Remote Art Workshops (M.A.P.S. + Migrant Education Program)
“In the midst of the ongoing pandemic, MAPS has been teaching free weekly remote art workshops to youths in the U.S.
Department of Education’s Migrant Education Program in western Colorado. These workshops allow rural, migrant children the opportunity to have some fun, exciting, relaxing, hands-on art time.
In these art workshops we examine artworks made by historical and contemporary artists as we discuss a variety of artistic concepts like color, line, shape, form and composition. Exploring these concepts not only enhances these young artists’ toolkits, but also helps them build literacy as they practice their English- language skills. We create an imaginative art-making space that encourages kids to become creative thinkers, and allows them opportunities for social and emotional engagement and development. We have been focusing our studies on artists who have shown work at the Aspen Art Museum, including Barbara Kasten, Maren Hassinger, Kelly Akashi and others. The kids in these workshops have been able to relate to this work in an even deeper way since they can imagine Aspen, some of them having been there with their families and MEP, a trip that is “long enough that
I need snacks, but not so far,” as one kid put it. When we viewed the installation view of Maren Hassinger’s Nature, Sweet Nature the children were all very excited to see the Rocky Mountains in the background, a view they know well.
At M.A.P.S., we deeply believe that all kids, regardless of financial circumstance, deserve a quality, fulfilling education in the arts. Some of our students have told us that they love art but their school does not have an art program. We are thrilled to fill this gap in partnership with MEP, and even more so that we get to utilize the wonderfully curated collection of the Aspen Art Museum.”
- Rachel Sherk and Aaron Rourke, M.A.P.S. (Music, Art, Puppets, & Sound)
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