YAP Students Create Installation Art

The interactive installations Find a Name by Aleya Best and Hopscotch: Don’t step on the line by Antonina Wenzler were created in the YAP Installation Art=BIG class grades K-2 as part of a study of line in space and inspired by the work of artists Andy Goldsworthy and Tony Cragg. Installations by the Grades 3-6 class are also in the process of filling the walls of the CHAW with colorful projects.

Carolina Mayorga
CHAW Teaching Artist

"Find a Name" by Aleya Best

"Hopscotch: Don't step on the line" by Antonia Wenzler

Midnight in Paris

Last night concluded my three Midnight in Paris events in celebration of CHAW’s 40th anniversary. Many thanks to CHAW and to the folks who joined me in the festivities. It was so much fun to think and play outside my usual instructor box with these short classes. And it was so gratifying to see what folks created. It really affirms the CHAW mission of providing more art in everyone’s life.

January 19 we gathered to explore Cubism. The class created acrylic cubist masterpieces based on a still life set up.

On January 26 a group came together to make stunning Matisse-inspired paper cutouts using hand-painted paper.

And last night was Fun with the Surrealist Exquisite Corpse game. Here are photos of the class discussing the final assembled drawings as well as a couple of individual panels.

These events have left me energized and excited about the start of my Spring I Adult classes next week. Looking forward to seeing everyone then!

Ellen Cornett
CHAW Adult Visual Arts Program Teaching Artist

Where Every Voice Is Heard and Songs of Children

Birdsong from “Songs of Children” Anonymous 1941

He doesn’t know the world at all
Who stays in his nest and doesn’t go out.
He doesn’t know what birds know best
Nor what I want to sing about
That the world is full of loveliness.

 When dewdrops sparkle in the grass
And earth’s aflood with morning light,
A blackbird sings upon a bush
To greet the dawning after night.
Then I know how fine it is to be alive.

Hey, try to open up your heart
To beauty; go to the woods someday
And weave a wreath of memory there.
Then if the tears obscure your way
You’ll know how wonderful it is
To be alive. 

CHAW has a rich creative history, most obvious in the visual and performance arts that have come to life inside and beyond its walls.  CHAW has also served as the inspiration for “Where Every Voice Is Heard,” a suite of four songs that Jeffery Watson composed on the occasion of CHAW’s 30^th Anniversary.  Watson was CHAW’s Executive Director at the time and in collaboration with Laura Mitchell wrote lyrics and music that joyously confirm CHAW’s mission (building community through the arts) and vision (a place where the arts connect and transform).

The Capitol Hill Chorale with CHAW’s Capitol Hill Youth Chorus performed the premiere of “Where Every Voice Is Heard” on October 5, 2002.  Subsequently, it was performed for CHAW’s 35^th Anniversary by the Lesbian & Gay Chorus of Washington, D.C. and it will be offered again on February 12, 2012, 4 PM, at Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church as part of a concert celebrating CHAW’s 40^th Anniversary Year.  A community chorus formed in October 2011 has been rehearsing under the direction of C. Paul Heins in preparation for the February 12^th concert, when Jeffery Watson will conduct the chorus in performance.  CHAW’s Capitol Hill Youth Chorus will also be performing as part of “Where Every Voice Is Heard” and will offer its own set.  The concert will include performances by a cappella ensemble Not What You Think, David Lazere, a student in CHAW’s private music studio, and the newly-formed Children’s Honor Chorus from Brent Elementary.  Just before the concert from 3:15-3:45 PM, Convery and Watson will offer perspectives on their choral works moderated by Peter DiMuro, CHAW’s Creative Consultant for Special Projects.

Also on the program are six selections from Robert Convery’s “Songs of Children” – a cantata in memory of all children who perished in the Holocaust.   The texts for “Songs of Children” are poems written by children who were interned at the Terezin concentration camp.  The cantata was commissioned by The New York Concert Singers; its premiere was April 21, 1991.  Convery is known for his writing for the voice; his music is characterized by his musical lyricism, rhythmic vitality, keen harmonic sense, and transparent textures.  “Songs of Children” received its Washington, D.C. premiere at the opening of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum on April 16, 1993.

I suppose that one might be puzzled at first about the wisdom of programming these two pieces together as the keystone of a celebratory concert.  As the person who suggested the program and as someone who has sung both pieces and knows both composers, it made sense to me.  It seemed necessary to sing both compositions to create a meaningful celebration of CHAW’s work.  The somber subject matter of the Holocaust is difficult to bear.  The beauty of Convery’s musical composition and the crystalline words of the children encourage us to face difficult questions and realities.  Watson’s joy unveils a world where children are encouraged to play and fully articulate their artistic souls.  Listening to both pieces, the singer/audience member is asked to  hold two thoughts at the same time:   that one child’s experience is eating “black potatoes” and living in filth while thinking s/he has “smiled by some mistake,”and that another’s is “experiencing the wisdom of play,” “rippling, trippling, hollering, jollering, huddling, muddling, rollicking, frolicking.”  The contrast makes us remember, provides context, and calls us to action.  We may have much to celebrate, but clearly our work is not done.

Home from “Where Every Voice Is Heard” by Jeffery Watson

To seek
in art,
the soul,
the heart,
a life to live as one.

To dream
a world,
a home,
a place
where every voice is heard.

To dream
a world,
a place,
a home,
a life we live as one. 

Thanks to Paul Heins, Barbara Schelstrate, and the singers of the 40^th Anniversary Chorus who have worked so diligently and musically to bring these pieces to life.  Thank you Jeffery and Bob for the gift of your compositions.  The 40^th Anniversary Chorus was made possible by a gift to CHAW from the Lesbian & Gay Chorus of Washington, D.C., which ceased operations in June 2010, after 26 years of singing boldly in our community. 

-Jill Strachan

Ed Herold: Regular Guy or . . . CHAW Superhero?!

It's a bird. It's a plane. No, it's Super Ed!

Ed Herold may seem like a regular guy. And in many ways, he is. He lives in a house, he sleeps in a bed, he drives a car, he goes to work every day.

But really, he is not just your average guy. He is a CHAW superhero!

Ed has served on the CHAW board for three years so far.  He was chairperson of the finance committee and is now board treasurer; his expertise in all things accounting (he’s a CPA in his regular life) has helped CHAW immeasurably over the years.  But that alone is not why Ed is a CHAW superhero.  No indeed!  Ed’s superhero-ness also comes from the fact that he is a super fundraiser.

Ed is one of those very fit people who likes to enter races–running, biking, all kinds of things.  While going through some old t-shirts one day, he realized he had covered almost 500 miles in events the previous summer.  That’s 500, two zeros, without even knowing it!  About the same time, he was reading an article about the Marine Corps Marathon and the many charities that benefit from people who raise money through charity teams.  ”People get in shape, charities can do more good things through the fundraising–great idea!”  he thought.

Now, many people (most?) would stop with that thought.  But not Ed.

He decided to set up his own fitness fundraiser:  ECHO – Ed’s Challenge to Help Others. He wanted to raise money for two charities that he is personally involved with:  CHAW and Citizen Effect, which funds projects in developing countries.  He sent a letter to friends and family telling them that he was attempting to do 1,000 miles worth of events (marathons, bikes races, adventure races, and triathlons, among other things).  He set himself a timeframe of six months to achieve his goal. And of course, being Ed the Superhero, he accomplished this goal by completing 22 events in 25 weeks, for a total of 1,023 miles.  Go Ed!  All I can say is, “Wow!”

Ed then contacted his potential donors with the results of his challenge, and they gave generously.  (Wouldn’t you?!)  To date, Ed has raised more than $4,000.  That’s more than $2,000 to help CHAW provide tuition assistance and art supplies to those who can’t afford our programs.  And yes, after his 1,023 miles, Ed is most definitely in shape.

That’s what we call a win-win outcome.  Thank you, Ed!

December 2011 Adult Student Show

Show judge, Billy Friebele (right) tells the story of his first day teaching a class in CHAW's Youth Arts Program. Also shown are Ellen Cornett, CHAW teaching artist and Jonathan Black, CHAW board member.

CHAW hosted the opening of the December Adult Visual Arts Student art exhibit on December 10, 2011. Judge, Billy Friebele originally came to CHAW in the early 2000s as a YAP instructor. CHAW board member, Jonathan Black welcomed the artists and their family and friends to the reception.

Prizes were awarded to the following artists:

Linda Norton, First Place for pastel, Lobsterman’s Shack
Caitlin Adams, First Place for oil painting, Looming
Erin Malick Thompson, First Place for charcoal, Untitled
Martha Pope, Honorable Mention for watercolor and pastel, Untitled
Martin Rundle, Honorable Mention for conte, Torso
Katie Skillman, Honorable Mention for oil painting, Reflective Still Life
Wan Lee, Honorable Mention for watercolor, Grapes
Jess Bul, Honorable Mention for pastel, Quetzal

Congratulations to the award winners and to all the artists exhibiting.

Erin Malick Thompson and Matt Thompson admiring the artwork of Joe Rees (top) and Ann Shields (bottom).

 

Advanced Watercolors and Pastels

Teaching artist, Gina Clapp and her Wednesday morning Advanced Watercolors and Pastels class are working hard in preparation for the December Adult Student Show. The show opens December 10 from 5-7pm and is a popular event with students and art lovers alike. This author has seen some of the work in progress and this promises to be a wonderful exhibit. Below are some photos of the students at work.

-Ellen Cornett

Photos by Pat Taylor

Fruits, Flies and Other Delights

House Warrior

Fruits, Flies and Other Delights featuring works by CHAW teaching artist Carolina Mayorga opens October 22 from 5-8pm at Evolve Urban Arts Project in the Pierce School Loft.

Mayorga’s work addresses issues of social and political content. Comments on migration, war, identity, translate into site-specific installations and multimedia pieces including video, performance art, photography and drawing. She has exhibited her work nationally and internationally for the last 15 years. Her work is part of national and international collections and has been reviewed in publications in South America, Europe and the US. Mayorga lives and works in Washington, DC.

In more recent projects, Mayorga has presented these themes as items for consumption in which the use of mass media marketing tools emphasize the intent to turn poverty, gender, and displacement into saleable products. In some cases, the artist applies her own image as a selling tool as she plays with cultural stereotypes related to her Latino background. The artist, a Colombian-born and naturalized American citizen, uses her insider/outsider view of American culture to reveal sometimes tragic realities through aesthetically pleasing sculptures, playful scenes, and satirical infomercials, read more about Fruits, Flies and Other Delights and Carolina Mayorga at art.evolveDC.com.

Fruits, Flies and Other Delights runs October 22 through December 31, 2011. The Project space is located in the Pierce School Lofts at 1375 Maryland Avenue, NE, in the H Street Arts and Entertainment District.  To view this exhibit, please contact Geoff Ault, Evolve Urban Arts Project Curator at (202) 744.6439 for an appointment.

Newspaper Soup

ArtSmash Photobooth

Check out some of the wonderful photos from ArtSmash. The strongman was created by teaching artist, Emma Steinkraus and Youth Arts Program coordinator, Leslie Andrus was photographer extraordinaire. Click on an image to save and print it as a souvenir of the evening. It was a fabulous party with more photos to come.

“Creative Attire?! What, precisely, do I wear to Artsmash??”

Appropriately dressing for an event, particularly for women, is often a dangerous endeavor. ‘Black Tie’ is easy—a long dress, something sparkly and off the shoulder. Similarly, the opposite side of the fashion spectrum—‘Barbeque’—is also straightforward with your only concern being what SPF level to continuously re-apply.

Men, have dressing easy. There are few activities in DC that a sport coat and pair of khaki or black slacks cannot solve. So what does ‘Creative Attire’ mean exactly?

It means that you can have fun and be a little more extreme than your safe navy blazer paired with sensible pumps. This is not, however, a costume party—think of it as an inspiration party. If Lady Gaga would attend, what would she wear? The sirloin cut of beef or a basket of glitter? Lady Gaga is not dressing as someone else, she is exploiting extreme details or ideals and making them into creative outfits, often at complete odds with fashion trends and with little regards to weather conditions.

Ok, so Lady Gaga you are not—where to start?

First, take an honest look at your shoes and socks. Are they black, brown or cordovan? Are your socks white, navy or black? Try buying sensible pumps in metallic pink or blue velvet (see below). Most big-box retailers and online shops, such as the eponymous joyofsocks.com can help you punch up the bottom half of your wardrobe.

Many shoe retailers offer fun color and texture options or bejeweled accessories such as shoe clips that can vamp-up an existing shoe without damaging it or spending extra cash.

Now that you have your new socks and fanciful shoes take a look at your head. The royal wedding this past May re-introduced the American audience to a whimsical procession of hats and be-feathered headgear known appropriately as ‘fascinators.’ You can find fascinators and lovely unisex fedora-style hats at Eastern Market every weekend or try online at etsy.com, a hub for crafty individuals to sell their wares (see below).

Fascinators come in all materials and in all shapes and sizes, are typically for women and typically do not cover the entire head. They attach by headbands, clips and hairpins.

Then go back to your main outfit – try mixing and matching separates (shorts/pants/skirts/tops) and scour thrift stores for fun finds putting some pieces together that would not usually be paired together. Remember you are not making a costume, you are making a creative outfit so be inspired by Superman’s undies on the outside of his tights but remember you will be seeing your friends and neighbors inspirations too and edit or restrain yourself appropriately.

Putting it all together – fun shoes, fun hats and some mix and matched separates. For the gentlemen, all items were found in the closet the day of Artsmash. For the lady, the hula-hoop-based skirt was custom made with the rest of the outfit scoured from pre-existing and not specially purchased separates and accessories.

The important thing is to have fun! Think of your mother’s oft-proffered advice about taking one accessory off before leaving the house and reverse it. More is in fact more at Artsmash!

. . . and I am CHAWSOME!

When I was at CHAW last week, here is what I saw prominently displayed in the gallery:

Young Artists’ Pledge

I respect myself.
I honor my artwork and my actions.
I cheer on the creativity in others.
I listen, I share, and I care for the people and space around me.
I am creative and I am CHAWSOME!

Thank you for that, YAP artists.  (That’s Youth Arts Program, the after school program at CHAW)

Is this a great place or what?

–Laurie Gillman

September 11, 2011