Lisa's ArtSpace Apprenticeship
International Academy student Lisa Mwinja participated in ArtSpace's Summer Apprenticeship Program this summer along with other local high school students. The theme this year was racial inequality and social injustice. Apprentices visited local sites and learned from artist Titus Kaphar (known for The Jerome Project), hip-hop poet and playwright Aaron Jafferis, and theater director and playwright Dexter Singleton. They helped students think about their experiences throughout the program and create artwork and spoken word as a reflection of those experiences.
Lisa described what she learned about art through the program: "I learned that art is a way to express yourself, to tell how you feel, and that everything around us is art. I learned how to use different types of materials like oil pastel, which was the first time I used it and I liked it."
Lisa also spoke about their visit to a prison: "We went to a jail to see how people live, what kind of food they eat, and why they are in jail. And then we had a discussion about it after the trip. One of the artists told us to paint about that situation and we did."
After the visit, she drew the picture she is standing beside below. The picture was presented to the public in an ArtSpace exhibition. You can see the artistic works of other student apprentices below, as well as photos of their opening night.
