Here's How We're Responding to COVID-19

Hi Living Arts supporters -

In the last few days, so many of you have reached out to me and Living Arts' staff and board members with your concern and well wishes. Your messages and conversations have been a great source of encouragement as we navigate new challenges together.

Our response to the COVID-19 crisis has been moving quickly and I want to update you on some of the ways we are responding to the needs of our youth, Teaching Artists, and staff. As always, we are directing all of our energy, creativity, and resources to best support our community's children and families.

As you know, we have canceled all programming through April 5th in compliance with Governor Whitmer's school closure mandate—which means that our Teaching Artists will not be working in the coming three weeks and our students will not be getting necessary educational supports. We remain committed to doing everything we can at this time to mitigate these losses.

To that end, I am glad to share that:

• We are committed to supporting our Teaching Artists financially during this time. Our goal is to provide compensation through April 5th, based on the hours of service each artist would have provided through that date if these extraordinary events had not occurred;

• Staff will be actively connecting our young people and their families to resources for food, academic, and social support throughout Metro Detroit and Teaching Artists will be checking in on their students;

• We are working on new, creative ways to engage students in programming remotely;

• Staff members will continue to work remotely in order to practice social distancing; and

• We remain in conversation with the larger arts community and funders to explore how we can participate in efforts to support individual artists in our region.

Thank you for making all this possible with your support and partnership.

I hope you will continue to reach out to me with your questions, concerns, or ideas as we continue doing the work we love!

Wishing you and your loved ones good health,

Alissa Novoselick
Executive Director

"Living Arts Honored by Crain's Detroit

Executive Director, Alissa Novoselick, was presented with our Crain's Detroit Best-Managed Nonprofit award at the Newsmaker of the Year luncheon.

Living Arts was awarded Best-Managed Nonprofit 2019 from Crain’s Business Detroit! This morning, our Executive Director, Alissa Novoselick, was presented with the award at the Newsmaker of the Year luncheon.

Accompanied by Living Arts’ board president Matthew Nahan, director of programs Erika Villarreal Bunce, and director of development Tara Tuomaala, Novoselick graciously accepted the award and generous donations from Crain's and Non-Profit Personnel Network on behalf of all of Living Arts' board members, staff, and Teaching Artists.

Many thanks to the team at Crain’s for this great honor! Click here for more details about the Best-Managed Nonprofit 2019.

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Board President Matthew Nahan and Executive Director Alissa Novoselick

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(L-R): Director of Development Tara Tuomaala, Alissa Novoselick, Director of Programs Erika Villarreal Bunce

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SAVE THE DATE! Framing the Future: An Evening for Living Arts

FRAMING THE FUTURE:
AN EVENING FOR LIVING ARTS

THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2020 - THE MASONIC

Join us in celebrating the launch of our next decade of youth arts education in Detroit!

+ Networking over hors d’oeuvres and premium open bar
+ Art-making stations featuring animation, visual arts, and music led by Living Arts students and
Teaching Artists
+ Live performances and animation screening
+ Complimentary valet
+ Attire: Corporate to Cocktail

20th Anniversary Fund Update!

Your gifts to the 20th Anniversary Fund helped make 2019 a memorable milestone year for Living Arts! 

Across Metro Detroit, our Teaching Artists helped preschoolers get the skills they need to succeed in kindergarten and brought older students inspiring movement, songwriting, and animation experiences that gave them new ways to connect with their creativity and understand academic subjects like math and language arts.

Our 2019 after-school program grads have already completed their first semester of college—and other alumni launched dance careers in Montreal and New York City and are pursuing professional and artistic paths across the country!

Achievements like these attracted the attention and support of 115 generous donors and helped Living Arts raise more than $90,000 for the 20th Anniversary Fund—an accomplishment that was a momentous capstone to a remarkable year!

We are indebted to Jason REVOK Williams, whose generosity launched the Fund. We also owe a special thanks to The Peck Foundation for their wonderful investment—and to Gail Mondry, who led the Living Arts Initiative and brought together individuals from around the metro area who believe in Detroit’s youth.

What does this mean for 2020?

With your help, Living Arts is entering the new year—and a new decade!—with plans to do even more for Detroit area youth. Our board and staff leadership are exploring new ways to grow our after-school program and make room for the more than 100 youth currently on our waitlist—and we’re planning exciting partnerships that will help our Teaching Artists have an even greater impact. All of this will be guided by a new strategic plan that will launch later this spring (and you'll be among the first to hear about the details)! Thank you for your generosity and believing in the transformative power of art!

Harnessing Personal Power through Dance

Living Arts’ dancers and instructors met to discuss and reflect on their Sofrito of Cultures summer intensive.

On Saturday November 16, seven of the nine Youth Dance Ensemble dancers joined their mentor/instructors Miryam Johnson and Penny Godboldo, along with Living Arts’ Director of Programs, Erika Villarreal Bunce and Dance Program Director, Marianne Cox over Lebanese food and conversation. Also in attendance was Jennifer Collins the mother of Bailee Williams, one of the dancers. The gathering was the first time the group had met since their August 8th performance at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.

The inter-generational conversation, led by Villarreal Bunce, was an opportunity for the young women to really debrief and dig into what they learned and how they felt during the intensive.

On learning Dunham technique alongside her own students, Miryam Johnson said she was “…in the moment, in the music, in my body connected to the people around me” as opposed to being in her head, focusing on self-criticism. She added, “It was important for me to be a student next to you; for you to see me not getting it also.” Master choreographer and intensive lead, Penny Godboldo said “Dance is a language...it’s called a company because it’s community working together.”

Over the course of the three weeks, the dancers, instructors, and drummers met for five hours a day, five days a week. Initially desiring a 10-week session, Godboldo had to readjust expectations from her students. “I knew what young people in this community were capable of, but I wasn’t sure if [you] were up for it. I was so pleased with the way [you] young women stepped up and did the work!”

Reflecting on the journal entries they wrote during the intensive, the young dancers recalled the feelings brought on by dancing. Learning the history and cultural relevance of the drum and movement in Afro-Latin dance was critical to understanding their own role in the dance. “I felt that the intensive really made me feel like a leader. It really tested my boundaries,” shared Bailee Williams, 13. Many of the dancers agreed that their boundaries, both physical and mental, were tested during their training. Learning how to breathe proved to be one of the most valuable tools, centering themselves before rehearsals began and carrying them throughout the hours of movement. “Wwhen I came here to dance I was happy and more confident.” Brianna Hernandez, 12. Mariajose Galarza, 13 added, “After the intensive I really felt like I could do anything! It was really long and hard but really good.”

Though still a while off from their careers, many of the dancers are considering entering into professional dance. A chance to represent both Detroit and the Southwest community where they live, the dancers want to show the world that Detroit is still in the game. “No one expects big dancers to come out of Detroit because it’s just a small city. No one expects someone like Miss Penny or Dunham to come out of Detroit. Everybody just thinks that it was famous during the Motor City era and has been left behind like it was nothing. But there really is something special in this community...dance just connects us,” said 14-year-old Nina Contreras.

Ms. Collins exclaimed, “You all are powerful! Knowing what you all accomplished this summer you all can do anything!” A sentiment echoed by all the mentors in the room.

5 Minute Mindfulness - Reflection

Photo by: Alesha Nicole

As a Teaching Artist in multiple programs within Living Arts, I never know which adventure I’ll be faced with next. It’s exhilarating! Who will be sitting in front of me for today’s class? What tricks will I pull out of my sleeve in the heat of the moment? What objective will organically present itself as an intruder to my lesson plan? And what unexpected inexplicable joy will be evoked by the authentic experience of showing up as my true self to a room full of strangers that I get to serve through my gift? 

On Saturday, November 16, 2019 my office for the day was a meditation room full of women who care for children.  It was a self-care retreat, in which I taught a workshop of mindfulness. As caregivers of young learners, we tend to neglect our self-care, forgetting to take time to check-in with ourselves emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. We can accidentally pour from an empty cup and end up with inner battles of resentment, frustration, or overexertion. The guided meditation I led was a bit different than what you would experience in a typical meditation room. It took into consideration the environment in which these caregivers regularly would be using these techniques. It is usually in a home, surrounded by children playing, singing, yelling, exploring, or giggling around them, giving them very little time to truly turn inwards and not exactly having the ideal atmosphere for peace and quiet. 

So, I taught some “5 Minute Mindfulness” exercises that would give them opportunities to check-in during moments of upheaval or burnout. The exercises included techniques that uplift the spirit, redirect the mind, hold space for the heart, and tune in to the body. As we went through each activity, we shared commentary on what types of stressful situations may call for the exercise and why they are useful in that situation. While they went through these neat ways of calling their attention to mindfulness and self-awareness, they may or may not have realized that the workshop as a whole was an example of mindfulness in itself. These wonderful women were able to connect on a deeper level about the work that they do and feel recognized, cared for, valued, and considered in the development of a workshop built just for them. It was a treat, we shared from our hearts, and left with tools to use at a moment’s notice. A special gift was given with sentimental value we intentionally placed on it together, so that they may be reminded of self-care anytime they look into their purse and see it. All we need is five minutes of mindfulness to bring us back to self.

Dispatches from the National Guild for Community Arts Education Conference

Photo by: Zack Bissell

Every year, Living Arts sends a team to the annual conference of the National Guild for Community Arts Education. This event brings together artists, administrators, educators, and changemakers to share their work and models and build collaboratively on a national scale. The conference is an opportunity for all members of our team (staff, Teaching Artists, and students) to learn from peers and leadership in the field. Previously held in Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, and Baltimore, this year’s conference was held in Austin, Texas from October 30-November 2.

This year, we were fortunate to be able to take Diamond Davis, one of our youth leaders, to the conference for the first time and to attend the National Young Artists Summit which took place in conjunction with the conference. Diamond has participated in our programs since 2015 and quickly became a leader in our teen initiatives and classes.

A major highlight for me was the keynote from artist Favianna Rodriguez, who spoke about the power of culture and art to disrupt violent systems that operate in our society, and concrete tools that center teaching artists as instigators and partners. Rodriguez also addressed ways to design classes to reach all students. I also connected with colleagues from around the country and deepened my connection and mentorship with Diamond. 

Overall, the conference this year gave me many tools, ideas, and inspiration that will continue to impact our Out-of-School Arts program and Living Arts as a whole for years to come. It was especially timely, as we continue to strategize and implement ways that youth can (and should!) shape the world around them. Diamond and I are now developing a plan to roll out our preparations for Open Arts Fest 2020 that includes more youth collaboration and community partnership.

Attending the NGCAE conference has given me the tools and inspiration to move our programs forward and be more innovative in the youth-led programming and creative youth development spheres. I am deeply excited and already looking ahead for next year’s conference and youth summit in New York City! 

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Diamond Davis

For the past 5 years, I’ve been involved with Living Arts programming and youth leadership in a variety of ways. This year, Living Arts invited me to represent them at the National Young Artists Summit (NYAS), an offshoot of the National Guild for Community Arts Education. I was really happy and super excited to be invited because it felt like a big opportunity. I didn’t initially know a lot about the conference but I was excited to represent Living Arts and meet all the different people there. As I learned more about the Guild and the NYAS, I couldn’t wait to start chatting with them about different projects and what they’re involved in at their organizations. 

Day 1, National Guild for Community Arts Education Conference

I attended a few different presentations and workshops. One was a cutting-edge marketing session, where they talked about nonprofits, especially music in schools. l left with many ideas that will help us prepare for Open Arts Fest, including new ways to connect with the community, promote the event, coordinate with schools, and reach more youth. Another workshop focused on ways to use artistic experiences to set up safe and comfortable spaces in order to address difficult topics such as race, social justice, and equity. I also went to a youth-focused networking session. We talked about what is it like being a young artist and developing careers, parental approval/disapproval, and their guidance. It made me think a lot about my own pathway and if I want to pursue the arts or engineering, and about my mom’s support. 

Day 2, the National Young Artists Summit

It was really fun and interesting with lots of different youth performances. We had conversations about gun violence, police brutality, sexual harassment, and there were artistic pieces relating to those topics such as dances, music, and others. Afterwards we did role-plays and discussed the topics. I also attended a dance session where we learned dance and I bonded with the people in the class. We were all really comfortable and were able to come out of our shells. The adult partners and facilitators reminded me of the adults at Living Arts such as Zack and Stephanie, who are able to step back and allow the youth to take the lead in different ways. 

The other youth that I met were very inclusive and cared about all the individuals in the group to create safe and comfortable spaces for us to connect with each other. I was so happy to get a chance to connect more deeply with youth from Mosaic Theatre of Detroit, especially since we live in the same city. We’ll be able to continue chatting and collaborating as we build our friendships moving forward. We’re already talking about ways we can do things together soon. I also met DeLashea from Mosaic and have emailed her to start getting to know her better. There were also youth from around the country that are artists in many different mediums. It was really helpful to hear about their programs and events they are developing and leading.

Now that the conference is over, I’m hoping to get together again with everybody from Mosaic. I’m also looking forward to connecting Living Arts more to teens in schools so they can come to our events and get involved. I’m also going to be finding ways to get involved with other youth programs and nonprofits in Detroit such as Mosaic, Bloombodies, and others.

My experiences at the conference helped me realize how important it is to develop comfortable and safe spaces, especially for Open Arts Fest, so that we can use the space to share important messages and topics. That way we can have fun but also do great work together with our peers. I’m also hoping to join the planning committee next year for the National Young Artists Summit now that I’ve attended once and have met the planning team. 

Living Arts Presented with Spirit of Detroit Award!

All photos by: Diamond Davis.

On Thursday, October 17, Council Member Raquel Casteneda-Lopez stopped by the Ford Resource and Engagement Center (FREC-Mercado) to spend some time with the Living Arts community. As members of District 6 (Casteneda-Lopez’s constituency) the Council Member gave an update on upcoming changes in Southwest and answered questions from our families.

The Council Member also stopped by to present a Spirit of Detroit Award to Living Arts! The award was presented in honor of 20 years of service to Detroit youth and the Southwest neighborhood. Director of Programs Erika Villarreal Bunce accepted the award on behalf of our staff, teaching artists, board members, students, and families.

We’re so proud to receive this significant recognition of our work! Thank you to Council Member Casteneda-Lopez and to the City of Detroit for their support of our work.

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Animation and Emotional Storytelling

Thirty years ago, I created my first video with my family’s VHS tape recorder. I dressed my friends in costumes and set up my Barbies. I was using animation techniques without even knowing what stop-motion was – I honestly thought I invented the technique! This passion continued through high school and college and it lead me to co-owning a video production company and to developing my own art practice. Now, I produce, direct, and edit music videos and documentaries, while also creating sculpture-based video art installations that incorporate hand-drawn animated elements. Utilizing time-based media as a story-teller is so powerful and magical to me, so when I started teaching thirteen years ago, it was truly a natural fit.

While teaching animation techniques, I take inspiration from two other Detroit artists: filmmaker and painter Nicole Macdonald and animator Gary Schwartz. Nicole is a good friend and was my first and only animation instructor! I took one class with her at the Detroit Film Center in the early 2000’s and then immediately incorporated it into my practice. Gary was a great mentor and gave me some valuable advice early on that really transformed my life as a teacher. He told me to focus on teaching how I create, myself. This is such simple advice but as a working artist balancing creating and teaching, it has allowed me to stay energized and engaged in the work that my own students create.

The heart and driving force of my work and the work I inspire my students to create is emotion and story-based. Utilizing animation as a tool to tell a story is really amazing because a viewer already understands and accepts the possibility of surreal elements or exaggeration. With animation, you have the freedom to use images as metaphor without distracting your audience so it’s a tool that is helpful for not only the artist but also the viewer!

I also help motivate students to feel more comfortable trusting their own creative instincts and to get out of the perfectionist loop were you get hung up on details and lose focus on the greater whole. In my classroom, we never use pencils because this encourages the erase and redraw cycle which often never ends because we’re stuck on thinking ‘this isn’t good enough,’ instead of accepting and moving on to completion. Looking back on a finished piece and realizing what could be done differently next time is always more helpful and satisfying than being stuck on one detail and never finishing. A goal for myself and for them is to share and to continue to share – we can’t do that if we don’t finish the project.

Video Animation - Iris Jimenez

Hi my name is Iris Jimenez, I’m 13 years old, and I go to Living Arts. I've always been really passionate about art and animation and Living Arts is the place that has brought out the best in me. I take 2 classes in Living Arts: Video Animation and The SPOT. These two classes have made me feel more passionate to do what I love and the teachers are the best people to get along with. 

The first time I came to the animation class was during the summer of 2018. The animation class is a place where I can be myself and do what I love. The class is so much fun and I learned so much about animation. I even got to make new friends there. Ms. Natasha has helped me so much with animation. She teaches us different types of techniques and honestly I just think she's the best. She is very caring and super easy to talk to. But most of all I love working and being with the people in this class. We all share such similar interests and are passionate about what we love to do. 

Video Animation - Elise Moore

My name is Elise Moore, and I’m 16 years old. I go to Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy, and I am a junior. I have participated in Living Arts’ Video Animation class since Summer 2013. In my free time, I like to write and play music, create different types of visual art (like drawing and animating), and read. 

Throughout my time in Video Animation, my favorite part has been working with the teacher, Ms. Natasha Beste. Ms. Natasha runs the class very smoothly and keeps all of us students on the right track. She introduces each project with such enthusiasm that it is contagious. When I first started this workshop, I was very shy and rarely spoke about my ideas. Ms. Natasha really helped me come out of my shell and to this day allows me to express who I truly am. 

In the near future, I want to continue in the Video Animation class, and to create more short films there and in my free time. Later on, I plan to attend college to learn more about animation and character design. I hope to work at an animation studio as either a storyboard artist, animator, or concept artist. 

Reflections on our 20th Year

Due to a somewhat fortuitous structural issue in our office basement, the Living Arts team got to spend a few afternoons this spring going through decades-old organizational boxes in preparation for construction to begin. Together, we sifted through photos of youth from 1999, hand-written lesson plans integrating visual art and science, and teaching artist rosters of familiar names and folks gone by. We found “3rd Annual Showcase” posters, fundraising events that we’ve outgrown, old board meeting minutes, grant receipts from some of our longtime partners, and copies of very meager annual budgets. We laughed about some of the dated work and were left with great admiration of the people who have built this organization to where it is today. Living Arts is still a very clear and steadfast reflection of all the things we found — just a little bit bigger. 

Milestones certainly help us mark what has come before, and celebrating Living Arts’ 20th year this year has been an exercise in reflection, joy, and growth. As I’ve been fortunate to navigate and watch the organization blossom the past three years, I can say confidently there is something extraordinarily remarkable about the work that has been built, championed, and accomplished by every single person who has been part of the mission over the past two decades. Living Arts is the true embodiment of what it means to fight—no matter what—for art and youth in our city. 

This past year has been no different. We have seen great success innovating in programs, operations, and development -- and it has undoubtedly been our most impactful year yet. And while I am so proud of the depth and intentionality we’ve shown in all aspects of our mission, I want to emphasize that no matter the data points, our work will always be centered first around relationships and responsivity. 

Some of the things I’m particularly proud of include:

• Deepening our early childhood work into independently owned and informal childhood spaces in partnership with the Brightmoor Quality Initiative in Detroit’s Brightmoor neighborhood and with Congress of Communities and Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation in Southwest Detroit.

• Expanding our cultural production through a dance intensive with Penny Godboldo, Miryam Johnson, Chi Amen-Ra, and Ozzie Rivera, which culminated in a performance at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.

• Revamping our after-school program model and streamlining our registration processes.

• Launching a 20th Anniversary Fund for program expansion with a generous gift from visual artist, Jason “Revok” Williams.

• Onboarding 6 new board members and 4 new staff, while creating a first-ever Communications role.

• Launching a 3-year evaluation in partnership with Research for Action to assess the impact our Detroit Wolf Trap program has on classroom teachers. 

• Responding to an evolving school district and city and deepening our teaching artists’ understanding of new curriculum. 

• Transitioning many disjointed data systems to a unified CRM database. 

• Receiving a Spirit of Detroit Award for 20 years of service. 

Culmination is a key moment in artistic practice. It is the moment where an artist says, "this might not be perfect, but I have practiced long enough to be proud of everything I've learned along the way." This year, we culminated 20 years of Living Arts in so many important ways. 

That said, we’ve only just begun! Soon, we’ll  launch a comprehensive 2020-2025 strategic plan focused on expansion, so that even more children in Detroit will be able to have access to high-quality arts education. What I also know is that we won’t be able to do it without you. I am so grateful for the board, staff, committee members, families, youth, funders, volunteers, arts partners, educators, and community members who continue to make it all happen. 

Here’s to the next 20 years of Living Arts!

Creating Meaningful Partnerships: An Interview with Teaching Artist Katy Schoetzow

Teaching Artist Katy Schoetzow with her DHH students.

One of Living Arts’ core values is partnership. By cultivating relationships with schools, educators, families, and institutions, Living Arts creates collaborative and creative learning experiences for Detroit's youth. One such partnership is between Living Arts, Shulze Academy, and Teaching Artist Katy Schoetzow. As we enter the fifth year of this partnership, we interviewed Katy about her work and collaboration with her students and the Shulze faculty.

Krystle Cheirs-Roberts: How long have you worked as a Teaching Artist for Living Arts at Shulze Academy?

Katy Schoetzow: I started in 2015.

KCR: What population of students do you serve (ages/special needs) and why?

KS: The program has evolved a lot since I've been there. Now I work with deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students ages 2-9 and emotionally impaired (EI) students in first through sixth grades. In our original residencies, these groups were mainstreamed with other classes which meant:

a) class sizes were very large and
b) the material was only modified to fit their needs instead of created intentionally for those needs

Now that I'm directly in the classroom it's much more focused and these kids are at the forefront of their experiences.

KCR: How did you get into working with this population of students?

KS: Before moving to Detroit I worked with VSA in Grand Rapids (now Artists Creating Together) as a Program Manager and Teaching Artist so I had previous experience with special needs populations. Also when you're looking at the social/emotional curriculum goals for DHH and EI students, communication is the main tenet and drama is a natural fit for that.

KCR: What inspires you about working with your students?

KS: I particularly enjoy working with the DHH kids because it's very much an environment of mutual learning. When we establish dialogue for a scene we're working on, they teach me the sign as they're learning their parts. We make choices and build our stories together which provides fantastic insight into their lives and personal experiences. It feels like a true collaboration.

KCR: What relationships have you built in your classrooms?

KS: I've been in these specific classrooms for two years now (and before that many of these students were in my mainstreamed groups) and the great thing about a special education program is that kids aren't shuffled around to new teachers every year. So there are a couple of kids I've had for four years now. We don't have to spend the first have of the residency establishing trust and building a foundation for the work we're doing. It's also great because there are always a mix of new and old faces each year and it gives the returning students an opportunity to become leaders and mentors for the new kids. The relationships with the teachers have also benefited from this. We know what to expect so when we start the new year we're both full of ideas right away.

KCR: Why is this work important to you?

KS: Consistency is incredibly important for children. Special programs that come in for a couple of weeks and teach something new are great, but a program that returns every year and builds off of the success of the previous year has so much more impact on the academic success and personal growth of these students. The kids know they can count on me to keep coming back so when I ask for contributions and commitments from them, they are more than willing and what we've been able to create is much more personal and brave because of that.

Living Arts Dancers to Perform Sofrito of Cultures with Penny Godboldo at the Wright Museum

Young Southwest Detroit dancers explore Afro-Latinx identity through dance and music 

Living Arts’ Youth Dance Ensemble, under the direction of Master Teacher and Dance Artist Penny Godboldo and Living Arts’ Teaching Artist Miryam Johnson, with musical accompaniment by Chinelo "Chi" Amen-Ra  and  Ozvaldo "Ozzie" Rivera, will present a free community performance graciously hosted by the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History on August 8, 2019 from 6:00pm - 9:00pm.

Sofrito of Cultures is the culmination of a two-week dance intensive, supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. Through the intensive, participants train in the Dunham Technique of dance, which blends European ballet, modern, jazz, and classical African movement.

“Katherine Dunham founded this technique as a means of anthropological study asking ‘What is the function of the way people move? Why do we move differently than Europeans? What history is tied in the ways we move, sing, play an instrument’,” says Godboldo. “Rather than feeling inadequate, there is a body of movement ingrained in culture to define yourself and feel empowered.” Johnson, who has taught with Living Arts for the past three years, was attracted to the project as her work revolves around the concept of the body as an archive of movement. “We’re looking at the ways we move naturally and what these bodies carry into dance; in contrast to the upright form of European traditions of dance.” 

Johnson’s role as protege to Godboldo as well as instructor to the students is part of the mentorship process. “We are also looking at the intercultural (black and Latinx) and intergenerational traditions of movement,” says Erika Villarreal Bunce, director of programs at Living Arts. Godboldo adds “there is a history of oral tradition in African and Caribbean culture. This project holds that tradition in the construct of music and movement, it is an accurate account of history — as opposed to the written tradition that has become skewed through the eyes of others.”

The project began with a master dance class in the summer of 2017 through the Teatro Chico program. Since then, the students and families of Living Arts have requested more culturally relevant programming that reflects their own history. “Living Arts’ commitment to respecting partnerships and youth drives our programming. When it comes to our artistic production, we take direction from our youth to create art that reflects their experience,” says Villarreal Bunce. 

For tickets to the performance, visit: bit.ly/SofritoPerformance.

Closing Out the Season: 20th Annual Student Showcase

On a moderate Sunday afternoon, families, friends, and supporters gathered at Cass Technical High School for the Living Arts 20th Annual Student Showcase. The program opened with Program Manager, Zack Bissell, who welcomed the audience and thanked the event’s supporters.

A culmination of the 2018-2019 season of programming through the Out-of-School Arts (OSA) program, Showcase featured a mix of dance, visual arts, video animation, and music composition. The program featured a special guest performance by Ballet Folkórico de Detroit and an intermission performance by Mariachi Femeníl de Detroit.

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In total, there were 26 performances featuring over 100 dancers in jazz, tap, modern, ballet, hip hop, house, ballet folkórico, tumbling, and karate. Just outside the theater was an art exhibition featuring sculpture, painting, and other 2D and 3D artwork by students. Students rage from ages 0-18 in the OSA program, so Sunday’s roster included work from toddlers through young adults.
With the guidance of professional artists, musicians, dancers, and choreographers, it is no wonder the caliber of talent featured at Showcase!

Closing remarks by Dance Program Director, Marianne Brass included a special thanks to Living Arts’ Co-founder Christine Allen-Carson as well as special recognition to graduating seniors Carolina Anaya, Diamond Davis, Alexis Harris, Andrea Hinojosa, Jeimy Lopez, and Xalma Palomino. A final acknowledgement given to all the teaching artists, parents and caregivers, families, and supporters closed out the evening.

Congratulations to all participants in the 2018-2019 season!

Before You Take the Stage: A Chat with Living Arts' Senior Artists

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In the 45 minutes window between school and rehearsal, I met with 5 young women at the FREC-Mercado. In preparation for their upcoming 20th Annual Student Showcase, we sat down to talk about their history with Living Arts, and the role the organization has played in their lives.

“I came to Living Arts when I was 5 or 6,” stated 18-year-old Xalma Palomino. “The studio was right around my house, so my mom just signed my sister and I up for a ballet class once a week”. 18-year-old dancers Carolina Anaya and Andrea Hinojosa also began in ballet. “Xalma introduced me to dance because we’ve been friends for many, many years. My mom signed me up and I took every class they took,” says Anaya. Alexis Harris, 18, began dancing when she was 3 years old, and was introduced to Living Arts by her grandmother at 8 years old. Alexis in turn introduced Tanykia “Diamond” Davis to Living Arts when the girls were in the 8th grade.

On Sunday, June 9th, Xalma and Carolina, along with fellow senior dancers Alexis and Andrea, will be performing in their last Showcase. The recital will be held at Cass Technical HS, where most of the young woman attend. The performance will be bittersweet for the girls as they are also graduating from high school and moving on to different things in life. “It’s sad because we’re leaving now. We became like a family, we all grew up with each other like sisters,” stated Xalma. Andrea added, “We really became close to each other and not seeing them every day is going to be weird.” What started as a fun activity as children has become a passion for these young artists.

Dedicating so many years to their craft, has not come easy. “We’ve had to choose between school activities and rehearsals or performances at times. I even missed my mom’s graduation,” said Alexis. But the sacrifice is worth it. When Diamond and I spoke on the phone, she talked about the feeling of creating. “Every time I get in the studio to dance or I’m making art at the SPOT, it’s a chance to be the best dancer or artist I can be. It helps my mind expand and open up.”

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There’s a consensus among all the young women that their craft has given them a sense of freedom. Jeimy Lopez, 18 ,shared, “Making art, especially painting, gives me an outlet for stress. I can channel that I have into making something beautiful.” Jeimy began as a dancer as well, but realized she didn’t have the same love of dance as visual art. She’s passionate about the open-studio model of the SPOT and has previously presented on the approach at conferences. She continued, “For teenagers who are just trying to see what art has to offer for them, it’s better to have a research-based approach in the studio, where the mentor is there to guide along the way. It helped me to discover art as an outlet.”

Through the arts, each of the young women have found an identity that is all their own. “I’m more outspoken now and not afraid to express what I want,” said Carolina. “So many kids feel like they’re going to be judged for what they do or say, and I feel like through dance, I’ve gained so much confidence.” Each expressed they’ve faced criticism for not being “enough” (whether their art was something that didn’t speak to others or their bodies didn’t scream ‘dancer’), but they all site persistence and the support of their fellow artists as their motivation to do what they do.

When asked what advice they wished they’d heard more of as children, and what advice they wanted to give to young artists, they shared encouraging words to keep making art. Diamond summed it up best when she said “You can do whatever you set your mind to as long as you keep at it. Anything you do can be a form of art. When you move your body, it’s a form of art, when you’re drawing, painting, it’s art, whatever it is, it will tell a story to someone. It might take some time, but don’t give up. It will get you somewhere in life.”

Click here for more information about Living Arts’ OSA program. And for tickets to the 20th Annual Student Showcase, click here.

Art, Philanthropy, and Legacy: Talking with Ronald Cresswell (Cresswell Family Foundation)

We are beyond grateful for the support that we’ve received for our 20th anniversary. As part of our recent series on getting to know our sponsors, we recently did a quick Q&A with Ronald Cresswell, of the Cresswell Family Foundation. Mr. Cresswell and his wife, Sheila, have been long-time lovers of the arts, and have supported the arts through their foundation. Below is a transcript of our interview. Many thanks to the Cresswell Family Foundation for their continued support of Detroit arts and youth development!

Living Arts: To start, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what motivated you to start the Cresswell Family Foundation? 

Ronald Cresswell: We (my wife Sheila and I) came to the US in 1960. We married the year before and I had just finished a Ph.D. We had $200 between us, of which Customs greeted the new immigrants with an $80 charge, but thanks to an education I had a good paying Post Doctoral fellowship at Sloan Kettering Institute for Cancer Research in Manhattan. After Sloan Kettering I took a job in the pharmaceutical industry as a research scientist. We were introduced to philanthropy by my first employer, a company itself owned by a registered charity.  Quite honestly, with a family of 5 girls to bring  up and educate, our means did not allow much by way of philanthropy for a long time. In 1988, we moved to Ann Arbor and I became Chairman of Research Development and Medicine at the laboratories of Warner Lambert/Parke Davis. We became involved in local philanthropy, and then through the success of our research efforts we finally had some money to share. Stock options and some smart investments during the period of “irrational exuberance” in the late 1990’s made us comparatively wealthy. It was at this point, shortly before retirement, that we decided to fund the Cresswell Family Foundation.

LA: How did you become involved with Living Arts?

RC: Our daughter Susan became interested, and asked if the Foundation could support. My wife and I love art, although neither of us claim to be in any way gifted. We were already supporting music and art for handicapped children, and Living Arts offered a chance to support art in a different context. So Susan brought us into the relationship.

LA: What motivates you to support the work of organizations like Living Arts?

RC: The experience of the power of education in our own lives as a family, and secondly the knowledge that in every generation there are undiscovered talents. Talents that for one reason or another were  never given the exposure and the opportunity to flourish.

LA: Why do you think arts education is important for children? 

RC: Artists portray and picture the world around them, as they see it. The scope of their vision can be profoundly moving, and the sense or wonder that the arts engender is something that children should have the chance to experience.

LA: What makes you passionate about arts/arts education?

RC: I think I have probably answered this already, but for us art is an essential part of life. We want to have new experiences of it, and we want it around us. As for education it is part of a complete education and it is the discoverer and encourager of talent.

LA: What was your experience with the arts as a child? Do you have a favorite teacher who brought creativity into the classroom?

RC: My efforts in arts class were very poor and I dropped the subject to pursue science. My wife has tried to take up painting but did not feel she was gifted either. Yet, we both love and collect art, and it is a vital part of our lives. I did have an inspirational art teacher but the inspiration was to the benefit of others, and one of my classmates Alasdair Gray became and is one of Scotland’s foremost artists.

Get to Know Before You Go: REVOK

Visual artist Jason “REVOK” Williams is turning his agreement with clothing retailer H&M into a $50,000 twentieth anniversary present for Living Arts. Williams’ gift will be used to launch a $100,000 fundraising initiative and set plans in motion to expand services and reach more than 30,000 Detroit-area children and teens by 2030.

Williams explained the motivation behind his gift saying, "As more and more arts programs are pulled from public schools, the ongoing support of groups like Living Arts becomes even more crucial. Living Arts' program is well-established over 20 years of experience, and brings thoughtful arts education to people of all ages and backgrounds."

Living Arts’ Executive Director, Alissa Novoselick, said, “REVOK has turned his tenacity in standing up for artists’ rights into a gift that will serve Detroit youth through the arts for the next decade. His generosity will be transformational for our organization and allow us to continue to gain ground towards our vision for a Detroit in which all young people have access to high-quality arts education.”
Living Arts will celebrate the milestone anniversary and launch the 20th Anniversary Fund at An Evening for Living Arts: Celebrating 20 Years on April 11th at the Detroit Masonic Temple. REVOK will be the Honored Guest for the evening. Novoselick continued, “There’s going to be a whole crowd of people waiting to thank REVOK our event. His commitment and partnership are going to be a great jumpstart for Living Arts and the youth we serve.”

For tickets to An Evening for Living Arts: Celebrating 20 Years, click here.

Support for Detroit Arts Education: An Interview with Dr. Rita Fields

Valentine’s Day is not normally a holiday I celebrate. In my relationship, every day is a chance to show one another love and appreciation, so it’s not a an extra special time for us. But this year, I got the chance to spend some time talking with Dr. Rita Fields, SHRM-SCP. If you’re not familiar with Dr. Fields, get familiar.

Born and raised in Detroit, Dr. Fields overcame extreme adversity, including street homelessness. Though she experienced what some might call set-backs in life, she didn’t allow that to stop her path to success. Today, she’s dual CEO of both 313 Industries, a CNC machining and milling corporation and Copper Phoenix Consulting, LLC where she offers expertise on talent and operations management. She is also a professor at the school of management at the University of Michigan, a healthcare administrator at Central Michigan University, and a dissertation advisor in the PHOD Program at Assumption University in Bangkok, Thailand. In addition, she sits on several boards including the South Oakland Shelter and Coalition on Temporary Shelter, is a mother, and all around black excellence. So imagine my excitement when I got to spend my Valentine’s afternoon speaking with a truly inspiring human.

After initially discussing our respective backgrounds and experiences with hardship, the millennial perspective on success (do more, be better), and living a life with gratitude and reflection, we got into the heart of why Dr. Fields is a supporter and sponsor of Living Arts.

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KCR: Can you describe yourself in 5 words?

Dr. Fields: I am living on purpose. Yeah…I think that’s exactly how I’d describe myself.

KCR: I love that! I’m going to adopt that if you don’t mind.

Dr. Fields: Not at all.

KCR: So, let’s dig in. How did you become involved with Living Arts and what has your involvement looked like over time?

Dr. Fields: I connected with Alissa [Executive Director, Alissa Novoselick] a year ago. We went to one of my favorite places to talk and we connected. She invited me to be on the steering committee for last year’s event [An Evening For Living Arts]. I don’t really do that sort of thing, but I’m pro-Detroit and pro-children of Detroit. And I just think the work Living Arts does is absolutely incredible.

KCR: What motivates you to support the work of organizations like Living Arts? Why did you choose to support Living Arts as a business sponsor for An Evening for Living Arts?

Dr. Fields: Like I said, I’m very invested in Detroit, and the children of Detroit especially. I just think that the work Living Arts does in schools, in the community, is so important, so I felt it was important to support the work.

KCR: What makes you passionate about the arts and arts education?

Dr. Fields: Almost all of my life, I’ve been business focused and linear. I’m pretty new to the art world and I certainly wouldn’t consider myself an expert. But I started working with arts education organizations and really started to see how art transforms people. And I started to read business articles about how being creative makes you better at business. Art is so expansive and adds a more vibrant side to living.

KCR: Where do you see the work of Living Arts making a bigger impact in the community?

Dr. Fields: Living Arts will make a bigger impact when more people know about it. I think Living Arts should tell its story and let the children tell their story. This upcoming 20th anniversary celebration will show just how meaningful the impact Living Arts has on the community.