team and relationship building. This is a hands-on approach to building self esteem, while breaking down barriers within a group to create a shared vision that is interactive and rewarding.

Helping Hand Home applied for an ARTreach Program and was selected for the pilot because they are a residential treatment facility for children ages 5-12 and in the foster care system. ARTreach is a non-profit arts organization that helps bring the arts to children at risk who may not otherwise experience the arts as a part of their lives. The children living at the Helping Hand Home are undergoing treatment for emotional and behavioral issues related to abuse and neglect. They are considered at risk for a variety of factors, and those selected to participate in the pilot represent a range of special needs. Most of the children involved have never been given the opportunity to experience drumming or music on a teaching level. This program pilot was made possible in part thanks to a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts.

The goal of the ARTreach pilot was to demonstrate the impact drumming techniques can have on the child’s ability to cope with anxiety, anger and or depression. It was also set up to measure the impact of weekly encounters with expressive art and music making methods would have on a child’s ability to interact and or socialize. Helping Hand Home staff was able to document improvements in individual behavior and test scores recorded in the first term, compared to the second term. Three of children who participated in the pilot were selected at random at the end of the pilot and their records were reviewed. Two out of the three showed improvements in test scores and overall grades during the 10 week period as well as significant reductions in behavioral infractions recorded over the same time period that could be attributed in part to this program. All children who participated in the culminating presentation showed significant improvement in attitude and self esteem, and described a unit bond, affirmed friendships and confidence gained as a result of this program.

In facilities that treat foster care children who are victims of abuse, programs that support education and socialization, and nurture a child’s sense of belonging in our society are valuable. ARTreach pilots like this demonstrate the high impact the arts will have on this neglected population if funding were readily available.

ARTreach has been documenting improvements in social behavior and grades linked to creative art experiences since 2003. While art and music programs that include supplies, instruments and professional teachers can be expensive, art programs are much less expensive than conventional adaptive behavior therapies, and combining creative art practices with math and reading curriculum are extremely effective in improving test scores and overall grades than standard teaching methods. ARTreach Programs prove over and over again that the arts fundamentally support a child’s emotional development and improved ability to learn. Early and consistent exposure to the arts can help insure a child’s future as a creative and productive member of our society. The Arts needs to be a part of every child’s life!

Because Art Works! Please encourage and support the arts. Contact your legislator and make sure they support the arts in education and health and human services in Texas. Make a donation today to support art and educational outreach in your community. www.artreachonline.org