a year in review - The Arts Empowerment Project

2015
year in
REVIEW
DEAR ARTS ADVOCATE, The Arts Empowerment Project continues to impact the lives of
court-involved and at-risk children. With your support, over 70 youth have experienced the joy
of participating in enriching arts programs. This review reflects just how your commitment has
helped create a new day for at-risk children. Spring 2015
Encounters I
In collaboration with Mecklenburg County’s 26th Judicial
District Court’s Arts & Science Collaborative Initiative, The
Arts Empowerment Project launched its Pilot Program by
placing 25 court-involved youth into existing arts programs
in Charlotte. The curriculum for The Arts Empowerment
Project’s “Encounters” class with Community School of the
Arts, combined art instruction with
life skills such as communication,
teamwork, decision-making,
leadership, goal setting, visual
literacy, self-esteem and responsible
citizenship.
April 2015
Pecha Kucha
The Arts Empowerment Project participated in Pecha Kucha
Charlotte’s The Art of the Cause ~ The Cause
of the Arts at Amos’ Southend in collaboration with artist
Michalea Ayorinde Milburn-Thomas. Our Art & Activism
presentation showcased a photographic slide-show and three
of our Youth Advisory Council (YAC) members’ interpretive
dance to Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good.” We are thankful for the
artistic talents of our extraordinary YAC dancers, Chloe Allen,
Chloe Arnold and Jared Sutton; choreographer, Gina Dilello;
our narrators, Michaela Milburn-Thomas and Natalie Allen; and
photographs contributed by Ms. Milburn-Thomas, Mr. Charles
Thomas and Ms. Allen.
A YEAR IN REVIEW
April 2015
Youth Advisory Council (YAC) Mosaic Project
In honor of Child Abuse Awareness Month
in April, TAEP’s Youth Advisory Council
partnered with local at-risk youth and
community partners to create a mosaic
art piece. TAEP’s Mosaic Project currently
hangs on the 8th floor of the Mecklenburg
County District Courthouse in Uptown
Charlotte.
August 2015
Free Art Friday Storytellers Presentation
Heather Bartlett, a TAEP assistant and a founding member of
Charlotte Storytellers, facilitated a spirited Free Art Friday session
with YWCA students. Natalie Allen, TAEP Founder and Director, TAEP
Board Members and YAC members assisted Heather in an afternoon
of dance, stretching, and an opportunity for the children to explore
self-expression and movement. Heather dramatically read several
stories and involved the YWCA students in literary creations. Finally,
the YWCA students split into groups and created and performed short
plays for the entire group in fun costumes. The YWCA students proved
to be very creative!
September 2015
Clayworks Pottery Class
The Arts Empowerment Project collaborated with
Clayworks to produce a sculpture activity with the
youth of the YWCA. Each student used their own
creativity and imagination to make a 10-inch tall
clay vase. The kids were also able to add details
and designs to their vase, making it a more
personal and reflective experience. The finished
vases were then utilized as the centerpieces for
The Arts Empowerment Project’s fall fundraiser.
It was a very meaningful, fun, and artistic
experience for everyone involved.
Summer 2015
Free Art Friday
The YAC continued to support Free Art
Friday at the YWCA by introducing an activity
that combined art and text. Each student
was asked to choose a word that was positive and inspirational, then use
color to represent how that word made
them feel and what value they assigned to
it. It was a very memorable experience not
only for the YAC, but also for the children
who participated from the YWCA.
Summer 2015
CPCC’s Culinary Arts Boot Camp
TAEP partnered with Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) in the
creation of a “Culinary Arts Boot Camp” for teens. The two 5-week
Culinary Boot Camps and one 3-day workshop helped youth use their
imaginations and creativity while learning basic cooking and life-skills
that will help them when they one day live on their own. These hands-on
camps were taught by culinary professionals in the Philip L. Van Every
Culinary Arts Center, located on CPCC’s Central Campus. The participating chefs were eager to instill confidence and inspire the teens who
learned how to use kitchen utensils, prepare soups, sandwiches, entrées and desserts, stock a pantry, shop on a budget, and use proper
dining etiquette.
November 2015
Free Art Friday
Local Charlotte Storytellers group
energized the youth at the YWCA
with acting activities, dance and
stretching warm ups. Story time
included several classic fairytales
and the story of “Cinderella” as told
by the fairy godmother herself! Students then engaged in story-making
activities by creating and performing
December 2015
Gingerbread Workshop
Five TAEP families attended this
Community School of the Arts
workshop event. Students used
candy goods to decorate their very
own Gingerbread house alongside
their families.
December 2015
Free Art Friday
University of North Carolina at
Charlotte theater students put
on a modernized fairytale show.
“Cinderella Reinvented” taught
kids the power of self-value
and love.
Youth Advisory Council (YAC)
The Youth Advisory Council (YAC) serves as youth ambassadors for The Arts Empowerment Project. The YAC is responsible for
helping create public service projects, community outreach and providing input to the Board to advance the mission of The
Arts Empowerment Project. Council members have the opportunity to share their talents and develop leadership skills through
collaboration in group projects with our partnering organizations, schools, and other community organizations. We have also
recently created a subgroup of The Youth Advisory Council for middle school artists, and are looking to our high school YAC
members to provide leadership and mentoring for these middle schoolers as they contribute to art and service projects, and
learn the benefit of helping at-risk children in our program and community. TAEP Advisory Board members Dwayne Wilson and
Bethany Hoff coordinate the YAC meetings, service projects and activities.
Pilot Programs
The Arts Empowerment Project (TAEP) is a member of the Mecklenburg County 26th Judicial District Court’s Arts & Science
Collaboration Initiative. TAEP coordinates with the District Court to identify court-involved youth who identify great potential for
a transformative arts experience. We then match these children to engaging and structured enrichment programs and fund
their tuition and travel expenses. In 2014, TAEP contracted with the School of Social Work at The University of North Carolina
at Charlotte, to evaluate the pilot project and to contribute to understanding of the potential benefits of involvement in arts
programs for at-risk youth as well as improvements that arts programs can make to better serve these youth.
Highlights of the findings include:
• Guardians reported positive changes in youth attitudes, behaviors, and social relationships following the program. Youth
also described positive benefits from the program during the individual interviews.
• Interviews with youth and arts programmers revealed important programmatic strengths that provide some insight into the
mechanisms that underlie program successes. These include: 1) Offering Youth Choices, 2) Enhancing Skills, 3) Recognizing Growth and Achievement, and 4) Providing a Supportive Community.
CPCC CULINARY
BOOT CAMP
“[The class] made an
impact on me because,
what if I want to open
my own business?...
It made me think about
maybe doing something
in cooking. You can even
make up your own
recipes. You can make
your own things instead
of buying them.”
Students from the YWCA enjoy a visit from a TAEP volunteer guest
artist the third Friday of each month. During TAEP’s Free Art
Friday program, students engage in the arts and make
connections to lessons in the classroom and community. The
visiting artists work with themes that strengthen character and
enforce positive values. TAEP is proud to partner with the YWCA
Central Carolinas on this effort.
COMMUNITY SCHOOL OF
THE ARTS ENCOUNTERS
CLASS
“It’s uplifting… for me to
cope with my frustration
and my anger, I draw… You
get your stress out while
you’re here. You don’t have
to talk all the time. I make
everybody laugh too.”
Third Friday
of the Month
New Day Luncheon
The New Day Luncheon was held on October 7, 2015. The Honorable Louis A. Trosch, Jr. of the 26th Judicial
District, Tony Award winner, Corey Mitchell of Northwest School of the Arts, and Wells Fargo Bank were
honored for their commitment to empowering at-risk children through the performing and visual arts. The
event was emceed by Sheri Lynch of 107.9 The Link. The program included a video trailer for GreyHawk
Films’ “Purple Dreams” featuring Corey Mitchell, musical theater director at NWSA and a student from NWSA
singing “Feeling Good” by Nina Simone.
The event raised over $30,000 thanks to our very generous sponsors and donors. Our Lumnary Sponsors
were Morgan Property Group, PNC Bank, Winstead Attorneys, and Winston & Strawn, LLP. Brilliant Sponsors
were Womble Carlyle, Julie & Chris Jasinski, Joe Coyne, Kimber Morgan, Allyson Siegel and Dan Brienza.
In-Kind Sponsors donations were made by GreyHawk Films, Riggs Parners, Mad Monkey, Big Bad Props,
Action Graphics and 107.9 The Link.
PARTNER
PROGRAMS
2014-15
PILOT
We are especially grateful to Wells Fargo for
awarding us a generous catalyst grant which
supported the launch of our Pilot Program.