Make A Difference this Summer!

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Safe Space Days

Summer Days at CUARC & Peace Park are opportunities for safe & facilitated afternoons in North Lawndale for youth & adults. CUARC provides guided afternoons between 1-4p.m. Activities take place at CUARC (1957 S. Spaulding Ave.) and at Peace Park (2101 S. Spaulding ave.) across the street.

Each Saturday/Monday/Wednesday will include picking up litter in area followed by snack, then a hands-on project in carpentry or cement. also, some gardening & an art project. We will water plants & paint!

We will also work toward an end goal of a Youth Arts Fest for the last Saturday in August. This Festival will focus on Fun, Music, Making Art -all geared toward youth. It will take place at the Peace Park. A Drumming Circle, games and face painting will take place. On-site art contest (teens paint portraits of black heroes for cash prizes) & all youth who attend receive free art supplies. "Spoken Word for Peace" Event will take place. Tables, tents, seating, balloons, etc.

Here are some summer weekly sample projects we will tackle:

*Create a wall of black heroes made from cement, adding names of 1000 black heroes for all to see. (building a wooden form, pouring cement, attaching chain and names)

*Build a containment structure for the compost bin. (using power tools and wood, measuring, create a structure around the bin)

*Mural update. Sand the metal surface where new mural will be. Paint back ground color. Paint letters of new mural on surface.

*Create a cement pyramid in garden. Add layers of cement along with pieces of dinnerware to create a pyramid form as sculpture.

*Paint positive messages on flat wood pieces to add to fence display. Display has messages from people around the world already.

*Increasing the Monarch butterfly in our butterfly garden, Planting certain plants that attract butterflies. Create a mud-puddle area for the butterflies.

*Steppingstone garden needs more stones. Creating steppingstones using a form and cement. Can add designs and names to each stone.

*Create small message mural for the Peace Park. A discussion about social justice issues, then design/paint a message on mural. Then mural legs are inserted in ground using cement to keep it in place.

*Creating mini-art on round paper then using to form buttons. These buttons (badges) will be on display at the end of summer Youth Art Fest.

*Creating masks using paper/glue/feathers/paint. These masks will be on display at the end of summer Youth Art Fest.

Special Safe Afternoons Pouring Your heART Out in the Art Studio:

Pre-screened youth attend art studio time. This time includes talking, snacks, instruction, making art, and feedback. Supportive atmosphere is provided for youth to express their lives, their concerns through their art. Teens & adults are welcome to bring topics for conversation. We will use pencil, paper, watercolor, ink, acrylics, pastels, charcoal, canvas, wood.

Everyone will try creating a relief using tempera on paper, ink layers ... ....scrubbing off the tempera to see the layers of colors saved.

Everyone will draw and paint self-portraits to get at how we feel about ourselves. Pencil and charcoal on paper will help this process.

Everyone will close their eyes and paint with lots of water and watercolors. When we open our eyes we will make the best of the accidental color mixes we find.

Everyone will try their hand at assemblage choosing from an array of unusual "stuff" we have saved just for the occasion. We will use a "shadow box" technique placing small objects in shallow boxes to tell a story. Everyone will use acrylics to paint a portrait of someone they have been influenced by.

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