Kids Care is a city wide art project started by MANA, an organization for kids and adults with HIV, and WXPN. Roberts Drake, the producer of Kid’s Corner on WXPN, came up with the original idea and he coordinated it with Woodmere Art Museum and MANA. For the first three years it was just those organizations that the kids made art for. Around five years ago MANA didn’t have room for the gifts anymore, so the artwork has been going to the children at St. Christopher’s Hospital. The artwork that the students make are based on a certain theme that Woodmere chooses.
Joan Fox, the Project Learn School (PLS) art and elective teacher, designs the artwork for the gifts. Joan said, “My favorite thing about Kids Care is walking into the art Gallery and seeing the artwork hanging together. It makes my heart sing!” Joan said that she always goes to PLS artwork first, but she spends more time looking at other school’s artwork because she doesn’t know what it will look like. She said, “I also love being at a school where the teachers will stop teaching things like Math, English, or Social Studies, and just make art!”
Joan said her least favorite thing about Kid’s Care is the time pressure. She also said that she is occasionally not inspired by the theme. This year's theme was Fairytales, and Joan said she doesn’t like fairy tales in general. She said that she does love the artwork that the kids came out with and that she misses doing it with a former PLS art teacher, Debby Pollak.
Joan said that she got the idea to do Fairytales because PLS hadn’t used paint in a while for Kid’s Care, and it was fun to paint on the sheet of paper and then put it on a cube. Also, Fairytales are usually around six scenes, so it’s easier to put them on a cube.
Joan said that her favorite theme ever was Warmth, when PLS students made papier mache people and scarves. She said that she loved that one and the first one that was ever done, the friendship plates. “I also loved the boxes we made last year for Outer Space,” she said. “My favorites are usually the ones where we build things.”
Zoe Basset, a Jr. High student, said, “I like Kid’s care because we get to do community projects, and I wish we did more of those.”
Joan and the students have loved all of the artwork over the years, and are looking forward to the next Kid’s Care. This year’s closing ceremonies at Woodmere Art Museum will be on December 15th from 2-4pm to honor the children and their artwork.
No comments:
Post a Comment