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Past Grants Given Yarmouth Arts Community GrantsOverview: Yarmouth Arts has funded community art projects since 2004. While our grants are modest (up to $1,000), they have made possible great art experiences that have brought the community together in diverse and innovative ways. They include the following:
A closer look at one project: This year, a $250 grant for wool and needles enabled the fourth-graders in Renee Rhoades' class at Yarmouth Elementary School to undertake a project that taught them skills that will last a lifetime, as well as a better understanding of their community. With the help of volunteer parents and grandparents, the children learned to knit and purl. They created two dozen brightly colored wool squares which they then sewed together into afghan. As the children worked, Ms. Rhoads asked them to consider if they would like to work together to make a knitted project for a social cause. After lengthy discussion, the class selected "homelessness." Each student chose their favorite person or book character that related to this issue, and knit an eight-inch square that symbolized their story. Annabelle Adams-Beyea stitched a bright yellow sun on her white square, which portrays both the Sunshine Mission shelter where a real 9-year old girl and her family have taken refuge after living in their car, and the hopes the girl and her friends have for a better life. Sean Moore's solid gray square depicts the sidewalks where poor people are forced to beg for change. Olivia O'Halloran's pastel colors remind viewers that even babies can be homeless. Emilie Martin's muted colors speak to the emotions of a troubled teen who has run away from an abusive father. Roya Best's green square tells the tale of a family that finally leaves a crowded tenement for a house with a backyard. Ben Wheaton's colors are the same as the flag of earthquake-devastated Haiti, whose people are desperate for housing. Several boys were moved by the plight of American veterans who have had a difficult time returning home from the battlefield. Ben Gleason's red, white and blue stripes honor veterans who have moved into renovated transitional housing. Henry Venden's camouflage colored square was created in honor of a homeless Navy veteran from Portland and all the veterans, Henry says, "who come back from war... [with problems] because of all the terrible things they've seen." Charlie Keefe's knit piece is composed of different shades of tan to honor a soldier who served in Operation Desert Storm and who now lets homeless veterans stay in his home. The finished quilt in now on display at the library, and will be donated to an organization that supports people struggling with homelessness. Accompanying this exhibit is a online link to the children talking about their squares. Ms. Roads is also creating a documentary video about the project which will help other schools follow this model. In addition, Ms. Rhoads tied the children's knitting work into her instruction on colonial life in Maine, stressing how people in 17th and 18th century had to spin their own wool from sheep on the farm - an important Maine craft even today. "The need to make frugal use of sustainable natural resources is a core lesson in environmental awareness. Knitting teaches the children to appreciate things that are made and crafted from what is around us. It helps them understand the amount of effort and dedication that goes into arts and crafts. It teaches an appreciation of process and of our cultural heritage. It also teaches patience and doing over to get it right!" The project was selected for funding because of its potential to excite students about a new--to them-- form of artistic expression, but that the project's eventual scope and impact exceeded their organization's expectations. Renee Rhoads turned this into a fabulous learning experience that will continue to enrich the whole town for years to come. It really demonstrates what Yarmouth Arts is all about--using art to build a community. Applications for 2010 grants (due May 31, 2010). |
