The Arts Council and Juvenile Services are not two organizations that typically would go hand-in-hand, but since last August, they have combined forces to paint a unique picture.
Art Reaching Teens for Life is a one-of-a-kind, hands-on program that teaches youth between 14 and 18 who are on probation or in detention about art, history and the importance of creatively expressing yourself in a safe environment.
The ART for Life projects are designed to provide youth with skills and values that will be beneficial to them in the future.
"I have always enjoyed art, but this project has taught me about teamwork," said Sergio Valadez, 14, a participant working on a project to paint a terra cotta horse.
The partnership began when officials with the Arts Council got a call from Juvenile Services about simply working with juvenile volunteers who are on probation or in detention, but Padraic Fisher, then-executive director of the Arts Council, and Robert Person, a volunteer cordinator with Juvenile Services, saw the potential for something greater.
"I have seen a lot of people turn their life around through art. They learn to accept other people's way of thinking and have confidence in their own, while also to be tolerant of other's ideas," Person said. "It helps them to utilize their creative juices and express themselves."
So, with a motivated player from each team, the ball began rolling to create a full-time partnership and youth project.
The first project, completed in September, was designed as an eight-week curriculum of life-cast masks.
First, the 20 student participants learned the history of mask-making and the techniques that are used. Next came the fun part -- each student created their own mask, using their own face, out of plaster and papier-mache.
The students then harnessed their creative energy to make each mask an individual work of art. After lots of paint, dedication and patience, the masks were complete and displayed during the fall exhibit of Carnaval! at the Brazos Valley Musuem of Natural History.
So when the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum recently donated a 6-foot terra cotta horse statue to the Arts Council, Fisher said, it was just a "natural fit to involve the youth."
In addition to working with teens, the program also strives to support local artists by hiring them to teach and mentor the youth project.
Lynn Haste, internationally recognized sculptor and local artist of Viking Spirit outside Bryan High School and The Bryan Bomber in downtown Bryan, was brought in to teach the students about historic Chinese art techniques from the days of the terra cotta warriors and to serve as a mentor during the project.
After learning a little bit of history, Haste said, the students decided to mix old Chinese art and modern American culture to create the colorful terra cotta horse. Each of the six participants was given a section of the horse to work with, giving them the opportunity to display what they had learned while adding their own creative flair.
But ancient Chinese history was not the only lesson the students learned from this project. In fact, the history behind the project doesn't even scratch the surface.
"They learned ancient Chinese history, but also applied techniques like how to airbrush, use Adobe Photoshop and combine different designs together," Haste said.
Students agreed that learning how to airbrush was their favorite part of the project, but perhaps the even greater lesson is the less obvious one.
"I've been doing art all my life and I wanted to work on painting the horse," said 16-year-old Robert Neely, "but working on it has also taught me teamwork and patience."
As the students participate in the evolution of this life-size horse statue, it becomes clear that the ART for Life program is not just about drawing or painting, but rather the dedication that these students have to come back week after week, each time working toward transforming a blank statue into a picture of unique expression and talent.
"This project is perfect because others can see their creative expressions and it gives them a chance to take a bad decision they have made and turn it around to give back to the community," Person said.
With the completion of this project approaching, the Arts Council and Juvenile Services are looking forward to the beginning of the next projects -- two murals. One mural will be completed by youth who are at the detention center and the other by youth on probation. The murals will be displayed at Project Unity in Bryan.
"We eventually want to be able to have from one to three or four [ART for Life] projects going on at all times. That way different students can get involved and we can employ more local artists," Fisher said.
Fisher, Person and Haste, who have seen first-hand how this program has the ability to impact the lives of troubled youth, said they hope that this partnership will be one that continues for many years to come.
ART for Life projects are funded by donations. Those interested in supporting the program can contact the Arts Council at 979-696-2787 for information.
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