Thursday, April 05, 2012
Peace Drum Project Spring News 2012
Peace Drum — Our Current Art Adventures
Another year of the Peace Drum project is unfolding with an abundance of creative adventures engaging the teens and challenging each one of them to explore their inner artist. Since October the teens have created self-portraits, art journals, personal mandalas; they’ve made and played drums, danced with Wyoma, and created imaginative mask sculptures with artist Belinda Lyons. They’ve been on field trips to Mass College of Art and Design and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and they’ve attended performances of Blue Man Group, Tony William’s Urban Nutcracker, and Twilight LosAngeles-1992 at Emerson Stage. They recently took on the Peace Drum’s annual Art Journal Challenge, to create a personal statement in collage in one hour. A panel of independent judges review the work each year and select the three best pieces for cash prizes. This year’s first prizewinner was Janéa Williams (Fenway High) for her piece illustrating her love of fashion design. (Janéa was also awarded a scholarship by MCAD to attend Xtreme Fashion Week at MassArt during February school vacation.) Second and Third prizes went respectively to Rafael Baez (Snowden International High) and Jenny Nguyen (Boston Latin Academy.)
(Photos of Wyoma Dance, AJC &Gardner Museum etc…)
In the coming weeks the teens will be embarking on two Book Arts projects. The first will be an individual book that conveys something key about each teen’s identity. The second project will be a collaborative book — a Book of Proverbs gleaned from family, friends and the elders containing “pearls of wisdom” about life. The proverbs will be in both English and Spanish, and the book will be exhibited at the Gardner Museum Community Creations Exhibit opening on May 24. The schedule in the coming weeks includes more interviews with the elders and the creation of the elder drums and stories. There will also be sessions with Gloretta Baynes and Walter Clark — both visual artists in residence at AAMARP Studios — to learn more about their work.
All of these experiences combine to give the teens a rich hands-on immersion in the arts that develops problem-solving and critical thinking skills. They not only learn how to work with materials and tools needed for various artistic processes, but they develop a comfort with improvisation and creative exploration. Sometimes the original plan doesn’t work out, but you don’t give up! You look for another way to do it. This is one of the most important skills young people can gain from working in the arts. Our staff members are continually inspired by the way these young people throw themselves into their arts experiences, and come away with greater understanding and confidence. These are important life skills that are best learned in a relaxed but structured learning environment with supportive peers and caring adults — and that’s what The Peace Drum provides.
Meeting The Elders
In February, the teens had their first meeting with the elders at the Back of the Hill Apartments. The room, still decorated with Valentine’s Day decorations was cheerful and cozy. Some of them are residents of the building, and some are from the broader Jamaica Plain neighborhood. After introductions, the teens started the process of getting to know more about the elders by creating pages for them in our Peace Drum Scrapbook. The session gave both groups a chance to get to know each other better and to prepare for future sessions when the life story interviews take place.
It was a wonderful experience interviewing Mrs. Elliott. She’s a joyful person, and her story about living in North Carolina was engaging. I'm looking forward to hearing more about her childhood experience.” Rafael Baez
In a few weeks the teens will return to begin learning about the early lives of the elders and recording their stories. This group of elders grew up in places like Albania, the Dominican Republic, the Deep South, and the Midwest, so the teens will have a chance to learn about childhoods spent very differently than their own. In the coming months, in addition to creating the elder’s stories, the teens will also make a beautiful personal “peace drum” for each elder to commemorate their life story, and to remember their experience in the project.
The drums and stories will be presented to the elders at our Peace Drum Celebration and Awards event on Tuesday, June 5th at AAMARP Studios from 5-7 PM. (See our invitation included here.)
Peace Drum Flashback
We love having visits from past graduates of the Peace Drum Project. This year several recent graduates accompanied us on field trips, and two early participants came to CAI to visit and catch up. Shaniqua Osgood (the first teen accepted into the Peace Drum Project in 2000) and her son Amari came to visit along with Christian Tschibelu, (a Peace Drum participant 2000-2003.) Both graduated from Boston English High School. Shaniqua is working on her degree in Early Childhood Education at Roxbury Community College, and Christian is in his last year at Boston Architectural College. We had a great visit, and look forward to more in the near future. (PHOTO)
Save The Date
End of Year Celebration!
Please join us for our end-of-year
Celebration & Awards Ceremony
See our drums.
Hear our stories.
Meet the participants and help us celebrate
their accomplishments on
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
5:00-7:00 PM at AAMARP Studios,
76 Atherton Street in Jamaica Plain
For more information or to volunteer to help, contact
Susan Porter at 617-524-6378.
What is the Peace Drum Project?
This project is Cooperative Artists Institute's after-school teen leadership initiative that combines performing and visual Arts in a fun, exciting process that helps teens develop while becoming a greater asset to their own communities. Inner-city Boston teens learn important life and leadership skills like critical-thinking, problem solving, listening and communication, creativity, empathy and understanding.
This 30-week project brings teens together with Boston elders to help them recall and record their life stories. After interviewing the elders, each teen makes a personalized Peace Drum for each elder that reflects their life story. This sharing of stories builds common ground and connects the two generations with each other in a positive and lasting way. The blending of the Arts with the community service helps the teens develop maturity and build supportive, positive peer relationships.
For more information call 617-524-6378, or check out
http://tribal-rhythms.org/drum_exhibit.html
and friend us on Facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/PeaceDrumProject
Special Thanks
Donate Now!
Your contribution to support The Peace Drum Project will ensure that we can continue to provide this one-of-a-kind experience to help at-risk youth transform their lives through the arts and their connection with elders in the community.
Very special thanks to our funders and supporters for 2011-12:
The Janey Fund, The Alice Willard Dorr Foundation, Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency, CommunityWorks, and the City of Boston Samuel Hudson Fund for their support of the project. We also want to thank the many individual contributors who gave to the Peace Drum Appeal this year including: Doreen Roozee & Atif Zaman, Alchemy Foundation, Barbara Mahoney Glicksman, Carol Hornblower and Fred Weber, and the following Friends of the Peace Drum Project: Kasey Davis & Sam Appleman, Barbara Beckwith, Thomas Belkakis, Berta R. Berriz, Steven & Linda Brion-Meisels, Robert & Ann Buxbaum, Eleanor Chin & Kevin Gillespie, Neil Davin, Paula Elliott, Sara Freed, Jake Hart, Lawrence Johnson, Victoria Johnson, Russ Keegan, Ann Kerrey, Mary Jane Low, Priscilla Morris, Patricia Nassau, George Pope, Elizabeth Resnick, Bob & Robin Ribokas, Gary Rickson, Kerry Rumore, Judith Steinbergh, Patricia Steuert, Barbara Turner, Aisha Jamilla Wiley, Jack Mikhail Wolfson, Althea Wright, Karen Anne Zien, and Jim Zien
Another year of the Peace Drum project is unfolding with an abundance of creative adventures engaging the teens and challenging each one of them to explore their inner artist. Since October the teens have created self-portraits, art journals, personal mandalas; they’ve made and played drums, danced with Wyoma, and created imaginative mask sculptures with artist Belinda Lyons. They’ve been on field trips to Mass College of Art and Design and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and they’ve attended performances of Blue Man Group, Tony William’s Urban Nutcracker, and Twilight LosAngeles-1992 at Emerson Stage. They recently took on the Peace Drum’s annual Art Journal Challenge, to create a personal statement in collage in one hour. A panel of independent judges review the work each year and select the three best pieces for cash prizes. This year’s first prizewinner was Janéa Williams (Fenway High) for her piece illustrating her love of fashion design. (Janéa was also awarded a scholarship by MCAD to attend Xtreme Fashion Week at MassArt during February school vacation.) Second and Third prizes went respectively to Rafael Baez (Snowden International High) and Jenny Nguyen (Boston Latin Academy.)
(Photos of Wyoma Dance, AJC &Gardner Museum etc…)
In the coming weeks the teens will be embarking on two Book Arts projects. The first will be an individual book that conveys something key about each teen’s identity. The second project will be a collaborative book — a Book of Proverbs gleaned from family, friends and the elders containing “pearls of wisdom” about life. The proverbs will be in both English and Spanish, and the book will be exhibited at the Gardner Museum Community Creations Exhibit opening on May 24. The schedule in the coming weeks includes more interviews with the elders and the creation of the elder drums and stories. There will also be sessions with Gloretta Baynes and Walter Clark — both visual artists in residence at AAMARP Studios — to learn more about their work.
All of these experiences combine to give the teens a rich hands-on immersion in the arts that develops problem-solving and critical thinking skills. They not only learn how to work with materials and tools needed for various artistic processes, but they develop a comfort with improvisation and creative exploration. Sometimes the original plan doesn’t work out, but you don’t give up! You look for another way to do it. This is one of the most important skills young people can gain from working in the arts. Our staff members are continually inspired by the way these young people throw themselves into their arts experiences, and come away with greater understanding and confidence. These are important life skills that are best learned in a relaxed but structured learning environment with supportive peers and caring adults — and that’s what The Peace Drum provides.
Meeting The Elders
In February, the teens had their first meeting with the elders at the Back of the Hill Apartments. The room, still decorated with Valentine’s Day decorations was cheerful and cozy. Some of them are residents of the building, and some are from the broader Jamaica Plain neighborhood. After introductions, the teens started the process of getting to know more about the elders by creating pages for them in our Peace Drum Scrapbook. The session gave both groups a chance to get to know each other better and to prepare for future sessions when the life story interviews take place.
It was a wonderful experience interviewing Mrs. Elliott. She’s a joyful person, and her story about living in North Carolina was engaging. I'm looking forward to hearing more about her childhood experience.” Rafael Baez
In a few weeks the teens will return to begin learning about the early lives of the elders and recording their stories. This group of elders grew up in places like Albania, the Dominican Republic, the Deep South, and the Midwest, so the teens will have a chance to learn about childhoods spent very differently than their own. In the coming months, in addition to creating the elder’s stories, the teens will also make a beautiful personal “peace drum” for each elder to commemorate their life story, and to remember their experience in the project.
The drums and stories will be presented to the elders at our Peace Drum Celebration and Awards event on Tuesday, June 5th at AAMARP Studios from 5-7 PM. (See our invitation included here.)
Peace Drum Flashback
We love having visits from past graduates of the Peace Drum Project. This year several recent graduates accompanied us on field trips, and two early participants came to CAI to visit and catch up. Shaniqua Osgood (the first teen accepted into the Peace Drum Project in 2000) and her son Amari came to visit along with Christian Tschibelu, (a Peace Drum participant 2000-2003.) Both graduated from Boston English High School. Shaniqua is working on her degree in Early Childhood Education at Roxbury Community College, and Christian is in his last year at Boston Architectural College. We had a great visit, and look forward to more in the near future. (PHOTO)
Save The Date
End of Year Celebration!
Please join us for our end-of-year
Celebration & Awards Ceremony
See our drums.
Hear our stories.
Meet the participants and help us celebrate
their accomplishments on
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
5:00-7:00 PM at AAMARP Studios,
76 Atherton Street in Jamaica Plain
For more information or to volunteer to help, contact
Susan Porter at 617-524-6378.
What is the Peace Drum Project?
This project is Cooperative Artists Institute's after-school teen leadership initiative that combines performing and visual Arts in a fun, exciting process that helps teens develop while becoming a greater asset to their own communities. Inner-city Boston teens learn important life and leadership skills like critical-thinking, problem solving, listening and communication, creativity, empathy and understanding.
This 30-week project brings teens together with Boston elders to help them recall and record their life stories. After interviewing the elders, each teen makes a personalized Peace Drum for each elder that reflects their life story. This sharing of stories builds common ground and connects the two generations with each other in a positive and lasting way. The blending of the Arts with the community service helps the teens develop maturity and build supportive, positive peer relationships.
For more information call 617-524-6378, or check out
http://tribal-rhythms.org/drum_exhibit.html
and friend us on Facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/PeaceDrumProject
Special Thanks
Donate Now!
Your contribution to support The Peace Drum Project will ensure that we can continue to provide this one-of-a-kind experience to help at-risk youth transform their lives through the arts and their connection with elders in the community.
Very special thanks to our funders and supporters for 2011-12:
The Janey Fund, The Alice Willard Dorr Foundation, Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency, CommunityWorks, and the City of Boston Samuel Hudson Fund for their support of the project. We also want to thank the many individual contributors who gave to the Peace Drum Appeal this year including: Doreen Roozee & Atif Zaman, Alchemy Foundation, Barbara Mahoney Glicksman, Carol Hornblower and Fred Weber, and the following Friends of the Peace Drum Project: Kasey Davis & Sam Appleman, Barbara Beckwith, Thomas Belkakis, Berta R. Berriz, Steven & Linda Brion-Meisels, Robert & Ann Buxbaum, Eleanor Chin & Kevin Gillespie, Neil Davin, Paula Elliott, Sara Freed, Jake Hart, Lawrence Johnson, Victoria Johnson, Russ Keegan, Ann Kerrey, Mary Jane Low, Priscilla Morris, Patricia Nassau, George Pope, Elizabeth Resnick, Bob & Robin Ribokas, Gary Rickson, Kerry Rumore, Judith Steinbergh, Patricia Steuert, Barbara Turner, Aisha Jamilla Wiley, Jack Mikhail Wolfson, Althea Wright, Karen Anne Zien, and Jim Zien
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