Closing in on the Finish Line

With just a few days left of my trip, I started to pay careful attention to how much sunshine I was getting, becoming accutely aware of my limited time to soak up some much needed vitamin D. Walking through the expanse of the West Hollywood neighborhood, I was amazed at the variety of plant and flower life. Seeming humble among the many, flowers, tree trunks, jade plants, and leaves displayed themselves in brilliant splashes of color and texture. It occurred to me I could spend years walking these streets and still find hidden surprises of flora on walls, in parking lots, amidst construction sites, and along sidewalks. To match this kaleidoscope of natural wonder, were people just as dashing in their variety of glamorous display. Walking to a coffee shop or to the grocery store, it was hard not to be distracted by the two in combination, and found my mouth slightly agape most of the time. I pulled some of my senses together though for my final meeting with Glenna Avila at the California Institute for the Arts, unfortunately done over the phone as there were limited public transport options to get to the college.

Glenna is the Program Director of the Community Arts Partnership program at the California Institute for the Arts. The program was started by the president of the college who was looking for ways to connect the college students in Valencia, CA right outside of L.A., with diverse communities in the city of L.A. He felt this connection would provide rich opportunities for college students to learn from and gain teaching experience working with communities and youth, as well as providing a great resource to the community for youth to engage in and learn from the arts. The program was set up to develop collaborative partnerships with community organizations, probation programs, neighborhood centers, housing projects, and schools working with primarily low-income youth and youth of color. These partnerships are the backbone of the program and are developed with a great deal of care and thought. Glenna explained that they both seek out partnerships and are sought out for the work they do, and make sure that collaborations are based on shared values of commitment to youth, high quality service, a student centered approach, respect, flexibility, and a spirit of innovation. Starting with three partnerships, the program now works with 45 partners to do 55 projects a year. Once these partnerships are established the CAP program is committed to continue working with them regardless of funding, in this way it they are a consistent resource to the community in hard times as well as good.

Projects are year long collaborations between a team of college faculty and students, and youth from partnering organizations. As college students will be working primarily with teens in high school, and occasionally middle and elementary school youth, they receive training in youth work before they begin each project. Faculty and college students meet weekly to do project planning and develop a theme for the project, dividing teaching responsibilities and developing curriculum. Over 300 college students have signed up to work for the program, and some of these students have done such excellent teaching work that after graduation they have been hired on as faculty at the college. In addition to this, Glenna said one of the most incredible things is that some of the students originally served through community partnerships then went on to attend college at Cal Arts, eventually becoming faculty themselves. During the project, the college team and youth work from a chosen theme generally related to teen or community topics and issues, and express that theme through a variety of art disciplines. The CAP program works to reflect all the artistic forms taught and practiced at the college from the four major disciplines of visual arts, performance arts, media arts, and literary arts. Starting with just two of these art forms, the program has worked to continue expanding the arts training that they offer to the community, presenting more options and ways for youth to connect with the arts and different forms of expression. Glenna said now they are trying to find more ways to do interdisciplinary artwork, and ways for themes and art forms to respond to each other. Overall, the program continues to push for a high quality engagement with the arts, and a strong and lasting connection between the college and youth in L.A.'s numerous diverse communities.

I was fascinated with the strength and commitment of the program's partnerships and collaborations, particularly with the probation department. I described to Glenna that this is a partnership I am really interested in developing in my own community, and asked for any advice she may have in starting that conversation in Madison. She explained that in their case, she had previous experience working with incarcerated youth and knew somebody in the department. A lot of building partnerships, especially more challenging ones, can come down to finding the right person to talk to. She encouraged me to find people who are genuinely interested in supporting and furthering the work I want to do, and developing relationships with those individuals. Furthermore, it is extremely important to identify what I my program's values are, and finding partners who have those shared values. Glenna also said that when entering partnerships, it is important to have humility and patience, as she views it as being like a guest in the the other organizations house. Once the firm base of shared values is established, this humility, patience, and open communication when challenges arise can greatly determine the level to which the collaboration is successful. In addition to this, it helps to generate by-in to the program through showing clear results. When I asked her how she might demonstrate these results, for example if I wanted to work with youth in the Juvenile Detention Center, she suggested self portraits. No joke I had just been puzzling the past two days how to make a meaningful projects out of self portraits with court involved youth. Glenna described a project they did with youth where they were encouraged to draw a picture of a dragonfly from memory, then a second time using guidance from the teacher about how to draw from pictures. The improvement was astounding, and provided a clear measurable result of their progress. I could do this with self portraits, VOILA!

Wheels in full gear, I was ready to jump on my plane scheduled for the next day and go knock on the door of the art department at UW Madison. Something like this should totally take place in Madison, we have a great university, and as Glenna described their program, it is really a win-win situation for both the university students and the community. In addition to this I had gained an even more solid guideline for developing future partnerships, as well as ideas for themes and projects with kids. This was my last meeting, and I couldn't have asked for it to be any more fantastic. Out with a bang! Walking Melrose Ave for the last time, I got my belongings together and packed for the last time in what I hopped would be a while. The novelty of things like unwrinkled clothes, a familiar shower, a full length bed without springs you could feel, came rushing into my mind as I neared the finish line. I scheduled my shuttle to the airport early the next morning, and tried to fall asleep against my eagerness and anticipation of being home. The next morning came soon enough, four hours after falling asleep, and I headed in the super shuttle towards LAX. All in all the day's travels were easy and uncomplicated, and I watched the rivers turning gold under falling sunshine, and mountains just starting to hold their snow glide far below. I mused at what a different vantage this was from the train, and was thankful on this day to have opted for the five hours of plane travel over the forty five on the train. Landing in Milwaukee, WI I was sure there would be many more ideas and puzzling to unravel from the trip, but for now I am just happy to be home.

I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving, and want to thank everybody for their tremendous support, time, knowledge, homes, well wishes, and love that made this trip so successful. With all my gratitude I wish you the best, and will keep you updated as things build and unfold. Until then, be well!

Oxnard?

Saturday morning found me on a bus headed back towards L.A. Union Station where I would catch my train to Oxnard, California. The bus dropped me off a short ways from the station, and as I walked the rest of the distance I found myself in Little Tokyo. It was quiet and I got the feeling I was seeing a rare side of this city that hums itself to sleep in the early hours of the morning. Past the closed sushi shops and kimono stores, I reached the station and was stunned at its splendor that I hadn't realized when arriving late Thursday evening. Palms lined the drive up to a grand arching entrance, and as I stepped inside I saw the ceiling yawning wide above me, and large ornate rooms branching to either side. It seemed to hold a history I was coming to recognize and appreciate about train travel. In juxtaposition with the seriousness of the building, I had a giggle that kept tripping in my mind every time I said the name Oxnard. Was I pronouncing this correctly, maybe the 'x' really sounded like an s, making in kind of Frenchy. So as I got on the commuter train with my day pack, I was all ears when they announced our train's destinations. Sure enough, just liked I’d been saying it, Ox-nard. That settled, I sat back and enjoyed the mountain scenery as I anticipated my meeting with Gustavo and Thomas, two leaders of Arts4Action.

When I arrived, the two men were moving furniture and varnishing a newly painted image on the floor. Among introductions they explained that they were preparing for a exhibit this evening. While they worked they let me fire questions at them as they demonstrated the hard work and dedication that makes their organization run. In turns Gustavo and Thomas explained what their programs do, how they got their start, and how they have continued to make an impact in the community. Started by Crystal and Shawn, the first actions of the organization were largely political and in concert with local strikes and protests. From there they began to write grants and take shape more formally as an organization, eventually moving from home, to office, to bigger office. As things took off they developed a pilot program Paint Not Prisons, which is still running today. This program was developed in partnership with the probation department, and works with about 25 youth, half of which are referred through the court system. The program focuses on one project per year, more if possible, and works with a curriculum based on restorative justice and conversations about the current prison system. Youth are given formal arts training as well as training in community organizing and leadership. The youth put these skills to use by leading a community meeting in the neighborhood where the mural will be produced, gathering input for the images and design. This input is then developed into a final image that is created and then painted by the youth. The youth that participate in Paint Not Prisons are then eligible to come back and work with other younger kids in Arts4Action's after school programing, taking on leadership and mentoring responsibilities.

Arts4Action advocates for youth through their programing as well as by engaging legislators in important conversations and pushing for change. One example of this is their work to reduce sentencing for graffiti and tagging charges, as fines were soaring to an average of $1,000 with some cases reaching the ten of thousands. Members of Arts4Action talked with city counsel members about the reasons youth take these actions, and the effect such fines have on both them and their families. However, many individuals feared being seen as lax or not 'tough on crime' and the changes they advocated for were met with a lot of adversary. Final, with some turn over in positions of power they were able to make headway on the issue, addressing the need to use educated vernacular that distinguished between tagging and graffiti-vandalism and graffiti-art. The city's zero-tolerance policy did not allow for distinction between these different expressions, and did not question the reasons youth take these actions or what message they are really trying to convey. Arts4Action was able to act as a resource for advocacy and education by providing both a voice for the youth going unheard on the matter, as well as educating legislators in cultural competency and vernacular. In addition to changing the way the community talks about graffiti and tagging, Arts4Action pushed for the removal of parent-accountability for fines. Previously when youth were unable to pay their fines, which was frequent, parents were held accountable to pay for them. In this system youth were given no guidance in how to legally find ways to pay for their actions, and families felt the heavy burden of the growing fines. Meanwhile the court system could continue to raise fines as long as the families found a way to pay them regardless of the discomfort. As Arts4Action pushed for youth accountability, the courts started looking for alternatives to hold youth accountable for the actual harm done by their actions. One alternative to these high fines is community service, but as this cost the courts money in the supervision of youth, the courts looked to Arts4Action as a resource. The courts are able to refer kids to Arts4Action who are experienced youth workers and artist ready to supervise, teach, and mentor youth in a way that creates real positive change. In addition to this the youth who cannot pay the fines can restore the harm they did through the art they create for the community, as well as learn invaluable life skills while developing their artistry.

Growing out of their location at a personal residence, the organization now works with many community partners to both fund and run the programs that work with over 100 youth directly, and over 300 youth that pass through their doors to access various arts programing. The men brought out images youth had created and pictures of previous mural projects, and we swapped sentiments about the power and potential for youth to gain voice in their community through art. The art and programing matched the quality of their clear enthusiasm and dedication. Thomas had encouraging words about starting small and growing into a vision, as well as setting healthy expectations for youths' success and not taking it to hard when they do relapse into negative behavior. In addition to this he gave tips regarding successful scouting and application for grants, and to look for in-kind donations of supplies and volunteers. Wiser for our conversation, I left the meeting with gratitude and handshakes I let the two men complete their preparations.

Walking around Oxnard for the rest of the afternoon, I enjoyed the beachy flavor of the city's flat streets lined with palm trees. I was happy to visit perhaps the cutest museum of all time, it looked like a mock-model of a grand capitol building, but was just a couple rooms big. However, the art inside was fantastic and the main exhibit was done by two brothers, one who paints portraits and the other who does landscapes. Leaving the building I smiled at the receptionist who had given me a student discount just because she wanted to, and realized the stop had been one of my favorite unexpected delights. Ready for meal time, I re-boarded the train taking me back to L.A. and watched the sun cast light and shadows over mountains creating valleys. All in a days work. Thank you Thomas and Gustavo, thank you lovely little Oxnard and art museum, and lady at the front desk for a great experience.

Coming soon is a report on my meeting with Glenna Avila from the California Institute of Art, and their program connecting the university with disadvantaged youth and communities in L.A. I hope you all are well!

Farewell to the Bay Hello to the Hills

Wednesday had arrived, my last day in San Francisco, last day in the mission district, last day with the kitties, and last day to make sure I'd had enough fruit and veggie tacos to last me through a Wisconsin winter. Luckily I had a meeting with one more amazing organization before I had to leave. Walking the distance to meet with Chad, the Program Director at 7 Tepees, I stumbled upon murals I had somehow missed in my extensive wanderings in the mission. Huge portraits and images of youth empowerment covered three-story buildings, schools, and walls that lasted a city-block. I couldn't resist poking my camera through chain link fences to get a better shot. When I reached 7 Tepees, their building was no exception as a mural stretched far above and over the door. A woman let me in, and I followed her up the stairs to an expanse of space with tables, computers, and a small kitchen(for those of you who haven't notice I've developed a mild to serious obsession with the idea of space, and daydream regularly about creating a safe and welcoming space for youth and art to flourish, with painted walls, chalk boards......). After exchanging introductions with Chad, and getting a full tour of the rooms dedicated to after school work, counseling, support groups, and various other activities, we both agreed that we were in need of some caffeine.

Over a cup of coffee at at cafe around the corner, Chad explained the beginning of their organization. 7 Tepees was founded in 1995 by Danny, a retired juvenile justice judge, and Hully, and Native American shaman. Coming from the traditional justice system, Danny had seen many kids come through the courts that had received some kind of service from a youth organization, but felt that none worked with youth for a long enough period of time. He was dedicated to creating an alternative that would connect with youth over a long period time, building strong and lasting relationships that would support youth in making positive and healthy decisions for their lives. Hully has guided the organization’s spiritual element, leading outings and opportunities for youth to connect with nature. Danny and Hully had help from seven other community members who now constitute the board of directors, offering guidance and support as the organization has grown. These board members are still very active in the organization dedicating their time volunteering, fund-raising, and networking in the community. From this beginning, 7 Tepees has held the view that people will develop naturally when given the right support, and that each person has the capability of determining what is best for themselves. This view has guided the way the organization works with youth, and staff focus on supporting and helping guide youth while maintaining respect for their self-determination. Chad explained that in order to do this they have a lot of activities and programing designed to build kids' self-esteem through setting achievable goals that challenge them to do things they've never tried before, and celebrating once they've done it successfully.

Since 1995 the program has grown to work with 30 new 6th graders each year and continues to work with them through their graduation of high school. Over the course of six grade levels, youth participate in after school programing that helps them with homework and engages them in activities such as working on the computers, cooking, and painting. There are programs available to help them with professionalism, employment opportunities, and college access. Youth have the opportunity to connect with nature through short and long trips outdoors, including camping overnight and talking about environmental education. In addition to this youth are connected with counseling groups lead by a professional therapist, and grade level group meetings to discuss different topics and organize community service events. There are support groups for parents, and staff develop relationships with parents to provide holistic support for youth and connect with significant people in their lives. Overall, youth are encouraged to try new things, explore who they are and what they enjoy doing, develop goal setting and decision making skills, and connect and stay engaged with their community. This is not always a smooth road, and over the years of intensive mentoring staff stick with kids as they stumble, fall, and find ways to get back up again. Chad explained that one of the first people I had met at the office had been going all week to the classes of one of his middle school mentees because this student had begun to fall off from his school and was seriously struggling. Instead of just yelling at the kid or kicking him out of the program, his mentor stuck with him and became even more engaged to help him figure out what needed to change. In this way the long term relationship between mentor and mentee provided a backbone for positive change in the young person's life, because they know they are not alone in figuring out how to walk their path into adulthood.

When I asked Chad what he felt was the most successful part of their organization, he commented on the return of alumni students who wanted to continue helping with the program as tutors, mentors, and volunteers. He explained that the act of young men and women returning to volunteer their time and energy is a testament to what works best about the programs, and to the fact that they feel a sense of continued respect, gratitude, and connection to the program. It is also extremely rewarding to see youth become young adults through years of development and relationship building. I was struck by this unique opportunity to develop intensive one-on-one long term relationships with youth, something rarely afforded in teaching or other youth-work setting, and its success with youth. I found this really interesting as I increasingly gravitate towards the idea of a program that makes lasting connections with youth, as well as provides opportunities for peer-mentoring and continued leadership opportunities. I was thrilled to see 7 Tepees doing this over such a long period of time with such clear success. While challenging this approach seemed to be a strategy that just makes good sense, as developing the feelings of trust and safety necessary for growth and change often require time. I puzzled about how to work this into my own vision of programing. Thank you Chad for helping me puzzle it out, and sharing the growth, vision, and philosophy behind the wonderful work you do.

It was time, 5:30 the next morning to go get my train. In a mad dash by taxi I managed to get to the incorrect bus that would take me to the similarly wrong Amtrak station, and somehow still managed to get on the right train. I think some well wishes are to thank for it. With a familiar I-made-it relief, I got onto the train that would take me further south to L.A., last stop before home, YEAH! As the car steward gave me a seat on the 'ocean view' side, I was feeling pretty lucky, and anticipated the scenery of the day to come. The next twelve hours were definitely the most beautiful of my trip so far, and due to the early departure most of the trip was made in daylight. A myriad of colors glided past the window in the forms of shrubs, grass, and exposed earth. Rainbow layers covered the rolling hills turning to mountains, and over the swells of blue-purple and red-brown earth were leaves of green shading to yellow, orange, and red. As the sun started to set, sand dunes began to appear in patches of creamy yellow against the spray of color, and gradually gave way to the the Pacific Ocean. The coastline plunged down to the surf just beyond the window I was glued to, and as the sun slipped below a distant dark blue it shot a final parting glance of brilliant crimson over the surface of the water. Cameras of fellow passengers clicked rapidly as we shared this moment we'd been waiting for together for the past ten hours (one of the many perks of train travel is the shared drama of landscape transformations, you wait a long time for them). Finally we had made it, and I was off to my next stop in 'the hills' of L.A. No joke the closest street is Malibu Ave.

Well that's all for now folks, more to be reported about L.A. and the streets of Beverley Hills(I took a picture to prove it).

Riding the Wave

Having settled into the comfort of my cat-sitting routine, last weekend felt like the perfect time to dig in an explore a bit more of the the city, and the Aikido scene. Penny helped me with this, as she offered to drive me to the class she was teaching at her dojo, Heart of San Francisco Aikido. For those of you unfamiliar with my ranting adoration about this martial arts form, I'll preface with saying that I have sorely missed practicing regularly while on the road. Having had the chance to attend one training at Portland Aikikai Dojo, I was made keenly aware of some significant rustiness in my practice. Despite this or perhaps because of it I was all to eager to take Penny up on her offer. It was an honor to join Penny Sensei on the mat, learning her dojo's way of bowing, clapping, and general etiquette. I find this etiquette to be one of the many valuable qualities of this martial form, as it both grounds the practice n respect and provides a way to recognize other practitioners as part of a common if not variant tradition. I watched with a deep sense of respect as Penny Sensei demonstrated the spirit I'd witnessed in our brief encounters, moving like a swirling tornado of loveliness, strength and power. She seemed to exude bright energy with all her movements in a profoundly dynamic relationship to others, which frequently ended in a smile. As the forward and backward roles found themselves once again in the shape of my body, I started to feel the familiar centering and glow of good work done within myself and with others. The fellow members of the dojo were kind, welcoming, and helpful in their guidance, and made me so proud to be part of this tradition and community. As class ended, we bowed, and thanked each other for training, news circulated about one of the men's birthdays. We changed out of our belts and white pajamas into more street appropriate clothes and rejoined at a local coffee shop to celebrate him with drinks and cupcakes. As people bantered about life and Aikido I was happy to see the closeness of their dojo, and excited to return home to Aikido of Madison and our own tradition of walnut burgers at the Harmony.

Before the weekend was done, I also wanted to make sure I fulfilled one of the many romantic notions of this trip and got to see some people surfing. Besides on TV. I had never seen this done in person, and something about the seemingly good natured audacity of the sport was calling me. Just my luck, one of the women at the San Fran hostel had told me about a surfing competition going on not far away. So Sunday afternoon I hopped on a bus and made my way through the dips and rolls of the San Francisco neighborhoods to Ocean Beach. A certain kind of hum accompanied the approaching beach, the cumulative buzz of human conversation, gulls chattering and screeching to each other, and the ever-present drumming of waves. I can't remember ever being on a beach quite like that, it was so wide, the water slick so long, and the cliffs at the edge so steep. And then there they were. Like so many water bugs zipping along the surface, up and down, over and across, windsurfers traced their paths with bright kits through the waves. Surfers approaching the water held tightly to their boards and their wind-sail floating high above, already anxiously responding to the wind like a pup at the end of the leash ready to chase a ball. Once in the water somehow they managed to stay up, to not hit each other, and to decide where they wanted to go. I walked the water line in amazement, getting distracted frequently by sand dollars and shells embedded in the beach. I couldn't seem to take pictures that got is all, somehow they didn't capture exactly the way the light was setting on the waves or the vastness of what was happening beyond the windsurfers. I resolved to pick up my oil paints again when I got home, hoping the memory or the sense of the ocean would stay with me that long. With a couple sand dollars in my pocket and sand stuck in the my nest of wind whipped hair, I was deeply satisfied and turned back towards Ms. Annabelle the fluffy socialite, and Ms. Penelope the sturdy companion.

Monday night it was back to work, and I had the chance to meet with Sarah Woodward of the Music Mural Arts Project, an organization committed to serving low-income and disadvantaged youth through the arts. As the Director of the San Francisco chapter of their Health Education Through Art(HEArt) Program, Sarah shared how, why, and what her organization does so well. Getting its start only ten years ago, MMAP seems to have made amazing progress in their short lifespan, making important and lasting inroads with the community to become a unique and significantly valued resource for youth. Serving East Palo Alto and the Bay Area, Sarah explained that they started with their flagship program the Teen Mural Project and have expanded since then to include five programs total. All their programs serve high school aged students, and in addition to this the HEArt program works with middle school aged youth as well. Overall programs offer ways for youth to engage in their own well being and community through the arts. Programs provide a safe and caring place for youth to grow, learn how to make healthy choices for themselves, learn necessary life skills, and develop healthy relationships with other youth and adults. Youth are given chances to develop both their artistic and leadership skills, and to continue to grow creatively in ways well suited for them.

The Teen Mural Project was started in 2001, and was so well received by the community that the demand grew for more extensive programing. The Teen Mural Project employs 30 youth each summer to create a public mural, music, and design for promotion of the project, all focused around a chosen theme. Youth are interviewed for their position in the program, and once accepted work closely as a team to successfully bring together the various parts of the project. These teens are considered the core students of MMAP, and some continue to help with other programs throughout the year based on the student's area of interest and guidance from staff. Throughout the program, MMAP staff works with youth holistically seeing them as individuals with unique abilities and needs. This approach is consistent throughout MMAP's other four programs, the Graffiti Arts Project(GAP), History Through Hip-Hop(HHH), In Schools Elective Program(ICE), and Health Education Through Art(HEArt). During programing and projects youth are regularly engaged in conversations about their thoughts and views on issues in their lives and experiences they are having. In addition to these conversations, the youths' successes are celebrated and shared publicly. There is mural unveiling, gallery exhibits, an album of youth hip-hop that is produced each year, musics performances, and inclusion of parents and community members at all of these events. In this way youth are supported, and a safe place is created for them to realize and celebrate their creativity and value in their community.

With the guidance of professional artists, youth learn and develop their artistic skills in spray painting, brush painting, writing lyrics, composing and mixing music, design, and performance. In addition to this they are constantly building life skills such as showing up and being on time for work, communicating respectfully and openly, working as part of a team, following the direction of a lead adult, and speaking with the public. The majority of teens in the programs experience significant social-economic disadvantages and this skill building can be crucial to the healthy development and success of their academic, personal, home, and community lives.

For this reason, the program has become an important resource to other community organizations and institutions who value this opportunity for youth. The University of Stanford granted the first funds to paint murals in ten area schools, what would later become established as the Teen Mural Project. In addition to funding, Stanford continues to work closely with MMAP to provide important research that guides working philosophies and methodology as well as connecting university students with internships. The school districts in San Francisco and East Palo Alto have also been huge supporters of MMAP, partnering to run after school programing and regularly commissioning artwork In addition to this, the Juvenile Justice System in San Francisco and East Palo Alto have recognized MMAP as an important resource for youth coming through the court system in doing restorative work and community service. Sarah explained that these partnerships are so strong because they are built on shared values. At the core of these partnerships is the view that youth are an important part of the community and part of the solution to barriers they face, rather than a problem to be controlled or fixed.

I was amazed at how quickly MMAP seemed to have established their presence in the community, and the overall flourishing of their programs. When I asked Sarah about the reasons for this success she pointed to the strength of these partnerships as one of the primary sources of success, and being aligned with others who have the same goals and views. She also said that they are constantly getting feedback from the youth about what is working best, and have intentionally built programs keeping this input in mind. In addition to this, they are committed to building a divers and culturally competent staff who genuinely care for the youth. With this inclusively developed programing and dedicated team of artist and youth workers, MMAP has become really good at what they do. In this way they are seen as experts in working with youth and art, and are called upon both by their established partners as well as private businesses to do commissions.

Inspired by both Sarah's professionalism and the clarity and success of both her personal and organizational vision, it was already time to say goodbye. Hopping on the bus to journey back to Burnel Heights, my mind spun around the brilliant achievements of the Mural Music Arts Project. The importance of strong partnerships showed up once again in our conversation, as did the need for a strong and like-minded/dedicated team. I was really encouraged again to see that the Juvenile Justice System had adopted the paradigm shift moving towards restorative justice, recognizing that support and acknowledgment of youths' individual needs is more successful than punitive measures. My heart gladdened to know this resource was available to MMAP youth, and I look forward to checking out more images and sound-clips of their work at their website. Thank you Sarah for your inspiring work, and sharing the mission of your organization with such clear and candid dedication, it is much appreciated.

You can check out their website at www.muralmusicarts.org

More news soon to come about an inspiring conversation with Chad the Program Director of 7 Tepees, another great organization working with youth in the Mission District. Also, I was not wrong about the Mexican pastry, it was super delicious. Hope you are all well!

Murals, Fruit, and Samurai Oh My

It is seems almost impossible that it was just a week ago that I was leaving Portland. Saying goodbye to the fast friends of the hostel, kind streets with cafes, art, rose gardens, parks, and Powell’s Books the monster book store I'd been swept up in for the past week, I was again so happy to have visited this lovely city. So it was with mixed emotions that I started the mile walk to the train station like a human turtle, loaded front and back with my 80 pounds of baggage. When the lady at the luggage counter weight my bags, I was inspired to rub my shoulders and question not for the first time how much I really care about my possessions.

I was thrilled to take a seat and settle in for the 18 hour train ride ahead of me. The train was packed unlike the other legs of my journey and I soon met my seat partner, a man traveling to Los Angels to visit his mother. As our introductory questions delved further to the root of personal mission and history, he quickly became interested in what I am researching. He shared his history of gang involvement, his struggles to break free of a violent life style and an incarceration system that perpetuates limited opportunities for gang involved youth and communities. He described the effect of violence, fear, and trauma on his community and family, and talked about the lack of opportunity and safe choices in his youth, and the choices he had to make to change his life and leave the gang. He said that unlike many Hollywood images of gangs being about money and women, much of gang life is based on the need for control and power, to feel important and recognized even if the primary way to achieve this is through fear and being 'the baddest guy around'. Furthermore, once in the prison system gangs become a necessary means for protection and self-preservation, creating a world of gang violence that flows easily between bars and prison walls. We talked about the need for more opportunities and positive alternatives for youth in their search for acceptance and strength, and the understanding that they are not a lost cause. We also talked about the need to recognize the trauma that the entire community experiences, and the daily fear that accompanies the strong presence of gangs in schools, businesses, and in the streets. Now working part time construction and running his own convenience store, he is happy just to be, and feels he has already accomplished so much by leaving the gang life. He visits his mother once or twice a year and is reminded of the fear and stress in his old community, and is much happier now on the quieter edges of Seattle. As the sun set outside the window, he offered up his seat for me to get a good night sleep and said he would go to another part of the train to find someplace to sit for the rest of the night. There was no refusing his offer, and as he insisted on this kindness I wondered what a thing it would be for his young self to see this other way he would eventually be in the world.

The long train ride from Portland transitioned into an early morning bus ride that would take me the rest of the way to downtown San Francisco. The city glittered as the rising sun hit water far below and the buildings sprouting from the edges of the bay, growing larger as we entered the heart of the city. As I stepped off the bus and re-assumed my double bagged turtle stance, I waddled off with the driver's directions towards my hostel. Settling into my hostel room I assessed the situation, top bunk this time, not supper squeaky, pretty good pillow, decent comforter, and the bathroom seemed pretty good with complimentary soap even if the curtain did quite cover all the window. I reminded myself it was just for one night, and then I would be off to stay with Penny one of the head Aikido Senseis(teachers) at the Heart of San Francisco Dojo. After a day of wandering downtown in the financial district, sifting through samurai statues and kimonos in Chinatown(and developing a strange urge to buy one or several), and running along the wharf, I was ready to relocate to the Mission District.

Arriving in Burnel Heights, Penny's distinct neighborhood in the Mission District, was like a breath of fresh air. Mexican markets and pastry shops lined the streets displaying boxes of cactus leaves and fruit I had never seen in the states, people bustled in a friendly familiar way, and murals EVERYWHERE! Yes this was what I could get into, really delicious, really colorful, and really interesting. So when Penny invited me into her home, and I was greeted by two super sweet cats, a warm and peaceful home created by the life of warm and generous people, I was struck with deep gratitude and delight that I would get to enjoy this space for the next week. To top it off I entered the living room to be greeted by a stunning view of the city stretching out from this smallish mountain, giving it the feel that we were in some secret tree fort far above the hub-bub of humanity below. I could definitely get use to this.

In keeping with the dreamy quality of this good luck, the organization I was scheduled to meet with that afternoon was right around the corner. Walking to Precita Eyes to talk with Eli, I realized the full extent of the murals I had seen in passing on the bus. It seemed like they were everywhere, and on anything, around every corner, and above every doorway. Nearly in a colortastic coma, I entered yet another muraled building and walked through what appeared to be an art store, and then a studio, and then a gallery, to the office where Eli sits. Chill as can be, Eli explained a bit of what I'd just seen. Largely responsible for the murals in the neighborhood, Precita Eyes is comprised of four major components: the store, mural painting program, youth programs, and mural tours. These programs and the people who run and participate in them are collectively a force that has both literally and figuratively changed the face of the surrounding community. The store I had walked through sells mural paint supplies, muraling manuals and books, and a variety of magnets, posters, calenders, and postcards with images of murals. The store also offers a place for people interested in painting their own mural to walk in and ask questions, get help, and talk with Precita Eyes staff and volunteers. In addition to this service, all proceeds go back into the organization, creating more opportunities to paint murals in the community.

Eli explained that through the mural painting program a number of on-call artist are contacted to do work throughout the community as the organization receives requests and commissions for new work and restorations. Sometimes these artists work individually, sometimes with groups of youth from schools or community centers, and sometimes with other professional artists. The murals that they produce range widely from colorful designs, to messages of political turmoil and persecution, to landscapes, to images depicting the individual and cultural history of people in the community. In addition to this, the youth program involves young people primarily ages 11-19 and young adults in a number of workshops and mural projects. Workshops are held twice a week where youth can drop in and work on murals that have been commissioned from individuals, businesses and organizations throughout the city. The youth work with at least one professional artist and are involved throughout the entire process, from planning to painting, and are taught skills in drawing, brush painting, and spray painting. About 90% of the youth in the program come from low-income backgrounds, and some are court involved. Eli explained that the courts will frequently send kids to them to fulfill their community service, and recently the court designated funds for youth to receive a stipend for working with Precita Eyes. In this way, the program is both their job and a way of doing restoration, which provides great opportunities for teaching life lessons as well as developing artistic skills(whoop whoop, Kathleen – yeah this is happening other places as well!). Precita Eyes also likes to publicly celebrate the youth in their program and community by holding an annual Youth Arts Festival where there is opportunities for community painting, skateboarding, and other fun activities.

Staff and volunteers also work to give tours of murals in the neighborhood throughout the week. I decided to take go on one of these tours and hear the history of the many beautiful murals I had been seen in passing. Our tour guide was a lovely woman who was one of the muralist who had been with Precita since the beginning and had undiminished enthusiasm for the work they were doing. Starting off with a slide show presentation, we got a glimpse of the vast array of work done over the last forty years, and the progression of the muraling movement as it shaped the Mission District. With waves of immigrants from Asia and Latin America, the cultural and artistic influences of a diverse community found voice on walls of homes and businesses. Eventually muraling became a shared culture, and as an individual or group had something to say or wanted to give back to the community, muraling was the common, thread of expression. With this in mind we headed down the block stopping every few yards at another mural, another story, another shared experience or memory of this place. Then we reached Balmy Alley, barely larger than a foot path, the alley has gained world wide recognition for its more than forty murals. I tried desperately to both ask questions and focus on the paintings, there was just so many of them. I resolved to come back, there just wasn't enough time. At the end of the tour we disbanded, and I walked away with images swimming through banks of possibility in my mind. Craving a wall and a paint brush, I had to tell myself to be patient. I thought back on Eli's comments that funding and maintaining a space are constant challenges, but the program keeps finding a way through grants, commissions, donations, and the store. In the face of this ever present challenge, Precita Eyes has become a force in the community that has touched not only those involved in the painting process, but anybody who passes by one of their many murals throughout the city. The shear number of murals they have produced and their process of creating them is astounding, and inspiring. It has been wonderful to see how a community has created such a sense of self-identity through and around this art form. Walking through the streets it is hard not to notice the power of this process, and for me to be enormously encouraged by it.

I promise to take many more pictures before I leave on Thursday for L.A., and I will try to post them in an attempt at technical savvy. In the meantime, I plan to enjoy the many flowering trees(my favorite one looks like lots of little ferns with brilliantly purple flowers hanging down like some Dr. Seussical imagining), and watch the figs ripen on the tree just outside the front door. Again I ask, is this real life? In the next few days, I look forward to several meetings I have with art and youth programs throughout the city, the first being a meeting this evening with a woman from the Mural Music Arts Program. I look forward to reporting back about my findings, as well as discoveries about Mexican pastries, I have a feeling all of it will be very good.

Hope you are all well!

In Their Own Words

Already my last day in Seattle, Monday promised to go out with a bang as I was scheduled to meet with Claudia at Coyote Central in the morning, Kathleen at Urban ArtWorks in the afternoon, and a train to Portland by 5:30. Rested after a weekend off and a trip to the beach at Golden Gardens just outside of Seattle, I had picked my longed for shells and beach rocks and was ready to talk art-action. The weather did not match my mood as I looked outside and prepared for my four mile walk across town. It was coming down in sheets. Lesson learned from the debacle in Minnesota, I brought my rain jacket and pre-stored all valuables deep within my backpack before departing.

Over a hill, and a hill, and another hill, another one? ….really, you've got to be kidding me? one more....whew...ok so really great to finally see a mosaic rimmed Coyote Central. Being pretty wet at this point, I was thrilled to see the sun peeping out just as I arrived. Happy that I made it a few minutes early, I struck up a conversation with a young man waiting outside the building. Just so happens that he was also waiting to get inside, in fact he use to be a participant in the programs there had now returned with a degree in psychology to work as a leader with the current youth. He explained how important the organization was to the community, how it helped kids surrounded by gangs and tough family situations have a fun and meaningful alternative to other negative choices. He said he will regularly see kids hanging out on the opposite corner and go over to them, inviting them to participate, getting them involved, and insisting on the importance of using their minds. As the sun came out he gave me a quick tour of art work they had done on the block, a mosiac metal sculpture tree, a painting, metal work above the door at the community center across the street, their work was clearly a presence. Thanking him for the tour we tried another door to get in with more success, and went in the office to meet Claudia.

Claudia greeted me warmly and invited me to talk with her in what looked like a room for dance classes. Giving me a brief overview of how their programs are structured, she explained that they have tuition based programing that is on a sliding scale with available scholarships. Between their fall, winter, and summer programs they had over 1,000 participants last year. Classes offered include metal-work, wood-working, cooking, dancing, sewing, welding, music, glass blowing and bead making, and painting, and that is just some of the options. They also have a summer public arts program that specifically works with kids from low-income homes, and is made possible through scholarships. During this 3-4 week program youth work with professional artists to create a piece of artwork for a public space. City Works is their program for youth who have been through one of there other programs and demonstrated a high degree of talent and commitment to their artwork. In this program, when Coyote Central gets a call for commissioned art work, these students again work with professional artists to produce art for the designated space. One example of this was when Macy's commissioned art work to be hung in the windows of their downtown department store. Other departments stores and business also commission pieces, not only allowing the participants to feel the accomplishment of work being publicly displayed, but also demonstrating how the arts can be a serious and paying profession.

Overall Coyote Central's goal is to get youth interacting with the arts in as many materials as possible with professional artists, and have fun while building skills. Claudia explained that what drives curriculum is what will capture the attention and imaginations of middle school kids. They continue to do this successfully, and old participant return while new ones arrive. With safety precautions and the careful supervision of adults and professional artists, the youth get to try new and exciting projects that both challenge them and build their skills. Seeing their artwork in their community grows their confidence and sense of connection, while also building skills in that directed study as well as problem solving and creative reasoning. So how did they get it started. She explained that the founder of the organization started by operating out of her kitchen some fifteen years ago, and this was the case for years. Much of the work done with professional artist was and still is done off site at the studios and workshops around Seattle. It has only been in the past year that they moved into their own space, and the transition was exciting. The three permanent staff members work extremely hard, and funding continues to remain their largest operating challenge. But they have made it work, and not only have they been reaching and succeeding in their goals, but growing as well.

Yeah, it could take a while to get this thing going. I asked Claudia for advice. She suggested that I should try to keep overhead as low as possible and connect with as many youth providers as possible in the schools, community centers, and with social works. Being interested in the professional teaching-artist model, it would be a good idea to start making connections with the arts community, keeping in mind not all artist make good youth workers. She also suggested starting small and successful, and building up from there(good I'd heard this before). Lastly she advised having measurable ways to gauge success and having methods of evaluation, this is good for self-tracking as an organization and also helpful when applying for grants. And putting in a lot of hard work. Still sounding challenging, I was happy to find some things sounding familiar, and possible. With Claudia's warm words of advice and enthusiastic support, we said goodbye, and I felt ready for the rest of the day's events.

I headed back down town, by bus this time passing the many shelter murals I'd seen pictures of last week, to grab a final lunch from my favorite deli at the market. Bundled against the chill of a damp morning, I happily soaked up the emerging sun as I ate my harvest salad. The view of the Puget Sound below had given me a sense of peace throughout the week, in rain, cold, sun, wind, it seemed to be a source of connection to the larger waters just beyond it. The mountains were obscured by still lingering clouds, but I knew they were there, and was glad of their presence even though out of view. I would miss the sight, and felt the need to come back and actually visit the not so distant mountains and woods. But this trip was for something different, so I prepared to pack my bags and catch a taxi to Urban ArtWorks.

Running late in what seemed like rush hour traffic at 3:30 in the afternoon, I fretted as my valuable time with Kathleen got sucked up by the slow moving wheels of the truck in front of us. When I arrived, trundling down a flight of stairs in my double backpack get-up, Kathleen was more than understanding and accommodating, offering to drive me to the train station to give us more time to talk. What a gem. We sat in their front room which served as an office and reception area, and I could see their studio space through a glass window door. We started with the by now familiar dance of introductions; I explained why I was here and what I was hoping to do with the information upon return to Madison, and Kathleen gave me an outline of the work they were doing as an organization.

I couldn't stop smiling as she talked. One of the first projects the founder did to get the organization started, was a massive organized work event over the course of a weekend. With a grant from the city, hundred of people came together to paint 15 mural, and in the process pick up tons of trash. The city was so impressed with the results that they decieded to continue funding the project. As other community members and businesses saw murals going up, they also wanted to be a part of it and started commissioning artwork from the organization. In addition to these city grants and private commissions, the court system also got involved. Through the courts, kids are designated a certain amount of money for services, from this funding the youth at Urban ArtWorks are given a paycheck for the work that they do there. In this way kids are referred from the court to UAW for a job, the kids have to go through an interview process and show up everyday on time and ready to work, and when working somebody helps them figure out the financial responsibility of having a paycheck. Kathleen explained that they treat this like a job, the youth are expected to be respectful and work hard, show up on time, and work as part of a team. This helps them build life-skills, work training, confidence, financial literacy, experience to put on a resume, and when artwork is completed they get to see their name on something positive. Music to my ears. I had to stop and explain to Kathleen that I was smiling uncontrollably because these are exactly the goals I have been working with youth on for the past three years, and want to continue incorporating into whatever program I develop. I just haven't talked to anybody doing it with art. We agreed it is pretty cool.

Programs run year round in a series of eight week sessions. While UAW primary works with court involved youth, they do work with some other youth during their summer program, as well as adults doing community service. After youth complete their eight week session, funding is no longer provided through the courts, so they are encourage to continue volunteering or to apply for an internship that is funded through UAW. One of the most recent developments in programing is an all female group that meets on Saturdays. Kathleen explained that often if girls are the only female participants, they can feel very uncomfortable and stop showing up(it is still their choice to be there, but like a job they won't receive a paycheck without showing up). Seeing the importance of the girls' comfort and safety, they decided to create a day where the space was strictly female with female staff and case workers. The Saturdays have been a huge success and retention of female participants is way up. While they do projects they talk and share, a sense of safety and connection is created, and the girls love it. On the last day of their session they come together and celebrate. I want to do that.

Realizing there was a resident expert sitting in the other room, Kathleen pulled in a previous participant to tell me about his experience first as a participant in the eight week session and now as an intern. The young man who came in shook my hand with confidence and had great eye contact, he seemed confident and comfortable sitting at a table with two adults. He explained how the program had turned his life around, with qualifications that he didn't want to sound cheesy. It had changed who he was a home and school, he started to feel better about his life, and loved doing the artwork. He has plans to continue doing his artwork and telling his story through his art, he has already started building a name for himself. Now he enjoys coming to UAW and seeing new youth come through the doors, he is there to help support them and lead with his experience. Giving me his website address, I felt I was talking to a professional.

Nearly time to go, I had so many questions running through my head that there was not time to ask them all, most loudly was the repeated one of how do I do this. As Kathleen packed her bags I peeked around their studio space. The walls were lined with large wooden panels that could be installed at a variety of places. Some were commissioned for construction sights, some for businesses or city spaces. Participants sat working around a table in the middle of the room. They were working on pictures that would be part of an auction at the court house where staff would buy their pieces to have them permanently displayed on the courthouse walls. It was time to go, and I fired off questions at Kathleen on our short ride to the station. Kathleen described how their programs are constantly changing, adapting to the needs of youth and patrons. They are flexible while remaining committed to their vision and work with youth and the arts. Her advice was to find out who cares about this in my city and community, and gain support from them, to create high quality images that are successful in the community, think of a variety of funding sources. Again I heard the message that this is a lot of hard work and can take a long time to build as an organization, but it is possible and people do care about the work. Swinging over to the curb at Jackson Street, I barely had time to thank Kathleen enough for all her help and the work she was doing, and then I was literally out the door and running double backpacked to my train...that was leaving in ten minutes.

All's well that ends well, I made it. Huffing embarrassingly and wondering how it still felt I had a ton of bricks on my shoulders even after unloading my bags, I plopped down in my train seat. Now that I was dry and warm and not lugging anything, my mind traced back across the words and faces of the day. I found I was not only inspired but comforted, strangely by how hard this work was, and how much each person I met had put into the success of their program's mission and vision. It was hard, but they were doing it. In light of the challenges, the mountainous obstacles of funding and burn out, people were achieving their goals without superpowers or batman like devices. There are real and practical ways to go about making this change, and creative problem solving has is a power in its own right, if not glamorous. Watching the sun set over unknown rivers, hills dip and rise, and the shadow of trees shade to ebony between the red lips of sky and water, I relaxed into my departure from those thoughts, and prepared for the next leg of the journey.

Now that I am in Portland I know why it came so highly recommended, it's great! As this was an unexpected stop, I currently don't have any meetings set up here, but hope to before leaving for California. I will keep you posted. In the mean time I am loving exploring the city with its friendly tree lined streets, abundant coffee shops and interesting store fronts, and really nice public art and parks. I look forward to taking this time to gather my thought at the half way mark and start putting together a rough rough draft plan for RestArt. In the mean time I plan to check out Chinatown, the Japanese Gardens, river walk, and art museums. Thank you for the many who encouraged me to take a break here!

I hope you are all well!

Subject to Impressions in Seattle: Do all Americans Put Their Wallets in the Refrigerator?

Traveling can be a funny thing for a lot of reasons, one being the brevity of experience and the impressions or insights left by these encounters such as: a conversation with a taxi driver, the seemingly eccentric local person giving you directions, unexpected smells, irregular foods or foods that produce irregularity. Funnier still when you're not quite at your best.

On Thursday last week, I woke up with the feeling that sickness was sticking to me, annoying, gum-like in its persistent attachment, and most of all exhausting. I was happy to have a meeting with Dale Cummings at the Seattle Transit Route Facilities to give purpose and intention to my morning through the thick veil of sinus pressure. On my walk to Dale's office, I was inspired and increasingly geared up for our meeting as I passed a myriad of decorated bus stops. Dale and his team are largely the masterminds behind the city-wide program to bring art to the bus stops, and therefore throughout the city's many neighborhoods. If the concept sounds cool, the result is even more impressive.

It was great to finally be meeting Dale, I felt I already knew him to some degree from our emails and from his help in connecting me with other important contacts throughout the city. We started our conversation by going on a neighborhood tour of some bus stops in close proximity to his office. Heading down the block past wall-murals and decorated park trees, Dale began to explain some of the history and process of their program. Started in 1989, the mural program first partnered with high school groups to produce paintings for some of the shelters. What they found was that with the installment of murals, tagging and graffiti incidents dropped, and the community loved the art represented in their neighborhoods. By involving the community and youth in the process of creating the art, they found that their was a propriety interest and investment in the bus stops. In this way the program offered not only beautification of the streets, but a way for a neighborhoods and youth to take ownership of a commonly shared and used space. As acclaims and support grew for the program, so did funding, and eventually it was incorporated at the county level.

As we walked and talked Dale showed me some of the examples of recent growth in the mural program. While there are still paint kits available to community groups and youth to decorate stops, the program also commissions professional artists. At many of the bus stops there was a design on the glass as well as the base of the shelter. Artists were commissioned to come up with a design for the glass back boards, and then this design is printed in mass and used frequently throughout the city. One of the newer developments in the program is the use of photography around the base of the shelters. These photographs are professionally printed on the base board and then installed as repairs and refurbishing is done the the stops. I also got to see some of the painted shelters, and one that had images printed on tiles depicting the history of Japan-Town before and during World War II. Just in a few blocks it was evident that this program has and continues to make its mark on the city. When we got back to the office, Dale showed me images of work throughout the city demonstrating the many art forms used to decorate the shelters. There were images made of tiles, transparencies, lazer-cut steel, mosaics, terracotta, photography, and the painted murals. As we scanned through the multitude of images, it occurred to me that this was a special kind of gallery exhibiting community and professional artists' work displayed together throughout the city. What a very cool way to bring the show outside so that it can be a part of so many people's everyday life!

So....Madison bus-stops? I talked with Dale about how to possibly get something like this started from the outside in, for example if you're a Becky who doesn't work in the Metro Department. His advice was to start by gathering information and closely examine the layout and design of our shelters, looking at the logistics of where the images would go and if they would obscure vision for either passengers or bus drivers. In addition to the logistics of the shelter design, it would be important to gather information about material cost and application, as well as finding out as much information as possible about current assembly and refurbishing practices. The easier it is to incorporate into current systems of maintenance or assembly, the better for the program's acceptance and success. The next step would be to find who it is I should be talking to and presenting a well informed and researched pitch for the program. Then, when getting the go ahead, start by doing a few projects that are successful and easy to get excited about and build from there. I was already scanning my brain for images of Madison bus stops, and getting excited to go on some extended bus rides in December. I was already day-dreaming about a city wide competition at each of the Madison Area High Schools, and the winning contestants from each school creating a design for a shelter near their school. We said goodbye with wishes to stay in touch, and for this idea and art to grow successfully in our communities. I was so thankful for his positive energy, time, and helpful insights. The wheels are going, thanks Dale.

Wrapped up in the meeting and fascinated by what we had been talking about, I hadn't realized how much my body was telling me it was time to go to bed. I swung by the local market to get veggies and rice noodles at the nearby Indonesian grocer, knowing I would not want to go out later once I had given in to resting. I got back to the hostel, threw the bag of groceries in the refrigerator, and fell fast asleep for my early afternoon nap on my bunk-bed. People came in and out and I kept sleeping until dazed and slightly drugged feeling I felt I should wake up and make myself something to eat. Stumbling a little on the way to the kitchen, I opened the refrigerator and pulled out my bag. Yup, it was all still there, pepper, onion, carrots, wallet, noodles, pad Thai sauce...wallet? I stopped and had to smile, imagining one of the many international roommates I'd had in the last several days walking in at that moment. I couldn't help but wonder for them from the outside, do all Americans keep their wallet in the refrigerator? There I was, the strange lady from Wisconsin, outgoing, constantly napping, and keeping her wallet with her food. In that moment I encouraged myself to remember going forward that our interactions with most people are so brief, to be kind, and understanding, and judge only so far as we want to be judged.....in the moments we have lost our usual wits and kindness.

More to come about Monday's meeting with Coyote Central and Urban ArtWorks, two organizations shaking it up with artistic action. For now, thanks for reading!