Social Arts with Melanie Schambach
Engaging individuals, communities, and institutions
in creating public art working collaboratively through
different participatory formats on specific social issues.
StoryPaintings:
‘Out of Our Minds’
One hundred people including students, teachers, school directors, trustees and board members reflected about the school's impact on one's creativity and about one's connection to creativity through the production of a 30' X 40' paintin. After eight months of layering personal messages on the canvas, the painting and a short video raised awareness at a conference with eight hunderd teachers on Spring 2010 in Nanaimo, BC.
“There is a book of rules that mentors have to follow. And these are a set of rules
that mentors get when they get this job. It freezes their perceptions.
They want to care about the students, but you see, they have to stick by the rules.” Participant.
"This is not a mural, this is a voice"
“To calm down, all I need is some music. There are no opportunities like these (in school).”
"Just breath"
"You can't see me. I matter."
“I don’t know my language. I don’t know my culture. Coming from two cultures is a big thing. I want to learn more. No one is making the effort. We need to do something if we want to create change”
“Being alone is like being blind. Not being able to see that good of what is infront of you”
"One more brick on the wall"