San Diego Promise Neighborhood
Coordinated by South Bay Community Services, SDPromise brings together a collaboration of partners including schools, local government agencies, non-profit organizations, health services and businesses to develop an impressive plan for a seamless continuum of cradle to career solutions that creates high expectations for all children and provide a clear and viable pathway to college and career success.
Nurturing Creativity
Over the past five years, ARTS has proudly been a dedicated partner of the South Bay Community Services (SBCS), enriching the lives of youth in Barrio Logan and San Ysidro through transformative arts experiences. Our commitment to fostering creativity and self-expression has found a particularly meaningful outlet in our collaboration with Perkins K-8, Willow Elementary, and San Diego High School where we've had the privilege of engaging with students through various initiatives.
Legacy Projects
Led by multidisciplinary teaching artist Sheena Rae Dowling, youth in this project were able to design and paint a two part mural that was expressive of their lives and aspirations. 20+ 7th and 8th grade youth had the opportunity to collaboratively work from design to paint application and conceptualize the value of collaborative work, self reflection, and community art.
These murals are created to be an lasting legacy of the the students who worked on them and to give inspiration to future Perkins K-8 students.
Led by South Bay teaching artist and muralist Gerardo Meza, 20+ youth at San Diego High School worked over the course of 6 weeks to compose, design, and paint a mural expressive of the endless possibilities that exist for them after high school.
In this six week mural project youth experimented with new art making mediums and techniques to facilitate self reflection and expression in a positive and meaningful way. The mural is displayed in the halls of SDHS’s Art Department.
In-Class Workshop Series
Under the guidance of artist Sheena Rae Dowling, 80+ youth created pieces of art that supported their academic development and allowed them to express themselves through healing centered art practice. Projects included:
Dada Poem Bookmarks: Youth create original poems using dada composition techniques. Through this project youth were able to engage with writing practices and explore new materials, techniques, and art forms.
Monster Mash: Youth were able to create “monster” creatures through chance design elements. Working collaboratively to develop their social skills and engage their fellow youth, their creations came to life in an “exquisite corpse” style practice of character design.
Collaborative Drawing: Experimenting with repetition, youth were able to create pattern designs that demonstrated the principles of line, form, and composition. Add color and contrast to the mix and their creative potential became limitless.
Tell-Tale Hearts and Eyes: Incorporating the principles from their projects, youth were able to put their skills to practice. Inspired by the literary classic, The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe, the final pieces were expressive drawings that supported youth in their academic understanding of literature while allowing them to express themselves artistically.
Single-Day Workshops
Guided by multidisciplinary artist Patty Rangel, 80+ youth grades 3rd-6th were able to explore social emotional learning as well as interpersonal communication and collaborative skills. Through designing, creating, and practicing with talking sticks that were expressive of their feelings and emotions, youth worked alongside their peers to collectively practice diplomacy and communication, a facilitator of interpersonal and community issues.
The Impact of Art and Creativity
The impact of our partnership with South Bay Community Service goes beyond the tangible artworks and experiences. By bringing art to schools it provides an low-entry access point for youth to experience the transformative power of creativity. As we celebrate the past five years, we eagerly anticipate the continued growth, inspiration, and artistic exploration that the future holds for the students we have the privilege of working with.
