In December, The Art Effect’s MADLab students helped facilitate an incredible Arts for Healing workshop with residents of the Vassar-Warner Home. The workshop involved two sessions: “Abstract Painting” and “Intergenerational Illustration”. In the first session, residents experimented with abstract painting techniques; in the second, The Art Effect’s Media, Art, Design Lab (MADLab) students listened to stories of residents’ favorite holiday memories, then went on to illustrates these memories into a picture book holiday gift for each resident to keep (check out the book below)!
Expressing themselves through the soothing power of painting, the residents translated powerful emotions into a visual medium. Unexpected choices were an integral parts of this process; mistakes were transformed into poignant works of art.
When the workshop finished, 100% of participants reported a“strengthened sense of self” and 75% of participants said their stress level decreased and sense of optimism increased.
MADLab students spoke one on one with residents during the “Intergenerational Illustration” workshop. Each resident shared a favorite holiday memory and the students used the skills they’d cultivated in the MADLab program to bring this memory to life with unique illustrations.
Classic winter experiences like building snowmen or gathereing with family for a special meal were included, as well as distinctive memories like the first snowfall on a farm or a special holiday trip on a train. Each story was rendered in a student’s unique style, then compiled in a book which was gifted to residents. The book can be viewed online.
Whether the Vassar-Warner Home residents created their own paintings or shared their stories with MADLab students to generate collaborative works of art, The Art Effect’s Art for Healing workshop is now yet another holiday memory to be cherished! Learn more about The Art Effect’s Arts for Healing program here.
Participants will develop and build their own unique fantasy character in soft, malleable oven bake Sculpty clay. Dynamic gesturing, costuming, accessories, facial expressions, movement and more will be utilized to breathe life into our creations.
Registration: Open to the public, call Millbrook Library at 845-677-3611 to register
Aquatic Creature Self-Portraits at Staatsburg Library
Monday July 11th, 7:30pm – 8:30pm
For teens
Ever feel like a mermaid, or maybe a shark? Ever wondered what you would look like underneath the sea? In this workshop, participants will be guided through picturing themselves as ocean creatures, and will learn to use basic shapes, lines, and shading to bring your ocean-creature-self to life!
Registration: Open to the public, call Staatsburg Library at 845-889-4683 to register
Digital Painting at Clinton Community Library
Saturday July 16th, 10:30am – 11:30am
For grades K-5
Students use iPads and Procreate software to imagine concept art, to create original digital visual art pieces, and to strengthen their skills in visual communication. Students also gain practice with identifying light sources, learning how to properly shade, learning how to compose images, and take elements from source texts to re-imagine them and refashion them through a unified personal aesthetic.
Registration: Open to the public, call Clinton Community Library at 845-266-5530 to register
Patchwork Collage at Staatsburg Library
Thursday July 21st, 12:30pm – 2:00pm
For grades K-2
Visual Storytelling! Patchwork quilts have passed down stories and history for hundreds of years. Following a set theme, participants will have their own unique story come to life through their own hand drawn artwork Themes can include: happy memory, a personal goal, a loved one, a life changing event, specific holiday, etc. Gluing materials such as fabric, paper, magazine clippings, yarn, buttons and more to create individualized squares. The art pieces will be assembled together at the end of the class representing how each individual has their own story, but are still connected as humans on the same Earth. The artists can also take the time to discuss the different pieces and what they represent if they wish.
Registration: Open to the public, call Staatsburg Library at 845-889-4683 to register
Clay Character Sculptures at Clinton Community Library
Saturday July 30th, 10:30am – 11:30am
For grades K-5
Participants will develop and build their own unique fantasy character in soft, malleable oven bake Sculpty clay. Dynamic gesturing, costuming, accessories, facial expressions, movement and more will be utilized to breathe life into our creations.
Registration: Open to the public, call Clinton Community Library at 845-266-5530 to register
Zine-Making at Clinton Community Library
Saturday August 6th, 10:30am – 11:30am
For grades 6-12
Students make and publish their own zines (mini-magazine) while gaining an understanding of zine culture and DIY (Do It Yourself) culture. Students generate content (poetry, fiction and/or nonfiction), use Adobe Photoshop or Canva, and analyze the benefits and drawbacks of print media in the digital age.
Registration: Open to the public, call Clinton Community Library at 845-266-5530 to register
Digital Animation at Tappan Library
Monday August 8th, 6:00pm – 8:00pm
For ages 11 and up
Learn the art of stop-motion animation! Using iPads, handmade scenery and characters, and apps like Stop Motion Studio and Koma Koma, in this workshop you’ll craft photo sequences to create the illusion of movement, and add in voice recordings and sound effects to bring your animations to life.
Registration: Open to the public, call Tappan Free Library at 845-359-3877 to register
Abstract Painting, Drawing, and Mixed Media Arts at Clinton Community Library
Saturday August 13th, 10:30am – 11:30am
For adults
Art is full of emotion! In this workshop, participants will be using ink, acrylic paint, and found objects on canvases to create their own abstract mixed media paintings. They will be shown various abstract artists for inspiration and will also experience how art does not have to look life-like. While experimenting with colors, shapes, lines, and textures, participants will choose the emotion they’d like to represent and will be guided through bringing their vision to life.
Registration: Open to the public, call Clinton Community Library at 845-266-5530 to register
Paper Marbling and Mindfulness at Millbrook Library
Wednesday August 24th, 3:00pm – 5:00pm
For teens
Explore a variety of world-wide paper marbling techniques while enjoying the calming and meditative nature of this artform. We will take paper and dip it in water combined with colorful inks and paints, using layering to create swirling and patterned marbled masterpieces to take home with you.
Registration: Open to the public, call Millbrook Library at 845-677-3611 to register
Watercolor Painting of Flowers at Clinton Community Library
Saturday September 10th, 10:30am – 11:30am
For adults
Inspired by nature, and using brush techniques of previous weeks together, we will explore colorful flowers from imagination and from photographs and works of art history.
Registration: Open to the public, call Clinton Community Library at 845-266-5530 to register
Drawing Objects at Clinton Community Library
Saturday October 8th, 10:30am – 11:30am
For adults
Drawing 101! Participants will learn how to draw objects in their homes starting with basic shapes and finishing with details and texture. Explore various shading techniques such as blending, smudging, hatching, stippling and more to capture what you see in your homes every day.
Registration: Open to the public, call Clinton Community Library at 845-266-5530 to register
Posted December 31st, 2021 — Filed under Arts For Healing
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The Art Effect offers immersive, creative experiences in visual arts to support, maintain and improve overall health, quality of life, emotional and cognitive abilities, interpersonal skills, and personal development for individuals in our community. Click through below to explore a gallery of recent projects. Click Here to learn more about Arts for Healing/ Expressive Arts workshops. Contact Us to schedule a workshop.
Posted December 31st, 2021 — Filed under Arts For Healing
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These programs aim to serve the needs of individuals living with trauma, disease, or disabilities, who benefit greatly from the therapeutic power of art. Each program is designed to meet the specific needs of the population being served. Programs can be geared towards individual or collaborative works. To learn more, please contact Mary Ellen at maryellen@thearteffect.org or fill out the form below.
Posted June 18th, 2020 — Filed under Arts For Healing
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(Haz clic aquí para leer en español)
Observations from the Field by Sharon Alexander
The Art Effect engages youth through the arts in a variety of programs. This past year, I had the opportunity to be a part of a teaching team working with teens in a local adolescent offender facility in the Arts for Healing, Arts for Justice Program, supported by the New York State Council on the Arts and Carnegie Hall’s CreativityWorksNYS.
In the artmaking process there’s freedom to make choices, play, and an opportunity to let go; it provides a sense of control, something seldom felt by incarcerated individuals. Those who may not initially show bold passion can turn out to be the most invested in doing well and exploring the arts. We saw youth reluctant to paint finally bring themselves to hold a brush and become absolutely entranced by color mixing and controlling the strokes.
This Arts for Justice program summoned self-reflection in conjunction with art education and allowed incarcerated teens the ability to have their own voices be heard through their art. Teens made clay masks, clay shields, designed sneakers, drawn illustrations, and collaborations. They have been able to represent their experiences, thoughts, fears, hopes, dreams, and more, through carefully planned lessons.
The “A Walk in My Shoes” sneaker design project was a highlight for many of the youth.They were prompted to illustrate how their journey is different from anyone else’s in the world on a white canvas sneaker, using markers and acrylic paint. Their stories and imagery were then written on a paper traced from the sole of the designed shoe. One teen titled their project as “Two Sided – A Suspect. A Victim” and wrote the following: “I’m like the Joker. Joker used to be a nice person who wanted to make people smile and be happy. But people laughed at him so he was mad and started doing bad things. People used to doubt me. A lot of things were going on in my life like losses, suspension and doubting I’m going to make it in life. I started doing bad things like using drugs, fighting, not coming home for days and skipping school. My anger grew because people wouldn’t know or understand why I was angry. And when I explained, it would just make me angrier.” This young adult decided to return to school and pursue a career in graphic design when they are released in October.
The culminating art showcase at the end of this spring’s project session was an opportunity for visiting organizations, facility employees, and all youth in the facility to see what has been created. We encouraged our youth artists to stand behind their work and discuss their creative process. For most teens, this experience was new and clearly transformative. A moment where they can present themselves as a mindful young adult, rather than always being seen as an “Adolescent Offender.” The delight in the room was palpable as the teens proudly talked about their accomplishments and had their voices heard. The teens even received a standing ovation from a room full of supportive adults.
We were all deeply moved at how bravely these students put themselves out there during these artmaking sessions, for both the projects they completed and their internal growth, and I’m looking forward to helping more young artists express themselves as we continue this partnership in the future.
By Sharon Alexander,
Creative Arts Therapist at The Art Effect
Images:
Art Project, Two Sided – A Suspect. A Victim
Arts for Healing, Arts For Justice teaching team, Sharon and Adam standing beside Wings of Freedom sculpture created by the youth
