Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
The purpose of the show is to provide a critical examination of society and culture through the intersectional lens of race, gender, and class, more specifically it seeks to provide a COUNTER-NARRATIVE. The Show encourages a reflective assessment and critique of unique standpoints and their potential contribution to popular discourse.
Template:
General
Keywords
Black artists, art education, mental health, pandemic impact, art integration, self-care, cultural representation, visual learning, community support, art therapy, black culture, art platforms, virtual classes, art trap house, black improv., Black artists, customized denim, fashion school, virtual sipping paint, art instruction, Instagram page, art culture, art curator, Afro house, art archivist, Black in space, platform legitimization, creative Alliance, art techniques, art mediums.
Speakers
Speaker 1 (35%), Speaker 2 (12%), Speaker 3 (12%), Speaker 4 (11%), Speaker 5 (10%), Speaker 6 (8%), Speaker 7 (6%), Speaker 8 (6%), Speaker 9 (1%)
Show only highlights
Rasheem,
Okay, hello and welcome to the counter narrative Show. I'm your host, Rasheem. Today, we have tons of special guests around the topic of black artists matter. We have Ty Coleman, Emma jiggers, Asia, Cobbs, Jasmine, Manning, Rajani, Meriwether, Marquette, Shaw and Jerome Chester. And I'm really excited to speak with all of them. Before we get into speaking with them, I want to make sure that everyone has a little bit of background on each person. So Marquette, old son, Shaw was born in Delaware. He gained his love of music from dance and acting from around the age of nine. He's a leader in the African dance world, and he became a master instructor in the style of West African dance Asia. Cobbs, Asheville, native has taken her passion of arts to the next level. She does these trap house exhibitions. That is a traveling exhibition of track trap house exhibitions, they have rappers, visual artists, just a large genre of artists, of emerging artists. Ty Coleman. Ty Coleman is a seasoned facilitator, comedian, teacher, a black queer gender performer. He is dedicated to building spaces for black queer and trans folk to come together and share their stories. Jerome Chester, hailing from Baltimore, Maryland, is a multi faceted artist. He has been creative for his entire life, and he is very much known for his witty and eccentric style. He fashions the products of His spacious and unorthodox imagination into tangible, idiosyncratic masterpieces. I have seen Jerome do everything from stickers to pillows to shirts. He's done murals. He's that dude in in terms of being able to create art in in different spaces. Oops Cameron jiggers. Cameron jiggers is not only a actress, she's also a theater director. She is a teaching artist, and she is also currently the executive director of a nonprofit called RISE that focuses on youth development in the realm of arts and performance. Marjani Meriwether as a black woman artist from Mary limerney, has found that the best way to create and talk about moments of black bodies are especially clay work. She's does some of the most amazing clay work that I've seen in the way that she re images the black black face, and they're so very much expression, express, expressive. And I love her also her use of gold. Kay is a teaching artist, and not only is she a teaching artist, but she also designs clothing. She does face painting as well. And what I'm going to do now is I am going to switch it over to being able to finally talk to our artists, let me get my screen all situated. Hey, y'all, thank y'all again, so much for taking this time to like, you know, spend this time, I will say with me, because I know that we are all doing things out there in the world, we are all being productive. We're all pretty busy. I've just read over some of your bio, if each one of you could share with the folks you're a little bit about, like some some of the things that your bio won't doesn't share about you, right? So of course, it has your name and your relationship to the topic. I'm also curious about, what is it that you're passionate about right now, and how did you become interested in art? So we can start with, Ty, what is it that you're passionate about right now? And how did you become interested
in art? Oh, let's see at this moment. Thing that makes me the most happy is making people laugh and working with kids and families, so just bringing joy, I think right now, everybody can use, like, a dose of smiles and happy. So I'm glad I'm able to, like, provide that service. And then the second question was, what about art? Yeah,
what got you? Second question in art.
Oh, um, I think my family really, I think most black families have like those live comedy open mic sessions around the dinner table, you know? And that's, that's where I got started. I got roasted to pieces, and I had. Had to, I was tired of it, so I had to, like, dust myself off. And finally started, my mom was like, you gotta come back. So I started coming back, and I keep coming back. And now nobody wants to roast with me no more, so I sit right there.
And what about you, merjani, what is it that you're passionate about right right now? And how did you come to your art practice? So
right now, I'm actually really passionate about, first of all, hi everybody. I'm Rajani. I'm really passionate about mental care right now, like taking care of myself and my health, especially in a time like this, in this pandemic, I feel like it's just really important to spend time with yourself and giving yourself the right amount of energy during the day. And that even includes me spending time making my work. Because obviously, you know, for me, working, making my work is like a stress release, in a sense. And you, I'm sorry, the second question,
what? What brought you to your art practice.
So I've been dealing with art since I was like, in second grade, I was drawing all the time, and then in eighth grade, I got into ceramics thanks to my ceramics teacher. And obviously, you know, my mom is also an artist. She does interior design on obviously, I'm at my parents house right now, and she's really artistic as well. So it kind of just ran in the family, and I just kind of went
with it nice. Yeah, and what would you say, Asia? What is it that you're passionate about now, and what brought you to art?
Asia? Um, so you guys, I'm Asia, and I run the house, which is a traveling music can you hear me? Yes. Hey guys, okay, so I do the art trap house. Can you hear me? Yeah? Me. Okay, okay, um, so, yeah, I do the art trap house. And, um, basically, I'm just really passionate about giving others platforms, especially black artists, and creating my festival also gave me a platform to share my art and creations. Went to school for fashion design. Also am a painter as well. So you know, that's kind of where I find passion and just uplifting all the people who are, you know, doing creative things and who really don't have an outlet to, you know, have, like, a platform to share their work with. It's kind of hard, you know, just being a black creative and not having a platform to share your work or nobody to support you, and it just kind of seems like you're doing it by yourself. So that's what I'm really passionate about, you know, just uplifting my community where other people may not.
And Jerome, what is it that you're passionate about and what brought you to your art practice?
One of the things, Hello, can you hear me? Yes, okay, one of the things I'm most passionate about at this moment is trying to find a way to elevate my brain, or just me as a brand in the whole and trying to find that, you know, that sweet spot, that balance, you know, in between, you know, being being an artist and a brand, is just trying to get my, I guess, my logo on any and everything that I possibly Can. Then I'm branching out, doing a lot more merchandising, you know, just trying to, you know, see my logo on any and everything and something I'm passionate about. Oh, no, no. You said, what brought me to art? Yeah, that's a, that's a broad question, because it's, like, always felt like I chose me. I didn't choose. It's always, like, literally always been a part of my life. So I don't know anything else, but
it's like, since the beginning, since you knew how to hold any type of tool, it's been art, yeah, it's
literally always been, you know, drawing, um, just mainly drawing, you know, um, didn't really get have too much access to, like, you know, other art materials, but it's been drawing us for as long as I could possibly, you know, think of and painting, you know, seriously, maybe about six or seven years ago, but I don't Know, it's literally always been
hard and Keela for you.
So arts always been in my family, more on a instrumental, as well as singing, and also the arts, as far as drawing and painting on my dad's side. So I never knew. I never knew, actually, my dad's side of the family, someone that my mom passed away. And I kind of reached out to that side, and I found out that, like the Evans Family has been putting a lot, has was in a couple of publications in Baltimore for painting. So I was able to kind of find who I was, because I just always thought that being self taught, I was the only one in the family. That was, like, really interested on the not more so on the musical level, but or instrumental level, but more so on the artistic level. So basically, like my mom used to always do, like D, what we call DIY now, but then it wasn't a lot of people as self efficient, because we didn't have those networks like YouTube, to kind of like mimic things that we didn't know how to do, or give us confidence to, like, put to lay towel on the floor, do things like that. So because it was cost efficient for my family, my mom would just, like, kind of just go in, just was gutsy enough to do it. And I just always would see her, like, improvise being growing up as a single mom in East Baltimore, like improvising to make nothing look like something. And I just grew up that way, from going to shopping at thrift stores, like when it wasn't as cool. It was like your family was considered poor, to now where it became a part of life. For me growing up, it's like, like the Janelle Monae song when she quotes that, you know, basically it wasn't cool when she was going to the thrift stores, and now everybody go to get this timeless piece or this master, this particular item or art form or whatever, from the thrift store. So it was a way of life for me growing up. So it was just like I always not consciously. Was always a part of art due to circumstances. And I just was self taught. So I started just, you know, getting into drawing. And so by looking at comic strips, the boondocks was a huge inspiration for me with Aaron McGruder. So in middle school, I just started, I was, like, fascinated by the artistry of cards, I guess animation, when I thought I was gonna be animator, and it just went, it took me to, well, basketball was my tool to get paid for, things to get paid for. But I majored in art at Wake Forest, and I always just knew that that was what before I became a educator, that was in me,
I could definitely get that, especially it's so interesting, like the some of those parallels between like arts and entertainment and how they like, you know, most definitely connect, absolutely, yeah. And what about you, Cameron, what is it that you're passionate about right right now? And what, what brought you to your art form? Yeah,
hey there. Hey guys. What am I passionate about right now? So many things, I think, in this moment and in this season, I would have to say, providing a space for youth, minorities and youth with autism, to just express themselves through art, whether if it's visual arts or performing arts, just providing a space for them to get All of what they need out and receive so much from teaching artists. Think that's what I'm most passionate, passionate about right now. And the other question was, what got me to where I am today? Like, what inspired me,
what brought you to your art?
Um, that is
a really tough question. I mean, growing up, it was just something that I just did, like I was always on the stage. I was always writing my own little scripts, performing it in front of my family. And I think it was the the reaction that I got from my family, specifically my parents, because I really wasn't that good at academics and things like that. That was what just kept me going and going and going and going. And then I just pursued it in college, and I always said that I'm not I'm not good at English or math or all these other things. But I'm starting to realize now that I'm stepping into, like art administration, that theater has prepared me for all those things that I said I wasn't good at. Yeah,
no, that's interesting. So and you now, Mr. Marquette Shaw,
Hey everybody, what's that? First? Off, I hope you are all like, vibrationally doing wonderful. I can feel y'all all right now, thank you for having me. I want to say mine. You know, for me, art started a long, long time ago when I, you know, nine dancing. Dancing actually came right right after I joined the group and we were drumming, we started drumming on buckets. So leading from buckets to, you know, actually being able to purchase Jim Bay drums, that took us on another level. And then, you know, next thing you know, there was a dance teacher, and I'm like, hold on, what's she doing? I like that, you know. So then I'm like, Okay, I want to do that. So I started dancing. And, you know, dancing continued, you know, throughout high school and college. But my love of music came from my mom, my mom, when she was in school, younger they had a group at Bowie, at Bowie, you know. Ever with Bowie High School in Maryland, and after hearing about that, something was like, you know, you already writing poetry, you already writing stories. Why don't you track? So I started trying to sing, and then I'm like, Oh, I love this. Started singing, you know, continued on throughout time, you know, and acting came about. Like, I want to say I started acting after high school, because in high school I had that boundary of all of my directors, children and their best friends were, like, in control of everything. So, like, I don't want to act now, I'll act later. I'm glad I waited, because then I, you know, I was Jimmy and Dream Girls, you know, that was a great experience, and actually opened me up so much to say, you know, oh, you forget this. I'm writing scripts. I'm going to try something else, you know, but that, you know, all these years, like building it up to now, like it's, it's, it's made me realize that all the people who used to tell me you need to only do one thing only said that because they didn't know how to allow their vibration to let them do those other things. And now I'm thankful, you know, for people like you and Cameron and Ty you know that I'm able to stretch my arms even further, because now I have my dancing. I'm teaching dance again. You know what I mean? I'm working on my music. I have an album that I'm working on for next year. My give back because of the vibrations that I meet like you, is my tools, like photography and videography. So now I'm creating a brand called Marketing Marquette, because that's what everybody calls me now. But the chat that I'm doing now is called quarantine chat. So you know, that's my whatever you need. I'm here for you. Let's talk about it. Let's do a photo shoot. Let's, you know what I mean. That's my give back. So, yeah, so that's where I'm at now.
Okay, I'm curious for from all of you, how has or has the like, current situation that we're in in terms of like, COVID, 19 and quarantine, how has it impacted your art practice? And anyone can go, and all can go like, how has your app? Yes, I'll definitely
go first. I just want to say, you know, you guys, I do like the traveling music and art festival. So we go, you know, from city to city to host these shows, to give artists a platform. And we actually like to go to the artist rather than them having to come to us. So, you know, with my company and my brand, just caring about public safety, it kind of halted any shows or anything like that. So we've had to find other ways to be creative, and we've actually started a live show like this to where we could still offer artists, you know, a platform, and we still get to know their story. And what I like most about it is that it's actually more personal with, you know, just having that one on one conversation with them and getting to actually know who they are, so that when we do start our festival back like it could be that connection that our, you know, supporters and like, get to know them and actually feel more personal and personable with the pieces that they've created. So that's kind of what COVID has done right now, or the pandemic, whatever you want to call it, it's just kind of struck me to be more creative and to keep digging in my bag and just pulling out tricks I never knew I had. So I really like that.
Yeah, I definitely get that.
I like what she said, Asia, that was, that was good. That reminds me of the Cosby Show, when Hillary was like, No, dig deep. She had the dream. The teacher was like, you gotta go further. Oh, that was, that was Felicia rash
was it Felicia rash? Telling
her friend, her friend, no, no, her friend was telling them the story of her having a dream, sense, because not like we're in this period of nothing but time, and she was in a dream of nothing but time, and she had no choice but to dig deeper.
Yeah, this, this time, has definitely stretched me. It's funny, because in improv, a lot of is about, like, responding in the moment and staying, like, open to whatever is happening. And that's easy to teach, but like, when it really hits you, that's like, different. And so when I got the news, I was like, you know, everything I do was on stages, so I'm thinking, like, how am I about to? How am I about to not only survive working wise, but also, like, just as an artist. And it's funny, my grandmother was actually the one that kind of pushed me, because my grandma is a retired teacher, and she sells Mary Kay and, like, the first, the first week it happened, she called me. She's like, You got to get over. Here and put zoom on so I can do my Zoom Mary Kay meetings and download duo so she could do her duo facials. And I was like, now, if my 81 year old grandma can adjust to this, this COVID, then I'm gonna have to do it too. And so it's been great. It's really stretched me creatively. I'm doing more with my work, and it's also just changed, like, how I look at accessibility, right? Like, usually accessibility, we talk about that in in venue wise and language and things like that, but we don't think about just like access to our programming. And so now it's not just changed, like what's happening now, but like how we look at it in general. And like, how, how do I, how do I remain accessible after this? So it stressed me creatively, I'm doing more than I've ever I have done in a long time. I'm writing more everything else, and it's just changing the framework about how I even approach my art, and, more important, approach my community. Hmm, it's
interesting how some of the most challenging times to like make us help us to be like, more creative, because we actually have to, like, think outside of whatever that comfort level is. And I think some of the most beautiful art that can be created comes out of that stuff. I'm curious, from more of the some more of the visual artists, how you've been impacted by this. I could definitely understand Ty and even Cameron and Asia, because so much of your work depends on, like, it's like, set with audiences. It's set with like, usually, like large groups like the trap house exhibitions or doing an improv or stand up or putting on a play. How has this time been, for example, for you, Marjani,
um, I feel like, for this time, I feel like I've been creating a lot more. I think that I have no distractions of anything from the outside, I've come up with a whole bunch of new ideas, which I'm really excited about. And I think it's, I think it's also because I also live in my studio, as you know, like I live in my studio, so I'm able to still continue to do work. It's not like I have a different I live apart from my studio, which I know a lot of people have that as well. Um, so I'm grateful that I live there, but, um, I've honestly just been making a lot more work. I feel like I've been a lot more creative. I've been having a lot of ideas, and I've just been been spending a lot of time with myself, which I feel like, as I said before, is very important for me. Um, but yeah, I'm, I'm like, chilling,
you know? Yeah, I feel like there's going to be so much too that comes from this particular time period as artists that we're going to be like. I need to set time for this. I know that I've been doing more painting and creating and tapping into the aspects of myself, and it has nourished me and nourish my spirit in a way that it's just like, You know what? No matter what happens, even when whatever gets back to rush, rush, rush, I need to set aside time where it's just like, this is uninterrupted time no matter what, even if I don't have an idea at that moment, I'm just gonna sit right there in front of the canvas and just like, meditate on whatever. Making that time is important, absolutely. Um, what are some of the things that you are seeing as like? Because I one of the patterns that I'm hearing from everyone is like, more time being more creative. Um, and I think that from from some from different times in different spaces, in in in history, there's certain art that is that comes out of that, like, there's like, whether it's a renaissance or there's a particular focus on this model, or like, people are thinking more deeply. Are you guys seeing any trends in your particular line of work, in your particular field, about how people are adapting?
Oh, you want to go ahead. Good,
yeah, um, I'm sorry. I don't know if, um, anybody know it kicked me off for a little while, and I couldn't, but, um, yeah, I'm saying, I think people are, you know, are being more creative. You know, being more resourceful. This is, like always say, like a way to a way to creativity is, you know the lack thereof. So, you know we don't have, you know you have, you know, a reason to be creative. You know, creative. So I think people are definitely tapping more into their creativity by trying to figure out how they can, you know, work around this. You know this. You know, this speed bump, you know. So I see a lot more of that. You know, people being more innovative with things. Like, you know, the world has seen the D nice, you know, DJ show and, you know, virtual art galleries, you know, marketplaces and things like that. So, you know, every, you know, everybody's trying to, you know, do their best to cope with it. But I think people are being, you know, very, very, very creative with it as well. You know, like, it's a guy I follow on on Instagram. His name is dis Wayne, and he did something called a stay at home Festival, where he had people tuning in and talk and, you know, people perform and show artwork. And I thought that was really cool. So, yeah, so it goes to him,
nice stay at home festival. That's interesting. I saw an Instagram post that I sent to my kids dance teacher, and what they did is they went to this MC parking lot, and the cars, all of the cars, they came up in a circle, and the dancers got out of the cars, and they were all spread out in their different like car they, I think they measured it by the the you know how there's lines in the parking lot from the where the car ends, and then there's the corner where it meets. So they were all spread out, all 14 dancers, and then their dance coach just played the music from them practicing. And it was a audience, all of the all it was nighttime. All of the lights were on the center of these youth dancing, and they are performing. And it was just like, I would love to see that. I would love, love, love to see that. So Marquette, please get ideas. Yeah,
it's funny. You say that. I just said to my roommate, I was like, this sucks. I want to do a flash mob. I'm like, Rasheem. Them are doing, are doing the curbside serenades, and they want me to dance. But I'm just like, I just don't, I feel like me just dancing is a good vibration. But I feel like that's not something that is a one person situation. I feel like that still needs to be a touch. So I was like, Wouldn't it be cool if we did like a mini flash mob of like 10 dancers on the street for that block, you know what I mean, like walking with newspapers or something, you know, just just, not just the one person,
the different ideas. One more question I have about this particular time period that we're in, and it's around a question that came up in Facebook. I just want to shout out everyone who is watching us from Facebook. I appreciate it. I was having a little bit of difficulties figuring it out, but people are listening. I think the last time I went over there and look, it's about 13 eyeballs right now, and people are writing comments and questions, hey, eyeballs. Hey, eyeballs. One of the questions was it, are any of you also homeschooling while you are working on your art or dealing with anything like that? Oh, my God,
I am yes to y'all.
I'm an educator for Baltimore City Schools, so I'm doing my virtual arts classrooms with my first grade through eighth. So like, on certain days out the week, I have my whole room set up. It's already in studio form anyway, but I have my whiteboard, and I'm, like, still trying to figure out these angles with the camera so they can see. We just did our with my second graders two days ago, our continuous line drawings. I'm hoping to plant here, and I'm I'm drawing with the other hand, so it's very challenging, versus when you can kind of sit the object on the table, and my space is not as limited. So it's kind of that going on. And then my twins that are 11 in the background, excited to see their friends on their video chats. They're doing scavenger hunts and all kind of things in the background. Six and then I'm giving them my own personal lessons, because now they're only half the time. They're like, they basically have a half a day. Our students have a half a day now, because they're not engaged all day as they they're accustomed to. So I feel like being that they told all of the students, basically, you can't fail regardless. And they're giving them this number system. You get a zero or one, two or two or three. A lot of the kids are lacked. So I'm trying to keep my twins a brush of like, No, we're not doing that. You have to still fulfill a curriculum school ahead of the game. So when school comes back in, you still to be behind, but not extremely behind. So that is a challenge even, even as an educator. So I feel for my my peers and you know, counterparts that are, you know, don't have any educational background, because it's challenged for us educators as well. So. Um, so yeah,
I have to definitely piggyback off that one after leaving from teaching at Tillman, teaching dance, yeah, teaching dance and rhythm, I definitely had to shift my attention. And it just so happened that my secondary job, which is executive system for Aubrey artworks, we decided to come up with a series of online artwork classes for kids. One of our teachers was supposed to be on today, which is Jasmine, you know, she's a part of that. And then Josh Brooks is a local Baltimore artist as well, phenomenal guy. He's another one of our teachers, but we teach an arraigned array of classes, and they constantly keep changing. But that's been a good, you know, a great aspect of this shift, because, you know, I'm not in front of the camera like I moved to the technical work for them, you know, so handling the camera, the lighting and, you know, audio,
I just want to give it up to all parents. Oh, sorry, sorry. Go ahead. I
was just gonna say that before you go to the next question. Like, I just want to say that during this I've really enjoyed how people are using their social media as a tool, you know, to say, in the forefront and market and like, just like using tech, like technology has just been like the power for us right now. So I'm really enjoying that. You know, I'm learning a lot of new things. I'm not a parent yet, but kudos to all the teachers and the instructors and everybody who's gotta, like, teach virtually, because I know that's a challenge, but, um, go ahead, Yep,
yeah, I was just gonna say, I just had to give it to parents, because I talked to a parent the other day, um, because we do virtual after school programming, and it was like, I was doing session with her and her son, because she was like, Look, I'm not prepared for this. I'm she's like, it was hard enough doing homework when they got home, but like, now I'm the teacher, I'm a counselor, I'm a therapist and a mom. She's like, where you know, talking about, like, where do you draw the line? When do you log them off? And I couldn't imagine, like, having another person to take care of, period, and then, plus, have to, like, do homeschooling and actually do your job, like my sisters, you know, I don't know how they do
and still be an artist, because now, like, as of today, I'm sending Rasheem my profiles, not up here. I'm just so, like, discombobulated, because now what happens is, as an artist, you know parents, and you push all of your things that you usually, it's a lot similar, but not as similar as when you had to go in the classroom, because I do feel I have more time, but now it's like, I'm pulling like these all nighters, four or five in the morning, and then I have to be on the chat, so that way. Now they have Baltimore City school administration coming and checking to see if teachers are in there doing their job, because we're in their eyes, we're basically home collecting the chat, you know what I mean. So they're like, going in our virtual to see if we in there doing our office hours. So that way our students can have accessibility to us. So it's like, literally five, six o'clock in the morning, I'm customizing for order, and then I'm like, Oh, this is about to be a long day, because the kids still got to eat, and you got to entertain them, and, you know, and that's scheduled that artists do anyway, but it's a lot more challenging. It seems like, for me now, doing the weekdays at least Monday through Thursday, because Friday we really have not as many obligations as teachers. So yeah,
real quick, I want to say hello again to folks on Facebook. People are definitely putting comments. So what you just said? Sharonda green, just say, Amen. Gary Mullin said, Hello, Asia. Maxson said, Hey, Coach Ty Asia,
I miss you so much that don't make any sense
to also what you just said. Um. Sharonda Green said, double double and triple doubles for women and mamas, Lord help us. And also said hi, and Megan said, Hello to you, Jerome, there's a there's a few comments. It's like, moving quicker than I could get to so I just want to, like, bounce back and forth. But folks are saying, hello. Hey, Keisha, how's it going? Um, yeah. So thank you again for people who are logging on, please feel free to share this out. Asia says she misses you too. Ty. Someone else corrected me when I said 72 eyeballs. They said, No, it's two eyeballs. It was 34 eyeballs. I was like, Okay, you. Total, not
math riddles.
Let me know how many? Um, yeah, so again, thank you to everyone tuning in. Please do if you're watching this now, you can share it out to your page. Feel free to ask additional questions. I felt like that was a really good question around education and parenting and youth and arts. I know that Cameron is also an arts administrator. And in addition to being an arts administrator, she also has her own nonprofit called Rise, where she's regularly doing theater sessions virtually. Cameron, can you tell us a bit about that?
Yeah, so we're new, it's difficult, so I'm trying to figure out how to start this. So yeah. So I have a nonprofit. It's called RISE Art Center of Baltimore, Incorporated. Rise stands for reach for your dreams. Inspire creativity, stay focused and evolve through your purpose. Right now we are having a five week Jump Start Session for kids who are interested in The Wiz. The goal was, at the beginning of the year, before all of this happened, was to do a whole production of The Wiz. But clearly we can't do that now, but we can try to do it virtually. So I teach a acting and use it class on Mondays and Wednesdays, from 615 to 715 and then on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I teach a visual arts class from 615 to 715 this past week, the kids were, like, a little bit antsy because they wanted more time. So now I'm extending the time to about 738, o'clock. Mind you, I work all day from 10 o'clock to about five six. So like, days are long, but the program has just been going so well. Like I was so afraid, since we are new, I was so afraid to do it because I just didn't know how many kids were going to show up. I didn't know if I could mentally and physically do it, because I do work a full time job, but I just with Rasheem and tie I just put it out there, and people bit back. I have 17 kids in the acting and music class. Now I have 10 kids in the visual arts class, which is perfect. They're enjoying it. They're growing. I'm seeing their growth. They're sending me videos I've been singing and they sound great. They're sending videos of them acting and doing tiktoks, and it's all just somehow coming together. I randomly have a student who lives in Canada, and she's been inviting her cousins, so they're asking me for a summer program, and I'm like, Whoa. So yeah, it's just been really, really, really rewarding and fulfilling, and I'm so grateful to have exhausted, but my all and my heart is being put into it, and that's all that I can ask for. So
Asia said, Yay, Cameron, thank you to Facebook and everyone who has shared it out it's been about 20 comments, three shares, and right now, 33 eyeballs. But because people have two eyeballs, that means it's 66 eyeballs.
I thought you meant 33 total. And I was like, wait a minute, visible by two, right?
So that's great, and thank you for everyone who's watching and sharing it. And the replay will be available. And I'll let you guys know where that'll be available. I think it's a good point, a good portion, to talk about the importance of arts and communication. One of the first things that regulars seem to get cut in education is art always, yeah, I'm not sure what that's about, or the or the value of it. One of the reasons why I wanted to ask, like, how did you come to art? Because I feel like sometimes there are barriers. There are there are barriers to professional lives, validated entry to art, but not barriers when you're young. Um Marjani as someone who actually went to a art institution too. Can you talk about the significance of art in education a bit, and then I, as each person, wants to chime in and share, like, why is art important in education? Oh, for
sure, is she gonna? No,
you go ahead. Go ahead. You can go well,
yeah, I think that, I think that the there's a connection between art health, and I think that with the rise of mental health and and the people and and people you know around around the world, you. Uh, I'm sorry, paying attention to it. I think, like things like art will be, won't be the, won't be the first cut out because of the, I'm sorry, just jumping up, but, um, I don't think art will be cut out. You know, with the rise of mental health, simply because, simply, simply because of the connection to it. And I think that when, when people do realize, you know, you know, the connection about people expressing themselves, and you know, people are channeling certain, you know, emotions and feelings and things like that, then I don't think people realize the importance of art, you know, especially input, you know, I think there's, you know, I just, I disconnect right now, but I think it's you know, people starting to realize,
yeah, I think I feel that. I think for me personally, just growing up in, like, just growing up in a mainly academic school, it will obviously, school is academic, but for me, I'm a very visual learner, and I feel like a lot of people are visual learners, and I think that we forget that where you know when, when you see an image, you remember that more you receive it, more you receive it better. So for me, growing up, I had to actually, like, draw out my study guides instead of writing them down, in order for me to actually remember them and understand them. I don't know why, but it just helped me. It just helped me pass my exams better. And obviously I went to an arts college, and I think just applying art to life in general is really important, because once again, everyone is visual. We see things, and we learn from everything that we see, rather than the things that we well, I was gonna say the things we hear, but I feel like that is also new, in a sense that is it, is it, is it's also art, in a sense where I feel like, you know, I just think it's super important, but I don't think people see it as Important. Unfortunately,
I think it's so important to acknowledge that, like, how people learn is different, because that's why I love arts integration. That's like, my one of my passions right now I did. I was doing the arts and learning series for young audience, where they take a teacher and a teaching artist, and we took the lessons from the packets, and we made these, like, fun videos on, like, how to learn different lessons. And it's like, it's so important to when we talk about, like, how do we include everyone? How do we keep it accessible to everyone? I think arts integration is important part of that, because regular curriculum doesn't grab every kid, and don't we want to grab every kid and, like, if we have this way of integrating art into lessons, especially because Arts is integrated in our real lives, right? Like, arts is integrated in everything we do in the real life, so trying to separate it out at the school level makes absolutely no sense. Like, I love this viral meme about now that you know, when the the Coronavirus first hit, everyone was inside, and what were you doing? You were consuming art. You're watching TV, you're listening to music, you're reading books, you're you consumed art in order to deal with it. And why wouldn't we give kids tools at a young age to deal with life, right? And music and art is such a great tool to deal with that,