BRUCE, GRACE AND BRANDON.
Fun and learning and hard work and big discoveries are just around the corner. A quick survey around the Center asking the question “What do you think you will discover in your new class?” offered some interesting answers:
Community Cultural and Library Outings Classes were sharing space in the Garage this morning (it’s not really a garage in case anyone reading this isn’t familiar with Center). Bruce, Sin-nae and Ashlie are the teachers guiding these community adventures and they have a lot of excited explorers raring to go. They want to check out brand-new books at the library; discover new arts and cultural places they haven’t been before; and Rachel wants to have changes in her life.
SIN-NAE AND DAVID AND THE BACK OF CHRIS M.s HEAD.
ASHLIE AND GLORIA AND PHYLLIS.
AND ALL THE SMILING FACES.
The Fantasy Book Club with teacher Kate developed from last year’s
Reading and Drawing class when students started talking about a book named “Juniper” which Amazon describes like this: Though Juniper enjoys the easy life of a medieval princess, she chooses to learn about herbs, healing, and the magic within nature from her strange and difficult godmother. As her training comes to an end, Juniper discovers that her power-hungry aunt is using black magic to seize the throne. Juniper must use her as-yet-untested powers to stop her—before the kingdom is destroyed! How could that not be interesting? Some students have broad ideas about why they want to take this class such as “Anytime you take a class you know more things”…and others were more specific, “I want to know more stuff about magic and history.” One student is hoping to find the names of even more books like this to enjoy.
KATE AND ANGELO.
Monique’s Advanced Sewing Class has a whole array of new things to try out, most of which are unfamiliar to the students. They are going to make a group quilt which will surely be gorgeous because their individual quilts in the past have been really beautiful, winning many prizes at the State Fair. Christina is excited about the chance to do some embroidery, and there will be an opportunity to make stamps from woodblock designs and also drawings with fabric ink.
MONIQUE AND SARAH.
Painting and Drawing is off to a good start with Tamara guiding the creation of “A Beautiful Corpse” which is a three part process where one artist draws the bottom third of a living being (animal or human), another artist draws the middle third and another the top part. I’m told some very strange creatures emerge from this exercise—some you would not want to meet in an alley on a dark night. The class is all excited about creating beautiful landscapes and trying new media. Helene, a very accomplished North Fourth artist, is trying both wet and dry media separately and then blending the two for the first time.
TAMARA AND HELENE in PAINTING AND DRAWING.
“A BEAUTIFUL CORPSE.”
Tom and Andie’s Graphic Novels class are learning the art of the graphic novel together and in the process will each create their very own novel. I’m told Texting Mon and the Hip Hop Hamsters will be featured in Theo’s novel. With Tom’s visual arts skills and Andie’s talents in music, drama and all manner of expression these novels could be on their way to best-seller land—at least in North Fourth territory.
THEO AND SAMMY, HARD AT WORK.
Last but not least on this morning’s round of discovery was Musical Theater with Bradd and Sherilyn where the class was well on their way to determining their musical adventures for the trimester. They were doing something interesting with “Beauty and the Beast” today but ultimately the class will represent a musical revue which will include everyone’s favorites. Drake, Isaiah and Mark are musical guys anyway and happy about all of the possibilities this offers to make music. We all agreed doing anything in front of an audience is very scary and part of the purpose of this class is to give everyone a dash of new confidence as performers.
VERY MUSICAL THEATER.
