ART ON MY MIND: Understanding Culture through the Visual Arts for high school age youth, had the dual goals of expanding an adolescent’s understanding of visual arts and its many roles in our society, as well as developing a new generation of art advocates and leaders. This program provided participants with the tools to better understand art medians, to better appreciate art in all its forms, and have a better eye for selecting art with a broad appeal. Participants gained the skills needed to begin their own art collection and were be introduced to the galleries and arts venues in Fayetteville/Cumberland County.

The proposed project consisted of ten workshops to took place at Ellington White Contemporary and in the community on Saturday mornings from 10:00 am to 12:00pm. The program team implemented this project twice during the grant year. The first session will be conducted beginning in January 2023 for ten weeks. The second summer session was conducted from May 2023 through June 2023.

Each session was limited to 20 participants. Applicants were required to submit a referral or reference from a parent, teacher, coach, or other adult involved in the applicant’s life, a statement from the applicant outlining their experience with visual arts and reasons why inclusion in the project is requested, and a commitment from the applicant’s care giver and
applicant to attend all 10 sessions and complete assigned tasks.
 

The ten workshop themes were as followed:

1.Learn to See, An Eye for Quality 2/4/2023 -This session will focus on great artists, their work, and why those works are important. Additionally, they will learn the techniques for having an eye for design. This workshop will include a hands-on activity and participants will create a two-dimensional design.

 

2. Art and Fashion 2/11/23 - Art and fashion are intrinsically linked, more so today than ever. People well base their opinions about you by what you wear. Participants will learn how to create their visual narrative by exploring how they want to be seen on first impression. Fashion art includes clothing designs from major labels and boutique houses, footwear, jewelry, and hair and makeup design. Participants will discuss the history of art and fashion. In this workshop participants will design their own T-shirt.

3. The Role of Art in Politics 2/18/23 - Politics and art have long been connected; art has served as political propaganda and to inform groups of people with concerns and solutions. From political cartoons to posters, participants will view visual art that contain political subject matter and then create a piece of political art.

4. Art and Social Justice 2/25/23 - Art has been used to record history, shape culture, cultivate imagination and harness social transformation. It has also been used as a catalyst to engage communities to facilitate conversations and take action. This workshop will include a hands-on activity and participants will create a piece of artwork that portrays asocial injustice that impacts their lives.

5. Art Collecting 3/4/23 - Art collecting has a long history, and most of the world’s art museums grew out of great private collections formed by royalty, the aristocracy, or the wealthy. Today, anyone can collect art. Participants will learn that when collecting art, it is important that the art enhances your life and your environment. Once you have started your collection, knowing how to share your collection is equally important. Participants will receive funds to purchase one piece of art to begin their collection.

​

6. History of Art 3/4/23 - This workshop will provide a brief overview of the history of art to include the timeline of art. It will explore how cultures use art to lead and direct their communities. For example, African Masks represent the cultural values of a select community, and each community has their own particular masks that identifies who they are. Participants will also complete a hands-on art activity to create designs representing their communities.

7. Discovering Art Galleries and Museums 3/11/23 – Participants will take a narrated trolly tour of exhibition venues in Fayetteville including the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County, Ellington White Contemporary, Rosenthal Gallery, McCune Gallery, public art and other venues with exhibitions current at the time of the tour. Participants will also begiven information about art venues throughout North Carolina and nearby states. Participants will learn about developing a project from start to finish with artists and individuals who worked on the Veteran’s Park Casting of 500 Hands.

​

8. Art Matters 3/18/23 - Participants will learn how the arts influence people, culture, and society. Example: Louis XIV builds the Versailles Palace in France as a tool to show the world how important he was.

​

9. Popular Styles of Art 3/25/23 - Participants will be introduced to the most popular styles of art (i.e., oil painting, watercolor, pastel, acrylic, digital, sand, texture, matte, spray and graffiti art).

​

10. Art as an Investment and Financial Literacy 4/1/23 - Like stocks and bonds, art can increase in value. If an up-and-coming artist goes on to be successful, the cash value of their work can increase in value. Art is reportedly an 800 billion dollar a year business. Participants will learn the basics of managing money to grow wealth and to begin to
invest in art. They will explore the difference between being rich and being wealthy.

​

The summer program was funded in part by a Summer Time Kids Grant from the Cumberland Community Foundation and the agencies listed below.