Leman Community Class 2021-22

How did your team conceive your project?

We wanted to provide a welcoming, comfortable space for Leman parents to get to know one another through art, conversation, and sharing aspects of our cultures. We began with Migijon (bread crumb clay) which is a traditional homemade clay originated in Mexico.

Through the creation of the migijon participants experimented and create minature sculptures that highlighted important and beautiful aspects of their cultures. Learning to work with migajon, as a traditional Mexican art, deepened the artistic connection to the messages being conveyed. This project was just the beginning. Over the duration of the school year, participants learned about color theory, gauche and acrylic paint, experiamental painting, and drawing techniques. 2 of our final classes were held in person. We joined the Taylor School parent program for a workshop at the PO Box Collective in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago. The Crowed Table, a 1 month long artist residency I was leading, was the focus of our workshop. We embroidered, block printed, and drew as we mingled with parents from Taylor School while making small fabric peices to add to the project, a community table cloth. Our final class was held at Gallery 200 in West Chicago. During this time we ate, laughed, screen printed, drew, and made zines. It was an extremely active afternoon of making and being together.

It became clear that participants were very engaged in learning new artistic techniques during class and applying them on their own terms outside of class time. Each time we would return, most would have created several paintings and/or drawings utalizing what they had learned in the prior class. This helped evolve our inquiry to How do we suelta nuestra pelo | let our hair down? which is a play on ideas of experimentation, enjoyment, self care, and going with the flow. We learned that the freedom for participants to go in different directions with thoughtful guidance is key to growth with this group.

Anabel's Portfolio

Maria Luna's Portfolio

How did the pandemic affect your class?

This class began during the pandemic so we have only been virtual together, with the acception of our final two classes that we chose to do in-person. Being virtual, I beleive, led to more regular participation given that this is a parent art class. Parents are able to make more time and space for this type of experiance. They can sign in from home while tending to familial responsibilies or simply having their children happily occupied in the comfort of their own homes, of call in from soccer practice or the laundry mat and then complete the projects at home.