Media Alert
STUDENT ART INSTALLATION EMPOWERS CHILDREN TO MAKE POSITIVE CHOICES
ATLANTA (April 20, 2008) The Spelman College Art as a Social Action class, in conjunction with The Study Hall, an afterschool program in the Peoplestown community of Atlanta, present “Power Play: Choosing Empowerment on the Playground.” This 4-by-5-foot interactive outdoor installation uses four diptych panel paintings of life-sized children to promote self-esteem and self-empowerment among second-grade scholars in the program.
The display, located on the playground of The Study Hall at 1010 Crew Street, will be unveiled during a special ceremony, free and open to the public, on Wed., April 30, at 5 p.m. It will remain there indefinitely.
“Power Play” is a creative learning tool designed to teach children to make positive choices at an early age. The installation, addresses financial literacy, education, political empowerment, and health and wellness. Each issue is represented by a panel that has been divided into two sections — one positive, one negative. This gives the children two decision-making options and illustrates consequences as a result of their choices.
“What’s unique about this exhibit is that Study Hall scholars will get a visual representation of what good and bad decisions look like when it comes to money, education, politics and health,” says Beatrice Lyde, program director of The Study Hall at Emmaus House. “Learning how to make positive decisions now will ensure that these students continue to make sound decisions when they reach adulthood.”
The life-sized paintings on the positive section have bright colors and lively settings with openings for children to put their face and arms into images depicting students receiving diplomas, voting, purchasing a new home, and getting exercise by bicycle riding. The negative section has smaller, monochromatic images representing less desirable choices. For instance, lack of exercise is symbolized by a painting of a couch potato.
“By partnering with the Study Hall, Art as a Social Action students are working to ensure that second-graders in the program have the knowledge, skills and confidence to someday change the world,” said Barbara Nesin, associate professor of art at Spelman. “Maybe some of The Study Hall children will become future Spelmanites who continue to work across academic disciplines toward this vision.”
During the opening ceremony, there will be a short program about on the meaning of the Study Hall project. Attendees will have a chance to speak with the student artists about their experiences while creating the exhibit.
“Power Play” is the second project Art as a Social Action has developed with The Study Hall. Projects from previous semesters include “Beyond,” a mural at The Study Hall created to empower students to think beyond their present circumstances; and “The Cost of War,” an outdoor installation at The Arts Exchange that displays a range of poignant images depicting the effects of war on soldiers, their families and the nation.
Art as a Social Action, taught by professor Barbara Nesin, is one of the courses offered through the Spelman College art department. The mission of the course is to affect positive social change through visual art. Students who take the course are charged with conceptualizing and constructing pieces that address the needs of the community and highlight the power of art in society. Each semester, the class chooses a social issue to address in partnership with a community organization. The students in the class this semester include Jamelle Boyd, Mandingo Buchongo, Ashley Chandler, Dominique’ Cureton, Aiesha Davie, Shelley Dyer, Jalika Street, and Nicole Willingham.
Additional community partners include Binders Art Supply, Alternate R.O.O.T.S., and RWB Interiors.
The Study Hall
The Study Hall at Emmaus House is a not-for-profit organization with year round programming and after school programs for children. The mission is to encourage and empower the children and families of the Peoplestown community to become productive contributors to society through education and enrichment activities. TSH opened its doors in 1990 and serves more than 80 children from kindergarten to eighth grade.
African American for the Arts
A-AFTA was founded in 1998 with the mission of being a united, proactive voice for cultural matters affecting the African American and Diasporic African Community. Artists participating in this semester’s project with Spelman at The Study Hall include: Linc Bennett, Geoff Johnson (President), and Trevor Johnson.
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Spelman College:
Founded in 1881, Spelman College is the only historically Black college in
the nation to be included on the U.S. News and World Report's list of top
75 "Best Liberal Arts Colleges — Undergraduate," 2005. Located in Atlanta,
Ga., this private, historically Black women's college boasts outstanding
alumnae, including Children's Defense Fund Founder Marian Wright Edelman;
U.S. Foreign Service Director General Ruth Davis; authors Tina McElroy Ansa and
Pearl Cleage and actress LaTanya Richardson. More than 83 percent of the
full-time faculty members have Ph.D.s or other terminal degrees and the
student-faculty ratio is 12:1. Annually, nearly one-third of Spelman
students receive degrees in the sciences. The students number more than
2,186 and represent 43 states and 34 foreign countries. For more
information regarding Spelman College, visit: www.spelman.edu.
