Mentor Meeting #3

Today was my mentor meeting with Mrs. Augustine. We discussed my progress and plans for the future. We decided that it will be very important to me to get started on my works because location has become a road block. Today I finished my 1st portrait. This is exciting and encouraging. I have been looking at other portraits, observing what makes them interesting and personal. I hope that my work will display those aspects.
I also have established a back up plan in case I am not able to sell all the work I display. A possible silent auction at our Club's even in May at the Carriage House.
Over the next week I plan to do another piece as well as contact local businesses so I can hopefully display my work.

Location, location, location

I have not yet found a place to display work. I have contacted both Gimme and Ithaca Bakery. I am hoping for a reply soon. I have also been working on planning a local event that will be hosted at the Carriage House. If I do not sell all my work while it is being displayed, I may auction the remains at this event.

"A Childhood Lost to Pay for the Sins of Others"

A recent New York Times article helped solidify the importance of women's education in Afghanistan. A common event in Afghanistan is kidnapping young defenseless children. The abductions are "justified" as payment for a relative's misdeed. There are thousands of children (in particular girls) taken from their homes and held against their will. Although there is little that can be done to stop these cruel occurrences, I can not help but think that by promoting peaceful education, the lives of future generations will be greatly improved. The education of these children is ultimately my goal.
"A Childhood Lost to Pay for the Sins of Others"

Reevaluating

After having a meeting with Mrs. Spence about displaying art, I have changed my goal from doing 6 pieces to doing 12. Although this will be a challenge, this change will hopefully make my project ultimately more successful.
This weekend I will hopefully have a location booked!

Waste Land

Waste Land is a touching documentary about an art project by Vik Muniz. The majority of this film takes place in the largest land-fill in the world (right outside Rio De Janeiro, Brazil).  When watching, one observes the horrible conditions and realities of this impoverished area. Working the landfill are individuals known as "pickers" who separate recyclable waste from garbage. Vik photographs the pickers and later has them reconstruct these photos using the waste they have collected. The idea behind his project is to sell the finished work (in photographed form), and to give the proceeds to the "pickers". This movie beautifully depicts the stories of these individuals. It is touching to see how moved they are by Vik's efforts.
The intentions for my WISE project are similar to those shown in Waste Land. This film was uplifting, because it showed that art can truly raise awareness, and in someways change people's lives.

First Two Weeks

For the first two weeks of my project I will form a relationship my WISE mentor. We will discuss expectations that will ensure my project's success. I need to explore locations that will display my art work. I talked to my art today, Mrs. Spence, today and she informed me that local possibilities are booked months in advance. I'm excited to discuses my project with different people and show them what I plan to draw/paint.  
As of now I have a copy of several pictures that I will begin working on. Mrs. Spence also gave me the interesting idea of making copies of my work to create postcards. They could be sold in groups.

Dear Reader

I am President of the club HTAC (Help the Afghan Children) here at Ithaca High School. Last year we raised over six thousand dollars to support a school in a mountainous region of Afghanistan for a year. This year we plan to continue fund-raising to accomplish a similar goal. We also have the opportunity to do a cultural exchange with the school we are supporting. Using social technology and mail, we will send pictures and written documents about our own experiences, hopefully creating a shared experience between us and some children in Afghanistan.

Art has also become extremely important in my life. Of course the thrill of creativity is captivating, but on a more profound level art has become a way for me to communicate my feelings, that perhaps, there are no words for. As an individual I have always loved being around people, relating (or not relating) to them. In a sense my interactions have helped me find my own identity as well as making me a far more empathetic person. These interactions have opened my eyes to the vast variety of characters in our world, helping me appreciate those who I do share values with; while at the same time helping me understand a side that I otherwise wouldn’t acknowledge. Through art one many reflect upon their experiences as well as mark a period in one’s life is a subtle yet powerful way.

I see my involvement with HTAC as an opportunity to connect my passion of art, with my love of understanding the lives of others. Over the next few months I will take the portraits of girls in Afghanistan and after drawing (or painting) them, see if I can have them displayed locally at a restaurant or bakery. I hope the faces of these women may attract the eyes of individuals enabling them to see the power of helping and understanding others.

As I begin this process I am extremely excited.  I believe that before leaving High School it is important to express oneself on a creative and personal level. I hope that whatever the outcome, this project will have helped strengthen a developing individual, as well as help the lives of girls half a world away.