The role of art in the rehabilitation of youth offenders

Posted on | 1/21/11 | No Comments

Using Literature to Help Troubled Teenagers Cope with Societal Issues (The Greenwood Press Using Literature to Help Troubled Teenagers Series)inside/out: a Guide to Arts & Arts Education Resources for Children and Teens in San Francisco
I was a volunteer guide/translator and then an intern at a gallery in Albuquerque by the name of 516arts a few years ago. This gallery is (was?) a non profit and focused on education rather than sales. They had a very strong education program. I think the coordinator has since left the art world, overwhelmed by the same sense of disillusionment that attacks so many young artists. But before then I learned a great deal from him. One of his (in my opinion) most important projects was a program he set up with a local juvenile detention center to have groups of these young boys brought to the gallery. These were as far as I know, low level youth offenders, not say, murderers or repeat offenders, so they had field trip priviledges. Sadly, the man from the detention center told us that around 80% of these kids were back in the center before a year had passed. This was seriously crushing for me even though I only saw most of these kids once and I was only able to participate maybe 4 times. Today I am going to describe what we would do and why I believe in this type of project and it's role in the rehabilitation of offenders. I also believe it wouldwork with adults and I hope I get a chance to pursue it again at a later date.

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Using animal bones in sculptures

Posted on | 1/19/11 | No Comments

Skulls and Bones: A Guide to the Skeletal Structures and Behavior of North American Mammals
Incorporating animal bones into your art piece may serve as an interesting way to make a statement or start a conversation about topics that might not otherwise come up. Because of the nature of bones (and really any bodily fluid or part), a great deal of significance is typically attributed to pieces that use them, whether that was the artist's intention or not. This is something to consider before you begin. Expect that your piece will automatically make a "statement" on a subject if there is a natural connection. Use this to your advantage by making a meaningful piece of art.

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