Artists in Schools & Communities
highlights
Creative Citizens Studios
Like so many PCA&M Artist Residency Projects this spring and summer, our pilot residency with Creative Citizens Studios went virtual. Teaching Artist/Interdisciplinary Artist/Papermaker Katy DeMent has been working, learning, and creating with this group of differently abled artists, ages 13-67, for 5+ years, most recently in PCA&M’s Annex Studio. In summer 2020 Ms. DeMent’s 10-session Artist Residency Project, A Journey to the Imagi-Nation, provided access to digital art classes for 15 participants, some of whom live outside of Allegheny County.
Guiding questions for participants included:
- Not getting out?
- Are you longing for an adventure?
- What if your creative license was your ticket to the ultimate fantasy summer vacation?
- Where would you go if you had unlimited resources and a means of travel?
- Would you travel beyond this time and place?
- Who would you bring along?
- What other artists would you meet along the way?
Based on her lesson plans, Ms. DeMent prepared a thoughtful assortment of art materials, supplied by Creative Citizens Studios, that were then sent to participants’ homes. They explored how to use and adapt various art tools such as paints, canvases, pencils, charcoal, colored pencils, and pastels to create innovative maps (and map keys), portraits, postcards, creative journals, travel posters and paintings illustrating their imaginary transportation, companionship, landscapes and so much more!
Cool and awesome artists included: Kallie, Gianfranco, Chris, Mick, Larry, Jennie, Julia, Elanna, Jami, Eva, Ian, Molly, Autumn, Faron, and William:
“My mom’s family came to the United States from Greece. Greece is very different than where I live. I would like to see the place where my ancestors came from.”
“When you and your best pal stay up all night to see the sunrise at Myrtle Beach, you know you had a good time”
“Thanks for the wild ride!”
“Sign me up [for more adventures).”
“Thanks for giving us a touch of normal even if we were traveling by time machine.”
Tech support, editing, and administration: Rebecca, Myah, Tirzah, Erika, and Mary
The general public was also positively impacted by this project via the opportunity to view participants’ work in progress and upon completion on social media and on/in other online platforms and publications.