Monday
Oct252010
10.25.10
Monday, October 25, 2010 at 5:30AM
I just finished a new project with Tyler Kalberg that I'm very proud of, for an organization called Hilltop Artists. It's a glass blowing facility on the campus of Jason Lee Middle School in Tacoma, Washington, made up of many students who are having problems attending regular classes, either due to economic circumstances like homelessness, or social and behavioral issues that prevent them from contributing to class in a positive way.
The job was to create a video for exhibition at the organization's yearly fundraising breakfast telling the story of a few of the students and how the program has changed them, and I think we did a good job doing that.
When budgets get tight it always seems like it's the arts that get cut first, but it's impossible to get a well-rounded education without them. How the students changed in a positive way because of the Hilltop Artists program was an extraordinary story to hear.
I was told before conducting these interviews that many of the students were facing challenges that they may not want to discuss. For whatever reason, they really opened up and for that I'm thankful. The faculty there cares deeply about their well being, and the students know that they have a safe, non-judgemental place to go whenever they want. They also have the added benefit of doing something really cool, while getting skills that will benefit them down the road in whatever they choose to do.
This is a project that is going to stick with me for a long time.
The job was to create a video for exhibition at the organization's yearly fundraising breakfast telling the story of a few of the students and how the program has changed them, and I think we did a good job doing that.
When budgets get tight it always seems like it's the arts that get cut first, but it's impossible to get a well-rounded education without them. How the students changed in a positive way because of the Hilltop Artists program was an extraordinary story to hear.
I was told before conducting these interviews that many of the students were facing challenges that they may not want to discuss. For whatever reason, they really opened up and for that I'm thankful. The faculty there cares deeply about their well being, and the students know that they have a safe, non-judgemental place to go whenever they want. They also have the added benefit of doing something really cool, while getting skills that will benefit them down the road in whatever they choose to do.
This is a project that is going to stick with me for a long time.
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