These pictures from our final art exhibit just begin to describe the excitment of the event. With over one hundred artists participating, we filled the walls of the entryway and the gathering room of the church. The Mt.Zion community was so welcoming and supportive. Putting on an art show is perhaps always a little heartbreaking, There is the task of making sure there is no one left out, that is that there is at least one picture on the wall for every artist. A special thank you to counselor Ms. Dianne who did some follow up name writing during our workshops. There is the matter of children and their families being at different heights, hanging the work so that all can see. Refreshments were lovingly provided by Ms. Lillian, who is the head counselor at the EYMCA, Ms. Mindy, and the Marsha Barbour Community Center.
The church has a wonderful sound system and Mr. Fred Kately, who participated in the workshops with us and who supports many of the young people in our local youth group, Mr. Fred was our DJ and soundman. Wonderful jazz transported the event. We had flowers on the tables and tea lights in crystal glasses. Storms during the day suggested that our turnout may be slim, but we were overwhelmed with families coming to the art show. Parents, and grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends, our artist participants brought the work to life. Here was one stage of the work complete! Children standing before their pictures for paparazzi photographs, children finding other pictures that interested them and talking with others about what they saw. Families enjoying the non-competitive success. Families being celebrated for supporting each other in their creativity. We said a few words and invited two speakers Mia from the MBCC and Breanna from the EYMCA. We invited them to speak on their experiences. Mia liked the ink drawing of faces at the park and by the gulf, because she said it is fun and you can take in everything around you and make something different. Breanna said it is cool and it is fun to paint, she drawing people in poses and mixing learning about mixing colors. Casey’s mother shared with us that she came home and said, “I have homework, I have to free think,” and she put a blindfold over her eyes to practice drawing without looking.

All of that and we led two more workshops in the morning before the show. I introduced Pamela’s perceptual memory painting to five of the seniors who meet every Wednesday at the church and Monica led the MBCC youth group. Today we had the large wonderful paper which supported satisfying luxurious results for everyone. One of the lovingest art shows I have ever attended.

-youme

On our last day teaching at East Hancock elementary school we bring the big paper. The children use ink, working from each other as models, they recreate poses of what they were doing during Katrina times. When the ink is dry, they mix remembered colors.

These last two weeks have brought us so many powerful,dynamic and meditative paintings, we wonder if there is enough room on the walls to exhibit their work. We are planning to show one of each student's paintings. That is a minimum of seventy images on the walls. The opening is tonight at 6:00, we have two workshops today and so the art marathon continues.

Lorenzo, our local volunteer, brought over a total of four cardboard cut out "drawings" and dazzled us with his charcoal drawings, his willingness to experiment with new materials, and his artisitic vision.

I am deeply moved by the support Lorenzo's family gives him, to find his way and to be himself. We have had conversations about art, education, philosophy, American history, Mississippi and sociology which have enriched my understanding of myself and the world. I realize examples would best illustrate what I am talking about. I will start by saying look at the cardboard cut outs, read his blog, comment and ask questions. At the end of our first day, Lorenzo asks us, what would I need to do to stay in touch with and get more involved in the work of Making Art Everywhere in the future?

Today we have a workshop with a group of elders, and then one more class with the local young people.
Ms. Viola comes over to say good morning and to ask what I am drawing at six thirty am, she walks almost every day and we have waved to each other, as I sit on the front steps preparing for the day. We talk of Katrina and art, changes in Pass Christian and DeLisle.

Lorenzo's Blog

My name is Lorenzo Fletcher and I am a recent Graduate from Pass Christian High School. I have hung out with Pamela, Youme, and Monica. I am just starting out with my art and every second with them has really opened my eyes to a whole new world. I have been using cardboard to speak my mind. It a fun way to use old cardboard and make beautiful things from it. I cut into the cardboard with a box cutter and make designs. Monica actually collaborated with me on the latest one called, "Open your Eyes."
Oh and LPF stands for Living Proof of Freedom.
Influences. Influences are everywhere around you. That may have been the most important thing I have learned from Youme, Monica and Pamela. They are the chillest people I have ever met. Art is an escape from everyday life. Your imagination is in complete control. I went to the YMCA with the Yorkers. There are many kids there who let their imagination run wild. Even while they are mixing colors. Every color to them is their creation. Art is freedom. That is what I have taken from Making Art Everywhere.

remembering storms

We have a wonderful volunteer from the community. He is an eighteen year old artist. I have invited him to write on the blog. Lorenzo. L.P.F. Pamela leads memory painting , we talk with the young people about storms, and brush strokes, colors in memory.

The weekend is already over, but this is only a little surprising. Friday was spent on the beach again, little hands darting back and forth across big paper with trails of color streaming behind. They are all becoming more confident and daring, and rather than needing to encourage them to experiment and try, now there comes the need to slow them down, pull them back, before they have mixed so many colors and spread them so many ways that the once slightly perceivable ocean and sand becomes one giant brown blob with traces of blue and half of a name in the corner. Already some of the students aren’t going to be back next week, and when they tell me I realize I will maybe not see these tiny people again and it was all over too soon, my heart breaks and then grows back together with smiles and hugs and intuitive knowing, trust, love.
I spend Friday night on the beach, a bonfire, lightning storm far off in the sky (don’t stand in the water) and I am occasionally alone in the wind and heat of the fire singing to it all. Shadows of people I barely know laugh, talk, quiet whispers crawling along the Gulf. There is a family with flashlights and little nets doing something or other in the water, blonde hair peeking out underneath the small hats on small heads while gentle hands guide them along. The people I speak to are friendly, when the fire is out I ride in the back of a truck –“You're in Mississippi now!”- and grin, grin, grin out at the road that flows out underneath and behind me. These are other workers I’m with, Americorps/Habitat for Humanity/Boys and Girls Club people, and we are fast friends; I think we all remind each other of other friends we have. The faces only rotate, the essence remains the same. I sleep on an immensely comfy couch that night after playing with kittens in a garage.
I am making a lot of art. Nothing to do in the house? Go sketch the same tree from the back porch again. Go for a bike ride and sketch the crossroads and the trees that line them. I come home and let the mosquitoes bite me as I use the last light to paint from the front steps, catching the tree next to Mount Zion turning black as the sun sets behind it. So I do a lot of trees. I can't help it, they're so brilliant here.
The people here are all patient and kind. There is no rush for the sake of rushing. I am growing so fond of the characters I have met here, and could not be more grateful for their warm smiles and hearty laughter that shows me that I really have yet to learn to laugh. Youme and I go out to lunch with Ella, James, and Lorenzo on Sunday, and everything about it feels like home. I understand more than ever that "Home is where the heart is".
It will be hard to leave.
Monica

Self portraits and the environment

Mr. Dedeaux said,"It is good to have some people coming to share culture and art with our community, so many people are coming to build houses,I think you are the first artists who have come through to share your work after Katrina. Our children, and not just our children, need to see people making art ....
Ms. Moultrie, the youth director said please tell everybody, "we still need you, we are going to need people to help with recovery for at least ten more years. We need you to come and just do what you do, you might be an artist, a builder, a singer, whatever you do, don't forget we are here." Lorenzo's going to Germany. He showed up yesterday with a five foot work of art. See picture.
-youme