Author: Melissa Schilling

الشمس لم تقل للأرض ابدا "أنت مدينةً لى". انظر ماذا حدث لمثل هذا الحب. لقد أضاء السماء كلها

Green Eggs and Ham, Fondation Maison d’Espoir

May 18, 2013 Melissa Schilling Art Projects, Visual Storytelling

Each trip to Haiti, we tote along five foot Literacy posters showcasing memorable childrens books in English, Kreyol and French. After reading stories with children of all ages we settle into an art activity.

For Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham, it was easy to incorporate our beloved Moringa Powder into the eggs and cover everything in a rainbow cloud of vivacity.

Big love, as always, to Aimee Gaines and Sarah Boll for making this program chug along the train trucks to our final destination — even when we’re short on coal, man power and solid foundational tracks.

Thank you Liz Ancker for taking one for the team and sporting rainbow dyed hands for a week at a time 😉

We need YOU! Donate books ideas, art supplies and best of all: cold, hard ca$h by clicking here: http://projecthopeart.org/fundraising-and-philanthropy/
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Staggering Illiteracy Rates in Haiti:

Frighteningly low literacy rates continue to be one of the biggest obstacles in Haiti’s struggle against poverty and stagnation. While Haiti’s Constitution guarantees free public education for all citizens, the government has been unable to fulfill this obligation. In fact, the average Haitian attends fewer than five years of school total, and only 20% of the population attends school after the 6th grade. As a result, many children never learn to read and write, and Haiti’s literacy rate hovers at only 55%, as compared to 99% in the United States and 90% for other Caribbean nations. (sources: World Bank and Library of Congress literacy statistics)

Renegade Storytelling Project:

In response to these illiteracy rates, Project HOPE Art created an Art & Literacy project to promote interest in stories using some of the world’s most beloved children’s books as our tool.

Our Renegade Storytelling Project kicked off in April of 2012 at the OJFA orphanage and the Centre d’Education et de Formattion des Jeunes in Port-Au-Prince, featuring Maurice Sendak’s classic Where The Wild Things Are.

We used a combination of story hours, art projects, and giant story posters to tell the tales and capture imaginations.

Help Wanted: Special Event Coordinator, 6-month volunteer position

May 8, 2013May 8, 2013 Melissa Schilling Join the Team

Project HOPE Art is sponsoring three Haitian Artists to visit San Francisco, build sculpture and present our collective work in Haiti at our Third Annual Voodoo Donor Dinner in San Francisco. We need a strong, creative, tenacious individual to join the team for 6 months.

Job Responsibilities:
BROAD RESPONSIBILITIES

• Oversee the donor dinner and arts sculpture program at Recology, in September
• Develop and promote the mission, vision and values of Project HOPE Art
• Work with peers and other departments to synchronize themes and schedules.
• Create a positive learning environment by providing clear, specific, timely and respectful coaching and feedback for artists, staff and donors
• Maintain a calm demeanor during periods of high volume or unusual events to keep the donor dinner operating to standards and set a positive example for artists, staff and donors
• Develop positive relationships with outside vendors by understanding and addressing individual motivations, needs and concerns.
• Follow all operational policies and procedures to ensure the safety of all guests and staff.
• Maintain regular and consistent communication with punctuality.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop themes, procure supplies and execute ideas related to the Third Annual Voodoo Donor Dinner
• Establish learning objectives and measurable outcomes for the Third Annual Voodoo Donor Dinner
• Assess and document progress toward learning objectives and satisfaction of donor and artist experiences
• Serve as the point of contact for the PHA team
• Answer phone, email, and in-person requests regarding the Third Annual Voodoo Donor Dinner
• Schedule staff to meet demand. Adjust as needed to handle last minute changes.
• Keep adequate supplies, brochures and other materials.
• Other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Job Qualifications:
General Qualifications
Please possess a good sense of humor, a strong back bone and a definitive sense of right & wrong. Understand the power of web-based infrastructure, applications and time management. Don’t be afraid to pick up the good old-fashioned telephone. There are no stupid questions, only silly people afraid to ask beneficial, answer-driven questions.

Additional Information:
SUPERVISION

Requires moderate supervision from both co-founders of Project HOPE Art; exercises substantial independent judgment and initiative. The Special Event Coordinator will work from home.

HOURS

June-December: 25 – 30 hours per month

Interested in applying?
Please send your resume and a short cover letter to Melissa@projecthopeart.org

Coeurs Magiques

May 4, 2013May 4, 2013 Melissa Schilling Art Projects, Fundraiser

We LOVE the girls of OJFA so much, we wanted each girl to have a piece of our heart. Lead Artist Jenni Ward created these magic wands so the girls could invoke magic and hold tight to the idea that even from afar, we love them so much.

You can support Art in Haiti AND have your very own coeurs magiques by clicking here.

Handmade Art Hearts!
Give a bouquet to the one you love! These hearts are made by artist Jenni Ward and come in a variety of styles and colors. We’ll choose a selection for your bouquet of hearts that you’ll be sure to love. Special requests for a style are always welcome and we will try our best to accommodate your request. All proceeds support Project HOPE Art’s mission to provide art programming to kids in disaster stricken communities.

BUY NOW or shop locally at:

The Santa Cruz Art League in Santa Cruz & earth art studio in Aptos

Thank you for your support!!

Bwat Aliminyom

April 4, 2013April 4, 2013 Melissa Schilling Art Projects, Partners

Bwat Aliminyom means Aluminum Cans, in Kreyòl.

We are always looking for ways to create fun, whimsy and art from unwanted discarded materials. So when Delphine Bedu spied these cans on a pier in Key West, Florida all of us sat up and took notice.

As we speak, our home team artists at the Project HOPE Art Center at HC, Racine Polycarpe, Claudel Casseus and Romel Jean Pierre are devising a class around upcycling cans into planes, boats and cars. On the last Sunday in April 2013, 10 children from local orphanages will be on site at our art center creating their dream vehicle in a class led by Racine and Claudel.

They will compete in a Can Race and we will be awarding tools and art supplies to the winner of the race.

The race will be captured as the first assignment by the students in our new photography class. Stay tuned for the results. We will be sure to post instructions and best practices in early summer so you may host your own Can Race.

If you’d like to get involved, we are ALWAYS accepting donations to stay afloat. In fact we need to raise $1,000 to make this Can Race happen.
Click here: http://projecthopeart.org/fundraising-and-philanthropy/

fragile beauty: botany and art

February 10, 2013May 4, 2013 Melissa Schilling Haitian Culture/Language

exploring the relationship between botany and photography . . .

When I wake up in the mornin’, love
And the sunlight hurts my eyes
And somethin’ without warnin’, love Bears heavy on my mind
Then I look at you And the world’s alright with me
Just one look at you And I know it’s gonna be
A lovely day -Bill Withers

In 2011 and 2012, Project HOPE Art explored the relationship between food and illustration. We drew fresh fruit in season and visualized our perfect dinner plate filled with all of our favorite foods. Eventually we created a cookbook of children’s recipes and drawings.

Our exploring takes us back a step or two, from a micro view to a macro stance. We will delve into the natural world around us and how to capture small moments in time. Botany and Photography, and on a larger scale Biology and Art will be explored throughout the coming years.

Project HOPE Art offers a studio environment where students can work on digital, analog, electronic and alternative media art projects. Students in our new after-school program will create experimental multimedia works. A variety of conceptual, formal, and performance-based approaches to the medium will be explored over the course of each year long program. Topics include Storytelling, Printmaking: digital, lithography and woodcut, Synesthesias, PhotoJournalism, Visual Music, Color Theory, Film Soundtracks, Creating: Mobile, Illuminated, and Responsive Works of Art and The Relationship between Biology and Art.

To come with us on our adventure, we have opened up an opportunity for digital media artists. Apply here

To follow along at home, you may create your own solar photographs through our Art Sponsor Dick Blick Arts.

“Make fascinating white-on-blue prints from natural or man-made materials. Just place flat objects (leaves, flowers, insects, lace, jewelry, etc.) on the sun-sensitive paper, expose the materials to the sun, and create photo-montage images.

No inks, presses, photo equipment, darkroom, or chemical processes are needed. Prints develop in tap water in seconds. Fun for any age group.”

The Smithsonian also has a variety of programs exploring Botany and Art. You may download their lesson plans here