Spring 2023 - Community of Care

Did you know that the average person possesses over 500 skills? It makes sense, then, that when we asked ARTS youth to illustrate things they’re good at during March’s Reflective Check-in, we received a variety of interesting answers.

Youth used pastels (which for many of them, was their first time) to reflect on and draw their skills. During the activity, they shared video game recommendations, joked about how great they were at eating and sleeping, and had fun experimenting with pastels. Even our Care Interns and Teaching Artists participated! After prompting a few hesitant teens to share what their peers are good at, we were able to fill the Visual Arts tables with colorful canvases each showcasing their maker’s personality. We received answers ranging from other forms of creativity such as dancing and singing, to more academic skills like solving math and chemistry problems! In an art center, sometimes we forget how multi-faceted our peers are and how many unique skills we possess.

April’s Reflective Check-in activity focused on illustrating our wants and needs with watercolor pencils. Youth and teens from our Community ARTS and ARTS @ Work programs painted pets, their favorite foods, money, and big homes. We then introduced them our brand new community resource board, made by our Social Work intern Laura Acosta and I, to get some youth input on what resources ARTS can provide them. The teens were excited to look at our resources and we were happy to know it wasn’t their first time seeing one.

We are excited to facilitate these activities with the youth to introduce them to new mediums, encourage reflection, and build their relationships with their peers and adults in the space. We have great plans for how we’ll present their pieces from the check-ins during STEAM Day, so make sure to stop by!