NIU art professor, Naperville teacher bring students, children together for ‘Tents of Hope’
2 comments Posted by Faten Abdallah at 10/28/2008 04:18:00 PMDeKalb, Ill. — For many Americans, a mention of Darfur conjures only thoughts of George Clooney, Brad Pitt and other film and music celebrities who frequently speak out on the Sudanese region’s behalf.
Yet the genocidal reality there is a grim one.
According to the Save Darfur Coalition, “up to 2.5 million Darfuris have fled their homes and continue to live in campus throughout Darfur or in refugee camps in neighboring Chad and the Central African Republic.”
The coalition’s Web site cites a United Nations statistic that sets the death toll at “roughly 300,000” and attributes a “number at no less than 400,000” to a former U.N. undersecretary general.
“Humanitarian assistance in Darfur continues to be at risk of collapse, in part because of sustained harassment by the Sudanese government, and in part because of the government’s militia allies and common criminals,” according to the Web site. “In September 2006, the United Nations estimated that such a collapse would cause up to 100,000 civilian deaths every month.”
Children in DeKalb and Naperville are doing their part to raise public awareness of the war and to put smiles on the faces of some Darfuri children.
NIU art education professor Mira Reisberg and Karen Popovich, the art teacher at Naperville’s Thayer J. Hill Middle School since 2001, combined forces this summer and fall to create a tent for “Tents of Hope.”
The national community art project will stage an exhibition next month in Washington, D.C., to boost U.S. consciousness and attempt to prompt assistance for refugees struggling to survive. The NIU-Thayer Hill tent will join the others from Friday, Nov. 7, to Sunday, Nov. 9, before it is sent to be a school in Darfur.
First, though, the tent painters will unveil their 8-foot-by-10-foot masterpiece at a 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, event at Thayer Hill, 1836 Brookdale Road in Naperville. Members of the school board, the mayor and leaders of a new Sudanese community center in Naperville all have been invited to attend.
It all started with Elly Simmons.
“Elly is a friend of mine who has a contract to write a book about the project,” Reisberg said. “She came to the Chicago area to facilitate a tent-painting project in Geneva with some of the ‘Lost Boys of Sudan.’ The Midwest was an area where a lot of the boys were resettled. She invited me to come help out, so I did – and it was just incredible.”
Reisberg watched the Lost Boys paint pictures of despair – of friends eaten by crocodiles, of bombs falling on villages – as well as images of hope. “I really wanted to make a tent,” she said.
She approached Popovich, an NIU doctoral student. She contacted Lesly Wicks, director of DeKalb’s Hope Haven homeless shelter. She brought the project into her classroom for two art classes, an introductory course for education majors and a 300-level course for art education majors.
Jim and Helen Merritt – not only are they the “local treasures” behind Merritt Prairie, but Helen is an artist who taught in the NIU School of Art before her retirement – provided financial support. So did Thayer Hill, NIU’s art education program and Hope Haven. The Universal Unitarian Fellowship of DeKalb and its minister, the Rev. Linda Slabon, also provided space and support by bringing treats and helping the Hope Haven children.
Work then occurred on three very different fronts: Hope Haven, Thayer Hill and the two NIU art education courses.
At Hope Haven, the children watched a DVD on the Lost Boys of Sudan and then were asked to paint squares for the tent.
“I initially wanted the kids to paint about their experiences with homelessness and send good wishes to the kids in Darfur, but they were really not into it, and I didn’t want to push it. We switched it to where they painted about their own hopes for the future, and they made really beautiful things,” Reisberg said.
“They got to see their artwork was valued, and they got to hang out with a group of university students,” she added. “All of us really encouraged them to think about attending university one day. In the Lost Boys of Sudan DVD, a lot of the boys talked about how the reason they wanted to come to America was so they could get an education, and they talked about the obstacles they overcame to get an education.”
Reisberg’s outreach was appreciated and her message was clear, Wicks said.
“Homeless children rarely see a reflection of themselves or their struggles out in the world. Homeless children have stories that are so different than those of the kids they go to school with. They have stories not seen in the media or on TV,” Wicks said.
“Our kids were really able to make the connection between their personal stories and the struggles of the Lost Boys of Sudan, and they were able to talk about their own narrative of losing everything – losing a home, losing hope,” she added. “The story of the Lost Boys gave them some hope to focus on education – that if you work hard and have hope and believe in yourself, you can overcome all kinds of obstacles and crises.”
After the painting work – the children “enjoyed being creative and having that outlet,” Wicks said – the young Hope Haven residents found affirmation.
“They feel valuable. They feel important,” she said. “They thought it was a real honor to be part of something that was so big and global, yet they could relate to. They felt significant.”
“Working with the kids at Hope Haven was my favorite part. They were incredible and hopefully will go really far in their lives,” said Vanessa Fosses, one of two art education majors who will accompany the tent to the nation’s capitol in November. “Their thoughts for the future were so bright and inspiring. Some really profound things came out of their mouths.”
At Thayer Hill, NIU art education students have been assisting the middle school students with painting the tent.
Some are earning additional clinical hours. Others are volunteering time.
“Karen and I worked with the Thayer Hill and NIU students to come up with the basic framework and what imagery we wanted to include: the natural world of Darfur, images of hope, stories of homelessness and refugees in Darfur,” Reisberg said. “Karen came up with this great tree concept with a tree on either of the main sides and words embedded in the branches. One is about the future of hope and peace. The other side has words related to loss, war, suffering and pain.”
“We wanted our tent to tell a story about how we really hope that this brings awareness and that these people of Darfur can get back to their communities and to rebuilding their communities,” Popovich said. “On one side, they’re walking away from the refugee camp. On the other parallel side, they’re walking on the same road toward their rebuilt communities. Peace, hope, change, trust, rebuild and support are the words in the branches.”
Thayer Hill students participated in an art club held before and after school. Students who aren’t enrolled in art during this first fall quarter also have pitched in with brushes.
Popovich said her middle school pupils learned how to create art that has a meaning and a message. They also honed painting skills such as adding texture, aerial perspective, silhouettes and how to mix colors.
“The tent looks great,” Popovich said. “It’s very colorful, with textile patterns along the bottom and a beautiful sunset all around. It’s a real strong image.”
For NIU’s students, the lessons were just as extraordinary.
Those include painting: Students in the two art education courses painted 1-inch square mandalas (representing balance and the natural world) that were stitched together to form a rug for the interior of the tent.
Now they have first-hand knowledge of organizing service-based projects and the importance of service-based learning, Reisberg said. They worked with children “in a concerted way,” she said. “They got to watch Karen Popovich and NIU student teacher Mike Olson in action.”
“My students learned about local and global connections. They learned about service-based learning, doing work that benefits others and connects with the community,” Reisberg said. “They’re learning about the natural world, depth and radial symmetry, how to paint, how to create value, how to make things look sensational, color theory and that art can make a difference.”
“I learned that this really is what I would like to with art,” said Fosses, a second-year student from Westmont, Ill. “Integrating the community is an integral part of art education.”
For Reisberg, who in the past focused more on art content than artistic ability with her general education students, her decision to concentrate equally on skills “is really paying off. They quality of the art is getting much more impressive and, more important, the students are really impressing themselves.”
For more information on Tents of Hope, visit www.tentsofhope.org.
I have always had this sick obsession with books. I love books. I have always wanted to own a small bookstore. I hope to have a library in my house one day.
So, I thought to myself I shall join a book club, you know go to a place where we can discuss a book in great detail and analyze meanings in the book. I wanted to hangout on a monthly basis with other readers who enjoyed the word as much as I did.
I called and bugged my local librarian with questions (thank God she happened to a childhood friend as well, so she is used to my ways haha). So, when I picked up DS from school today, I swung by the library to get the book that we, bookclubbers, are reading and discussing Nov. 12. The book I will be getting into is called: On Tall Pine Lake by Dorothy Garlock. I have never read this book before and I will begin to indulge in tonight.
Oh yeah, DS (who is 5) informs since I will be getting a book at the library, he is going to get several of them--which he did. Do you think he may be following my footsteps?
When I am done with a product, I usually try to pass it on to the next person who can use it because I don't like to waste. So, when I am done with my magazines, I keep them until I know someone will use them.
I know many schools want magazines for arts, crafts, and other types of projects. I will usually call my son's school asking if they are wanting old magazines. Most of the time, they always say yes.
So, when I dropped off my first batch of magazines at my son's school, I asked my son's teacher if she wanted more magazines. She told me someone else dropped off magazines and for me to wait a bit. I told her I will wait and then recycle them if I don't from her. She didn't seem to mind.
So, then I thought to myself what if my DS's teacher ends up saying she has a enough and she doesn't need any more donations, what would I do with these magazines?
So, I sent a call out to my networking colleagues. Lo and behold, they came to my rescue (thanks guys!). One networker told me to donate to a local hospital. I thought that was a GREAT idea. Another networker had many different ideas on her blog which she sent me her URL: What to do with Old Magazines. This would be a good starting place to brainstorm on what to do with your magazines.
So, tomorrow, I will probably call the hospital and ask if they would like some old magazines.
Since this a blog about the Arts, I have decided that I will pick one children's book per week to review because I take Arts seriously that I want my son to enjoy as much as I do. And besides, it is fun to see what kind of Arts are out there for children.
Tonight I read this Dinosarumpus! by author Tony Mitton and illustrator Guy Parker-Rees, to my five year old son, we'll call him H, because of his energy level.
H and I love this book because of the rhythm of the story and the very colorful illustrations that go with the story. There is a nice rhythm as each dinosaur is introduced in the party, almost like dancing to the beat, throughout the whole story. H begins to know when to recite: "Shake, shake, shudder . . . near the sludgy old swamp. The dinosaurs are coming. Get ready to romp." He gets into the story as well by moving with the beat as the story is being read.
Another thing that I liked (which grownups understand) is that ALL the dinosaurs got along, including yup, Tyrannosaurs Rex. Now how cool is that? That is a lesson to say that we are all different, yet we can enjoy the same things.
This story is a thumbs up!
Fall is a beautiful time. Take the time to enjoy it because of its beauty. You can use the time to reflect on your life. You can use the time to do family activities. You can even use the time to have your children do art activities.
Fall is unlike other seasons. Let your imagination run free.
Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family is a long needed book because of the focus of being green during family holidays, celebrations and traditions. Often time when a person thinks of the concept of being or going "Green", it is usually applied to the daily living life style by making choices that are considered "Green".
Authors and mother and daughter team Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell–Lipson write about how Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family began with the concept of "Green Halloween" making Halloween a healthy yet green celebration by being Earth friendly.
The mother and daughter team also remind everyone about the basic 3R's: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle which proves that if we did follow the 3R's , we are already on the "Green" track. Colwell and Colwell-Lipson give some excellent ideas on what kind of products and activities should be done, for example during Easter, they remind readers to purchase a carton of eggs in recycled material. Not only do they personalize each holiday with examples of their own lives, they also give ideas on how to do activities or traditions like "How to Dye Eggs Naturally".
If you are not familiar with "Green" terms, there is a glossary in the back of the book for you to learn or use as reference. A list of websites that offer great resources to the theme of this book is also provided. A couple of pages are provided for you to write notes and ideas while you are using Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family. I write using because you will be tempted to start the ideas at the same time while reading.
Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and co-authors of Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family. The book can be purchased at www.CelebrateGreen.NET and on Amazon, A Toy Garden and Village Green Gifts.
Be sure to stop by other blogs to see what others have to say about Celebrate Green!Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family and authors Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lispon. Here is the itinerary:
| October 1
http://www.village-green-gifts.com/536/book-celebrate-green/
October 2 Jenn Savedge
Elena Lipson
October 3 Jenn Sturiale Tiny Choices October 5 Sarah Sabado Photography, Travel and Life Week of October 6 Paige Torgrimson
October 6 Stacy Williams Sagan's Universe http://www.sagansuniverse.blogspot.com/ Shirley Siluk Gregory Green Living/Suite101.com http://greenliving.suite101.com,
October 7
Cheryl Morgen Escape to Books http://escapetobooks.blogspot.com/ Elena Lipson
October 8 Wenona Napolitano Green Weddings and More and Creatively Green www.everythinggreenweddings.blogspot.com and www.creativelygreen.blogspot.com Shirley Siluk Gregory EcoLocalizer.com
Linda Blanco SaferForYourHomeAndSelf Jen Vondenbrink Your Life Simplified | October 9 Angie Goodloe The Herbalist’s Path www.herbalistpath.blogspot.com October 10 Cate O'Malley The Voice of Mom
Alisa Bowman Project Happily Ever After http://www.projecthappilyeverafter.com/happy-qa.asp October 13 Mark Caserta 3r Living and 3r Blogging Tricia Ballard Living at the Speed of Life http://www.triciaballad.com/blog/ October 15 Jen Vondenbrink Your Life Simplified (interview) www.yourlifesimplified.com/blog1 Angie Goodloe Mama Goin' Wholistic http://mamagoinwholistic.blogspot.com/ October 16
Kirsten Aadahl EcoWomen http://ecowomen.wordpress.com/ Andrea McMann Simple Things http://simplethings1.wordpress.com October 17 Bethany Cagle Brynna Curry http://www.freewebs.com/brynnacurry Unsure of date Stacey Kannenberg www.cedarvalleypublishing.com/blog
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Day 2 of Photography Challenge and Course: Fast photos and a House plant
1 comments Posted by Faten Abdallah at 10/02/2008 09:40:00 PM
I was to take a picture of something with quick action. Since it was dark outside, my home was quiet and I was watching the debates live on CNN, I decided to capture some of the action of the Vice Presidential Debates. Enjoy
Beginning of Day One of the Photo Challenge
2 comments Posted by Faten Abdallah at 10/01/2008 09:44:00 PM
Carolyn Erickson of Choose Your Words Wisely, at http://blog.carolynrerickson.com/2008/10/01/photo-course-kick-off/ gives a description of what the Photo Challenge is. I will try to post a picture everyday.
The Photo is titled Yum, Chocolate
