Art Show and Mural

The art exhibition for the kids was a great success. Not only did they make a great array of work, but there was a great cohesion that went along with each and every piece. This was a joint show between all three groups of students i had, including some of my own work. This is a photo of a mural one of my groups made. i helped them with the ideas and composition, but it was completely drawn and painted by the kids. It was painted on loose canvas and is about ten feet long.

This is one of the paper collages that the same group worked on. I had them cut out various shapes using forms, rulers and just their own designs with scissors and then had them compose a scene. I particularly like this one because of the unique use of shapes. Also, the winged creature on the top left looks like the flying dog from the Never Ending Story.

With one of my other groups, we focused on the idea that art can be made on anything that can absorb paint, pigment or any other marking instrument. We used a lot of cardboard as canvass, something that i still use for my own art. The idea was to get them thinking that you don't need a lot of expensive materials to make art. Actually in my opinion, used materials like cardboard can add an eye catching effect to the art, because it is a neutral color and it is an unlikely material for a canvass. One of my students used posca pens (acrylic paint pens) to draw the church in town. He has an impressive attention for detail, considering he has never had an art class before!

This is one of the pieces i made for the show. It is my cartoon rendition of Gandhi. The various shapes that are coming from his head are representative of his thoughts, ambitions, dreams and hopes. I have recently gotten into making more cartoonish paintings, utilizing a wide variation of shape designs that i have been experimenting with. 

This is another one i made, this time of Monsenor Romero. Both of these were painted using acrylic paint, posca paint pens and pencil, on pieces of wood i found at my landlord's house.

We experimented with elements of collage using paint, flowers, leaves and other organic materials. This is the product of that experimentation.

The robot above was done of the last day of classes. I didn't have a plan for the class that day so i just told the kids to draw figures and creatures that did not exist, or were alien to them. On the right are two drawings enclosed by circles. These two were made on the first day of classes with the first group i have ever taught. The one on top represents life, day and sunshine. The second represents death, night and moonshine. i took no part in deciding these themes, instead they grew organically from the kids' minds. 

Ah, my Salvadoran family! From the left is Don Reyes, his daughter Aminta, Sister Peggy O'Neil and Mercedes. Sr. Peggy put me in contact with this wonderful family and i had the pleasure of staying with them on thursdays when i would teach english in their community. i was well treated by them and by the end, i felt a part of their family. 

Some of my students, brandishing their newly earned diplomas. This group of boys were my all stars. Most of them took classes with me for the entire 3 months that i was working there, and subsequently they made some great works of art. i taught them a lot of concepts that i learned in college and they received them very openly. They also taught me a lot about the process of making art and also helped me greatly with my spanish. 

This is a more clear view of the mural they painted. The design of the two birds was done by one of the boys, Ernesto. I really like this painting!

i ended up hanging the umbrellas from the ceiling so that as you walked by you could look up and see what the kids painted on them. i used clear fishing line so it almost appears that they are floating above you.

The focus was to display how umbrellas, which protect you from the rain, can be used to promote a message of environmental protection. This has become a major issue in the town of Suchitoto. Some depicted the beauty of the environment that the kids enjoy and appreciate, while others painted scenes of destruction, deforestation, littering and the contamination of water. 

Here i am standing with Don Reyes and his grandchildren in front of a portrait i painted of him on a canvass made of jeans. For those of you who were at my art show in Santa Clara, you may recognize the similarity of canvass and style of the painting from the other one i made of John Henry. The title of this piece is called "Guanaco" a common name people of  El Salvador use to identify themselves. The name derives from a llama like creature which is typically used as a beast of burden. The idea is that you can keep loading weight on the animal but it will keep going, despite the heavy burden it bears. i thought that this was a perfect way to describe the Salvadoran people, for their determination and inner strength are some of their strongest qualities. I thought is was great that Don Reyes showed up to the show in the same outfit he wore when i took photos of him to use as a visual aid to paint the portrait. 

The mural i worked on at the CIS (Centro de Intercambio y Solidaridad) in San Salvador actually happened the day before the art show. We collaborated with several youth members of the communities that participate in CIS programs of solidarity, english teachers and students, and spanish students. i made the initial design but we changed some elements as time went in to agree with the desires of the entire group. Here are some shots of the process.

This is the final product! Petty cool right? The tree on top is representative of the land, growth and hope. The roots are the roots of the people, they run deep and are connected with the land. They are attached to a heart like form, the life of the land, the people. In the middle of the heart is a portrait of Oscar Romero, who is considered a saint amongst the people. The corn in front of the heart is the food of the people, the tie with ancestral peoples of the land. The water, the essence of life is flowing freely and is clean, a human right that many people are without in the country. The figures represent the people and a representation of some of the elements of every day life.

Here are some close ups of the figures painted. Thanks to Isaac Beachy, he finished up the majority of the people that we didn't have time to fill in. 

This was some of the crew that worked on the mural. We had put in a lot of work to get it done in one day (or at least the majority of it). We decided to let loose and take a "chistosa" photo. Thanks to all that participated, you all played such a big part in this project.

Oh as my time here comes to an end...

A few weeks ago i went back to Perquín where i lived during the month of Feburary. i met up with the family i stayed with and once again i was accepted back into their beautiful home to spend time with them. As always, i got to have fun with Yaneta and Cristian, playing games, telling jokes and taking photos. It was a refreshing experience to get outside of the city and hang out with the family for a week in the cool mountain air of Perquín. 

i was fed the best food that i have had in El Salvador. Celedonia, the grandmother of the house (although she still is very much like the mother) would make me hand made tortillas every day, accompanied by one of her signature plates, usually consisting of beans, rice and eggs. i love the food in this country, especially because not many people eat meat on a consistant level. i consistantly find myself leaving the table, satisfied and happy.

Yaneta and Cristian decided to be silly when i was taking photos of them. it was never a boring moment, when we would hang out.

Along with Orlando, (the oldest son, who is about my age) we made a checkers board for the house. I drew the squares on the board while he cut small pieces from an old broom handle we found. Checkers is a popular game in this country and i have seen many cool improvised boards. The best part was that it was so easy to make, and now they can have a fun and mind challenging game to play. 

Although it is a little blurry, i love this photo! The dramatic shadows along with the highlights of the kids faces and clothes makes it such a dynamic shot. Cristian is on the left, Orlando in the middle and Yaneta on the right. Fortunately, i will be able to see them one more time before i go. i will be attending the winter festival that goes on every year in August in Perquín. i will spend my last 2 days in the country there, hanging out with them and enjoying the festivities.

Right outstide of their home is a small garden where they grow corn and beans. One day, Orlando and i used cumas (small curved blades) to cut weeds and clear the garden of debris. It was such a nice day and a great way to spend it, in connection with the earth. This food will be directly consumed by the family when it is ready, you cant get anymore fresh than that!

Back in Suchitoto, my students are finishing up their final art projects before our big show. We have been painting unbrellas after being inspired by a group we heard about that has a group called umbrellas for peace. The concept of an umbrella revolves around the notion of protection, so we decided to create a campaign about caring for the environment. Some umbrellas have scenes of the beauty of nature, others have scenes of how we are destroying it.

Here is a shot of some of the finished products. I will be hanging them upside down from the ceiling during the show so when people look up they will be able to see the painted parts from above. My show is this sunday, I will make sure to post some photos sometime after the festivities.

A few weekends ago, the group of friends that i practice capoeira with, gave a demonstration to 100 kids in Suchitoto, as a part of a workshop on sports and art. The idea was to open thier minds to other forms of physical activity apart from soccer. And, since capoeira is a mix of so many elements, we thought it would be a great idea to demonstrate it to them. Unfortunately there will be none of us around in Suchi to teach the kids but maybe one day there will be. Here i am playing with my friend Conejo.

This is Paloma and Min, two beginners who catch on quick to the movements of the game. Even though we dont have formal classes or a master to teach us, we still have fun and train hard. I will miss these folks when i leave. Muito axé!

The first week of May, i went to Costa Rica for a week to renew my 90 day visa. i spent my time in the capital, San Jose where i passed most of the time eating a variety of Costa Rican, Indian, Thai, and Lebanese food, oh ya and playing lots of capoeira. I found a group called, Herança Angola. It was such a nice experience to be in a real class environment again. Since i have been in El Salvador, i have only been training informally with a few other people who know how to play. But at this school, we practiced music, movements and combinations. It was a refreshing and inspiring time overall in the country, unfortunately i didnt venture to far out of the capital, simply because i wanted to practice capoeria every day there. In the photo, i am standing in front of an ox drawn cart. It is customary for the people there to design the wheels and other parts with very detailed and intricate designs, which fascinated me.

I came across a lot of amazing public art in the capital of San Jose. It was great to see that such talented artists had made thier mark all over the walls of the city. I took a lot of time to just walk around with my camera, shooting the art that caught my eye. I particularly like how this artist or group handled the woman´s hair.

Another great piece that covered an entire wall of a building. This was only part of a much larger collaborative mural completed by many talented grafiti artists from various places in the world.

I stayed in a cool hotel which had a great back yard. i felt like i was in a small jungle, especially when i would pass by the little jungle beasts (like this guy!) who lived there. If any of you go to Costa Rica, i highly suggest you stay here, its called Hotel Aranjuez.

Another cool mural that was pretty close to my hotel. There was a quote that was written on it that i forgot but related to the fact that we as humans come in many forms, but all possess its own form of beauty.

Back home in El Salvador, i now work at an art center in a town called Suchitoto. I teach a creativity class where every day i give the kids a new project with a new set of materials. The goal is to get them thinking about how they can make art in any given moment with anything they might be able to get their hands on. In the end, i hope that they will continue to make art outside of class. The kids have never taken art classes before and it is incredible to see what they have made so far. i am convinced that all of these kids have the talent within them already, its only a matter of time and a little bit of encouragement that will really evoke their inner artist.

They come from various communities near the main town that i live in. They range from the ages of 10 to 15. Both boys and girls participate and we have 2 hour classes. This is a picture of a paper collage project i assigned to them. i often give them homework as encouragement for them to continue making art. Some of the kids have exceeded my expectations by consistently bringing in the assignements i give them. Although it can be hard and frustrating teaching in spanish, its a great and rewarding experience working with them, and now i am beginning to realize why teachers like to teach.

At the center there is a great dog named Barack, who is only eleven months old but is a beast! i dont think he knows how big he is, and i often find myself on the ground when he jumps on me. Here he is taking his usual drink of water from the faucet, one of the many activities that makes him happy.

I am having both of my classes work on murals right now. It is a great project for them because it teaches them how to work together to come to consensus of what images and compositions they want to create. I also like the idea that they work on a larger scale to make them feel more bold about the art they make, that there are no boundaries to what or where they make it. i will post picture of the final projects when they are finished. i think that i may want to continue playing the role of teacher as i progress in my life. Its a way to continue to learn about a subject while allowing one to implement thier own interpretations of the various elements that surround the topic.

Finally I have had the time to get some photos up of my time so far in El Salvador. My mom recently came for the weekend to spend Easter with me. We had a great time, even though it was quite short. Seeing her has made me miss home and I begin to realize that I have been away for the longest amount of time ever in my life. Here we are in front of the iglesia in Panchi Malco, a small town outside of the main city of San Salvador. Here we met an indigenous man named Chac, who showed us this instrument he made to imitate bird calls. Later on we at pupusas at the top of the hill that overlooks the valley that Panchi Malco sits in.

A common practice during la semanna santa (holy week) is the creation of these alfombras which are made with colored salt, seeds and flowers. They are only made during this time of year and many children, youth and adults participate in the creation process. First they are created and then a procession is held where the people actually walk over these impermanet pieces of art. They are seen as devotional works to god, and many depict Jesus in some form. I love the colors that are used in this country, many bright pastels and bold colors.

This billboard was quite common a few weeks leading up to the presidential elections in March. It reads, VOTE WITH WISDOM, DON'T VOTE FOR THE EX-POLICE. This was a satire on the propaganda posters that the right wing (ARENA) candidate used which just said, VOTE WITH WISDOM, VOTE FOR ARENA. Ávila was the ex-chief of police, so as a joke, some left wing advocates used this phrase to make fun of him in a very clever way. I love the Simpsons and I think its great that they used the image of police chief Wiggum, however they slightly changed his appearance to look a little more like Ávila. GENIUS!

On March 21st there was the annual march in honor of the life of Monseñor Romero, who was assassinated on March 24 1980 wihile consecrating the host. His dedication to the poor of El Salvador inspire people to this day. He was killed because he used his authority, his voice to speak for those who were voiceless and he defied the notion that the archbishop had to just sit back and watch his people suffer. Romero is not just a martyr and a hero, he is more than this, an entity that continues to flow through the spirits and minds of the people here. The walk to the centro was peaceful, and a clam stillness was in the air. It had only been a week after the victory of the FMLN. I expected that the march would be wild and with a lot of celebrating. But instead, it was tranquil, as if the people here were finally taking that deep breath of relief that they had wanted to inhale for so long. Romero's words have come true, of the liberation of the people, and like he said, he has ressurected within them.

This was my last day in Perquín, before I headed back to the capital. I am standing with some of the most incredible women I have ever met. I worked with them during my time there, helping out with thier art classes in town. The joy and passion that run through them have continued to recharge my spirit with a sense of positivity and hope. I learned a lot from all of them and will never forget the times we shared in Perquín. Thank you Claudia Verenice, Dina and Claudia!

So, as I mentioned, I worked on a mural with a group of women from Mary Baldwin College, Virginia. We collaborated on this project, after we met several times with a community leader and my host father, Don Quique. After recording all of the elements that he wanted in the mural, we designed the scene and got to work. Four days later, we had this to show for our hard work. In the foreground is Monseñor Romero and a woman named Doña Carmen who is a Slavadoran who has contributed much to the development of the community of 10 de enero. The scene depicts the bounty of the land, the beautiful mountains of Perquín and the significance that these two people have had on the community.

Here are some of the children that lived in 10 de enero. While we worked on the mural that was outside of the town's biblioteca, the kids worked inside on a mural of thier own. We also got them to paint some of the lamp posts outside as well as draw chalk designs on the pavement. Spending time with the youth was one of the most rewarding parts of my time in the campo.

This is the home that I lived in for nearly a month. In this house lived, Don Quique, Doña Celedoña, Delmy, Orlando, Cristian and Yaneta. For the time that I stayed there, I felt a part of that family and was well taken care of. I hope to go back to visit in the next few months, I will forever be greatful for the time I was able to spend with them.

This is one of the first murals that were painted by the art school, several years ago, in the main part of town. Asside from being one of the best murals I have seen in this country, I am also amazed by the subtile aspects of this work. The notion of productive land, indigenous practices, education and the liberation of the Salvadoran people are written all throughout this mural. I absolutely love it for this as well as the elements of design, and the use of bold colors. ¡Que increible!

This is the mural that the youths worked on while we were painting outside. We took no part in the actual painting and design of this mural. Instead we just asked the kids, what do you want to paint? Soon after, they were drawing designs and images on the mural, and within 2 days, they were done with thier masterpiece. I was amazed at how focused they were and how it seemed so effortless for them to work together and create such an amazing and powerful piece of art. I continue to be amazed at the ingenuity of children, we can learn much from them.