Multi-Cultural Performance Art in Public Schools

Activities:
These culturally significant programs serve after school and summer camp activities in professional drumming, dance, music, and acting performances. These programs provide hands on guidance to enrich a child’s educational experience and range from residency programs to those that specifically serve under-served children.

Outreach:
Groups are outreached through Arts in Education Roundtable membership meetings, the Harlem Arts Alliance membership and follow up phone calls and meetings with interested educational and cultural instituions. Currently four schools are interested in collaborating with ACC:

Inwood Community Junior High — PS 52M
Community Assocaition of Progressive Dominicans, Century Academy Public School 210-21
Community Association of Progressive Dominicans, PS 28, Wright Brothers Elementary
Children’s Aide Society, PS 8, Belliard Elementary School

Post-it Notes for Peace in Darfur Mural

The “Post-it Note for Peace in Darfur” is a community arts project, construct from post-it notes submitted by residents of Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. The intent of this public project is to get the people of New York involved in creating a mural for public presentation, and at the same time, create awareness of what is happening in Darfur. Goals of the project include creating awareness and opportunities for empowerment while communicating a strong message of solidarity. Re-using an everyday office material in a non-conventional way is fun and provides a method for several hands to work toward a common goal with ease. The post-it notes are collected and assembled to form a patchwork mural (similar to AIDS quilts) This mural project is led by Jennifer Wade, M.A., an artist and an art therapist who strongly believes in the power of healing through the arts. The concept for the mural originated through the work that Ms. Wade does with senior citizens, homeless adults, and children. Making tangible art with ease and success is a method to get messages out and help communities heal, unify, and connect. It is a project that can be done easily by adults, children, and senior citizens. Community outreach for the “Post-it Notes for Peace in Darfur” is done in several ways: flyer distribution to community centers, announcements at community artists meetings, through the internet and press releases to local papers and news programs.

Multicultural Art in Public Schools

Activities:
The African Cultural Center offers Multicultural Visual Art Programs that can be used in Public Schools, After School Programs, and Summer Camp Programs in the form of workshops and professional artist in residency programs serving children between the ages of 5 – 18 years of age. These multicultural art activities include painting, sculpture, mask making, puppetry, jewelry making, the art of re-use and fiber art.

Outreach:
Groups are outreached through the Arts in Education Roundtable membership meetings, the Harlem Arts Alliance membership meetings and follow-up phone calls and meetings with interested educational and cultural institutions. Currently four schools are interested in collaborating with ACC as follows:

Inwood Community Junior High — PS 52M
Community Assocaition of Progressive Dominicans, Century Academy Public School 210-21
Community Association of Progressive Dominicans, PS 28, Wright Brothers Elementary
Children’s Aide Society, PS 8, Belliard Elementary School

We have many master teachers who teach a myriad of classed and many performance artists who can demonstrate their art. Our program ranges from single hour sessions to extensive artist in residency programs according to client needs. Currently our programs serves an estimated 100 low-income children within the public school system, and the community. We provide children with an opportunity to work on African and Multicultural projects to enrich and empower their live and provide them with a tangible work of art so that they feel a sense of pride and accomplishment.