New World Kids in Dallas

The team  (Susan Marcus, Dr. Cynthia Herbert and me ) is in Dallas preparing for a teacher training for Big Thought's afterschool programs. This is a pilot group of 25 or so teahers, and we've prepared a 9-week curriculum, with future units related to come. It's exciting to know that 25 or so groups of 5-to-6 year olds in Dallas Public School classes will be having a wonderful adventure with the Sensory Alphabet this fall.

New World Kids is our foundation class for creative thought, as described in the book of the same name - that one aimed at parents (or grandparents).

I'll be checking in daily with photos and other info on the NWK blog site. And then it's back to art quilts for a while.

P.S. The photo above is from the last NWK summer program at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, CN. We also had a similar progam run last week at the Dallas Museum of Art. Next-- the Exploratorium and Big Thought!

NOTE: I didn't checkin daily or even once. No internet connection where we were staying or where we were teaching. Boy, do I miss it when I don't have it! Even WITH a smart phone. Here are some pics from the week, though:

 

New World Kids in Connecticut

Here's the latest on our New World Kids summer programs:

TITLE: New World Kids: Creativity Workshops (Ages 5 & 6)
Venue: Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum / Ridgefield
Category: Children's
Date: 07/19/10 - 07/31/10
Time: 09:30AM h - 12:00PM h
Description:

Monday, July 19
7/19 to 7/31, Monday to Friday; 9:30 to 12 noon; plus two events for parents
SOLD OUT

The Aldrich invites a new group of young children to participate in the fourth summer of this innovative program focused on building creative thinkers, New World Kids and the Next Literacy. This summer, twelve children will explore a new way of looking at and understanding the world around them, and parents will learn about the individual strengths that will help their children to learn productively in the future. The Museum believes in the importance of developing programs that prepare young minds to learn and grow in a future that will require visual literacy and innovation. New World Kids is a program proven to engage children with the creative thinking processes, the capacity to invent with many media, the ability to think across disciplines, and the reliance on (and joy in) the imagination.

These skills are taught through what the program developer and author, Susan Marcus, calls The Sensory Alphabet: the building blocks of creative literacy. Just as basic as the traditional alphabet used in teaching the traditional literacies of reading and writing, it is the basis of our sensory connection to the world—line, color, texture, movement, sound, rhythm, space, light, and shape. The Sensory Alphabet will multiply a child’s early repertoire of ways to symbolize, understand, and communicate ideas. Each day children will explore an element of The Sensory Alphabet by collecting ideas, engaging in open-ended activities, reflecting on their work, and hearing from people in the community about what it is like to think and work the way they do. It is our intention that each child will attain a sense of “I can do that!” at some point in the program. The involvement of parents is a key aspect of New World Kids. Prior to its start, Aldrich educators will meet with parents to discuss the cognitive research that went into the design of the program and to learn about some of the individual characteristics of each child. At the end of the program, the educators will organize an informal exhibition, which will include the children’s work and documentation of both the children’s and teachers’ reflections on their creative strengths. The process of preparing for the exhibition and talking about it with family will give each child an important opportunity to reflect on his/her individual choices and strengths, and will give parents an insight into the natural abilities of their children. Parents are also invited to purchase a New World Kids 2009 yearbook, available in the fall, as a tool to engage children about their experiences.

This year Susan is adding an "alumni" course for older kids called Think Like a Pro. Here's what she'll be doing. I'm heading to Connecticut for the last week to help with the production and technology.

With July ushering itself in at the end of the week, I am writing to touch base with you all about Think Like a Pro, the next step in the New World Kids path to creative literacy. I am thrilled that we have 12 of our New World Kids returning, representing all three summers that we have offered the program.

As you know, Think Like a Pro begins on July 19 and runs Monday through Friday from 1:30 - 4:00 PM. On Saturday July 31 at 1:00 PM, families are invited to the Museum for a presentation of the students' work and a celebration of each child's contribution.

In Think Like  a Pro, we will focus on helping the children become aware of their own individual constellation of strengths, by experiencing various thinking processes and reflecting on them. They will again work with adult professionals, who will model their own way of thinking, introduce new digital media,  and coach the kids through a creative project. Students will explore the qualities of thinking used in the 2-D realm with graphics and patterns, 3-D thinkers who are makers and builders, the kinetic sensibility involving sound and movement, and the social sensibility relating to people, groups, cultures, and roles. Throughout the weeks, they will experiment with different ways to record and present all of the new information they gather. It is our goal that by the end of the program, the kids will not only participate in many new experiences, but go the next step in being able to reflect on their own thinking and learning.

Time Flies. Getting it Done.

And gets away from us sometimes. This is new piece --  Century Plant  -- that's part of a two-year challenge to make 22" by 16 " art quilts every two months -- there are 12 artists participating. If you'd like to know more about the piece, what inspired it and what techniques I used for the surface design, head on over to the blog site for the challenge at Textile Abstractions.

I worked on much of the background fabric during last weekend's wonderful Petroglyph/Prehistory workshop. And as usual I forgot to take photos. I hope that those who attended will send me pics of their work in progress and completed. It was a small group, but we had a wonderful time working together and I think everyone got something good out of the experience.

And, to elaborate on a way for you to spend some valuable time:

At the suggestion of several who were here this past workshop, the next El Cielo experience is going to be a UFO workshop, matched with some teaching and technique practice on finishing details for show submissions -- such as, how to make a proper sleeve, options for edge finishings, how to write a GREAT artist statement, improving your bio statement, packing tips and other ideas.

The UFO portion of the workshop will include peer review and suggestions from me about how to proceed on a piece (or several pieces) that is giving you problems, or just needs a bit of something more, some digital BEFORE and AFTER ideas done on the computer for a piece that needs triage, and, of course, time to actually work, with friendly support, on something you want to finish. YOu can bring a machine or share time on my Bernina (let me know ahead of time), use the printing table, make some rusted fabric, use the computer and printers, etc. You can use the studio and its resources (but if you know you need a certain color of ink or dye you'll need to bring that, as well as batting and fusible web if you use that). I will ask my handy neighbor to be available to make shadow boxes, wooden frames or panels, if you bring the wood (he charges modest fees) and we'll all try to get some stuff done. 

If you need thermofaxes, I'll charge the cost for those $12 -- $15 each.

Plus, we'll have fun, eat, drink, talk, swim and sit in the hot tub if you wish and, I'm sure, laugh and cry over the challenges of finishing up stuff (PS The advice you get about a piece that you really don't want to finish will be to pass it along, cut it up, throw it away or recycle it into something else!). What better way can you think of to spend a summer weekend?

The dates I am looking at right now are either Friday, Saturday, Sunday July 9-11, July 16-18 or August 13-15. If any reading this have a preference and can commit  (with a deposit) to one or the other, send me an email and I'll set the date for your preference.

The workshop fee is $160, with a $10 discount for checks received before July 1. Accommodations are first come first serve and range from upstairs private room with bath for $30, shared (2 bed) room with private bath for $15 per person, $15 for downstairs room with shared bath, free room for blowup mattress and shared bath and free for studio or sleeping porch bed. For those of you who haven't been here before, the  food is great, if I do say so myself -- everyone contributes something for the potluck. Dinner Friday is optional (you can arrive any time after 4 on Friday). We usually finish about 3 /4 on Sunday. I can arrange airport pickup if necessary, and if you do fly in you can stay til Monday for an additional room night charge and maybe an extra bit for the food costs -- or we can eat out on Sunday night.

El Cielo Workshops

The brochure's in the (e)mail; here's the scoop. I hope you can join me on one of these FUN adventures into your own creative process, the world of mixed media textiles and adventures in ideas (not to mention the beautiful setting here at El Cielo). Please register as soon as possible, hold your place with a $25 deposit, or pay in advance (3 weeks, please) to get a %10 discount.

Nurture your creativity as you come away from a weekend with renewed energy, new materials and techniques in surface design applicable to fiber, ceramics, jewelry, painting and mixed media work. Susie Monday leads artists’ retreats and workshops throughout the year at her studio near Pipe Creek, Texas, about an hour from downtown San Antonio. El Cielo Studio workshops are designed with the needs of the participants in mind; free time is scheduled throughout the weekend for reading, reflection and personal work in the studio. You are welcome to bring projects in process for Susie’s critique and for peer feedback in an environment of trust and respect. You’ll share meals, poetry and stories, music and advice for living an artist’s life. Enjoy the 25-mile vistas from the deck and strolls down the country roads. A spa and pool, and large screen media room are also available to participants. The fee for each workshop retreat is $165 for a 2-day event with $15 discount for early enrollment/payment. Comfortable accommodations and meals are available from $15 - $30 per workshop. Limited enrollment. Most supplies included. Call 210-643-2128 or email susiemonday@gmail.com

FINDING YOUR CREATIVE PATH

APRIL 16-18

(optional Fri. night potluck)

Discover your artist's path and creative strengths as you explore the Sensory Alphabet, the non-verbal vocabulary that each of us uses to take in the world around us, to play with ideas and to create form. In this workshop filled with multimedia experiments and investigations --  including drawing, sculpting, painting, moving, collage and photography -- you'll discover more about your strong suits as an artist and maker, and learn more about what cognitive scientists know about the ways our brains work and invent.

NATURE INSPIRED ART

MAY 7-9

(optional Fri. night potluck) How does an art quilt idea grow from nature’s inspiration? Learn two dimensional design skills as your take some of your favorite images from nature into your own art work. Explore surface design techniques that use the power of nature (sun, water, and rust) and explore several techniques that use your nature photos on the surface of fabric. Take home a journal quilt or small wood-frame quilt ready for stitching. ($10 additional supply fee if you wish to work on a wooden frame piece.)

A CREATIVE STUDY: PETROGLYPHS, POTTERY & PREHISTORY

JUNE 4-6

(optional Fri. night potluck)

Many artists have found inspiration in prehistoric and archetypal imagery from caves, cliffs and ancient ceramics. This is the first of a series of “creative study” workshops that will illuminate how you as an artist can take inspiration from the images and imagination of the past, while transforming the images into something uniquely your own. This workshop models a time-proven creative study process (based on that developed at Learning About Learning Educational Foundation and the Paul Baker Theatre) that can be adapted to many inspirational sources. We’ll go from collection through synthesis to creating, and explore textile and mixed media techniques that relate to the aesthetic and philosophical qualities and intent of the earliest art-makers. Explore some simple natural dyes; use handmade brushes as tools, make pigmented paints with ashes, earth, rust and minerals

WHAT PARTICIPANTS SAY ABOUT EL CIELO WORKSHOPS

“A workshop at Susie’s is always money well spent. I learned techniques I have read about but never tried ... I also now feel confident that I can make art quilts!” “This workshop was a fabulous, uplifting, nurturing environment to create in. The journaling was particularly helpful, I would definitely recommend it to a friend.” “This weekend was totally awesome! I am humbled by Susie’s talents, her teaching abilities and her hospitality. I will come back as often as possible.”

Susie Monday has taught creative process and art techniques to adults and children for more than 30 years. Her art is in numerous private and public collections around the world. She will be a featured artist on QUILTING ARTS TV in the new season starting June 2010. Susie is also the co-author of NEW WORLD KIDS; The Parents’ Guide to Creative Thinking.

For a free quarterly newsletter, email susiemonday@gmail.com www.susiemonday.com 210-643-2128 3532 Timbercreek Road Pipe Creek, TX 78063 Read Susie’s blog at http://susiemonday.squarespace.com

Are you interested in a custom designed workshop at El Cielo (minimum 5 participants) or on site for your guild or other group? Many of Susie’s workshops go on the road! Please write for available dates and fees.

If you wish to download a copy of this brochure, please see the sidebar for a link for downloading.