Take a creativity break with The Art Project, Houston this Saturday, February 22!  You will get to participate in your choice of 2 out of the 6 Make & Take It workshops being offered. 
 
Workshops led by Houston artists:
Charles Washington
Joe Synan
Abbie Preston
 

Registration is a suggested donation of $65 to support the ongoing work of the Bread of Life to provide empowering programming for the men and women we serve. 
 
Click HERE for more information and to register today!

A informational piece of the benefits of art and creativity in the life of every individual. This piece reminded our team of the words shared by a man who attended the DaCamera Concert hosted by the Bread of Life in 2012.  As he was living the 25-minute symphony concert he smiled and said, "Thank you. That was like medicine. Thank you."

Donald is one of TAPH Artists have the privilege of partnering with. We seek avenues for them to share their art with the City of Houston, as well as provide space and opportunities for them to create, grow in technique & skills and sell their art. He is currently one of the commissioned artists creating the Abundant Life mural that will be featured at City Hall this fall.

Recently Donald Collins put out an artist statement on No Studios Studio sharing his story. With his permission, here it is for The Art Project, Houston community to share learn...

Ever-sporting an infectious grin, wild silver hair and a lead pencil, Don Collins is as much of a die-hard social activist as he is an enthusiastic artist. One of the quirky Texan’s earliest creative memories centers around the gift of coloring books, Crayons and blank sheets of paper given to him by various family relatives. “All of the women folk were constantly saying, ‘He loves the colors, he loves bright’ – - and I did. I still do,” Collins relates with a laugh. Although he remembers attending every art class offered up through grade 6, Collins’ formal art training reached its peak in 1972 when a NASA employee-turned-art-teacher offered the 19-year old, then serving a year-long prison sentence, a series of one-hour art lessons. That seed of artistic expression would prove to lay dormant, however, over the next forty or so years because once released from prison, all of the sketches and other artistic pieces that Collins had created were thrown out; he didn’t pick up a pencil or paintbrush again until 2008 when a dramatic sensory experience at a local music concert breathed new life into Collins’ artistic endeavors. Now, almost two and half years later, the man with a perpetual twinkle in his eye is so passionate about art that it is almost impossible to stumble upon Collins without a sketch pad, pencil and color in hand at literally any time of day or night.

Collins best describes his art work as free-form liberationism, often incorporating his passion for social change with his view of the world around him. “Like impressionism or expressionism,” explains Collins, “my painting is all of the above, depending on the music I’m listening to and the mood I’m capturing and how I throw my paint. Life’s your canvas,” he continues. “Paint it!” The dedicated sketch artist most often finds his inspiration from forms around him, whether they be trees in the park — a representation of worship as the altars of a living God, notes Collins — circles of homeless men or even the goblet shapes during Sunday’s communion. Although proficient in a wide variety of artistic mediums, Collins gravitates towards watercolor, acryclic and soft pastels as well as towards charcoal, pen and ink, and lead.

Acting as the energetic mastermind behind NoStudio Studios, a holding space for homeless artists and itinerant souls with a bent towards creative self-expression, Collins’ personal viewpoint and encouragement to others it “to be true to yourself, be true to your heart, be true to your God, and,” he concludes with conviction, “you will create beautiful art your whole life.” It is no great surprise that this mantra serves as a source of inspiration for all who cross the artist’s path.

Monday, June 17, kicked off an 11-week mural project journey for TAPH Artists partners, Connect2Art Project and The Art Project, Houston a project of the Bread of Life.  

Since the project was founded in 2010, Connect2Art Project, founded by Sheri Hammonds, has engaged men and women who are homeless, near homeless or in life crisis situations in healing art programs. One of the goals of Connect2Art is to create a series of murals with homeless individuals for exhibition in public spaces.

Three murals have been created and exhibited at Houston’s City Hall in partnership with the Star of Hope's Transitional Living Center and the Men's Development Center. The fourth mural will be a collaborative effort with The Art Project, Houston a project of the Bread of Life.  For 11-weeks the artists will meet 2-hours each week to create this masterpiece as a team. A lead artist will work with homeless individuals to design and paint the mural expressing homelessness and its challenges. 

The mural program provides a nurturing environment for recipients, helping them to reconnect to their inner creativity and renew their optimism and faith in themselves and their community. Recipients expressed greater self awareness, increased self confidence and a stronger sense of self worth as they engage in small groups of eight to ten individuals to paint together under the skillful and compassionate guidance of their volunteer facilitators.
 
Here are some of the students’ comments after completion of one of their 8-week programs:

“I enjoy art because it clears my mind and it takes me to another zone. I’m able to express myself with the mind and soul.”

“Art has taught me to express myself and release frustration and anger in a healing way.”

 “The art class serves as a coping mechanism to help me deal with stress.  It also allows me to get in touch with my inner artist.” 

“I am very grateful for the class and I hope many others will benefit from it just as I have.”

The goal of creating these large murals is to increase public awareness about the plight of homeless people by exhibiting their artwork in public spaces.

Homeless students in this program learn important team building skills and the power of collaborating together toward a goal. The process begins with a discussion about what it is that the students would like to express, which leads to sketches and rough drafts of the mural. Under the guidance of a professional mural artist, students are then shown all the steps to complete the mural and make it a meaningful piece of art. Knowing that the mural will be placed in a public space gives students a great sense of purpose and accomplishment. 

The estimated date of completion of the mural with Bread of Life is August 30, 2013.  The mural will culminate with an installation at Houston City Hall, with members of City Hall staff in attendance at the unveiling.  
 
It is our great pleasure that we bring Houston this meaningful piece of art. We are excited about this partnership and look forward to sharing the art with The City of Houston this fall.

We cannot do this work with the support of people who are choosing to believe with us.
If you are interested in investing in this project with The Art Project, Houston that we may continue to empower our artists partners as the tranistion into a re-imagined life, you can do so by clicking 
                                                                              The Art Project, Houston

Join us in Celebrating!

Four members of The Art Project, Houston community:

Kelly Brown, TAPH Artist Partner
Gary Jackson, TAPH Artist Partner and The Path to Freedom Ministry Member
Rosalyn Grimes, TAPH Volunteer
Lanecia A. Rouse , TAPH Project Manager

have writings and photography published in the July/August 2013 of Alive Now Magazine on Creativity!

Get your copy today at: http://alivenow.upperroom.org/

“I love watercolor class.  
I just love it!  
Today I made paintings.  I made art badly but bravely.  I wasn’t in love with the pictures but I didn’t give up on the process.  I am so thankful for Mr. Joe’s instruction, compassion, motivation, and encouragement. He taught me that you don’t reject and stop loving your child (your painting/ your creation) just because your child (your painting/your creation) is ugly! You love all of your children (your paintings) unconditionally.  At some point, you will look upon them and find the beauty in them.  You learn to keep painting as your skills develop and evolve! 
Keep on painting!”

-Kelly B., TAPH Artist Partner
Kelly will have a piece on Creativity published in the July/August Issue of Alive Now (www.alivenow.upperroom.org). Alive Now is an Upper Room Ministries Publication. 

Saturday, March 2, about 100 people from the community gathered at the Bread of Life for the unveiling and celebration of the collaborative mural project recently installed on the outside wall of our building on the Gray side. The mural entitled, Epiphany in All Eyes, is a public art piece collaboration between partnering organizations The Boniuk Center at Rice University's SSQ13, Museum of Cultural Arts Houston and The Art Project, Houston a project of the Bread of Life that began in October 2013 and culminated on March 2 with a celebration.

The piece was designed, created and/or installed by high school students from throughout the City of Houston, students from Rice University, Donald Collins (Founder of Love is Studios & TAPH Artist Partner), TAPH artist participants/partners, M.O.C.A.H. artist team and other artists in the community.  On February 24, men and women from the Bread of Life community were invited to make their mark on the mural by adding a colorful handprint to the "Tree of Life" portion of the mural.  The day the community added their mark to the mural was filled with joy, happiness and life!  One participant said, "It was happy out here today on the corner of Jackson and Gray. It was a fun day."

Epiphany in All Eyes is a story of creation, unity and journey. Our paths through life are different, yet our journey is universal. Innocently, we face futures filled with opportunities and challenges. Transcending our difference and initing on common ground we see answers to the questions of life, gaining wisdom and knowledge along the way.  In the end, we share what we have learned and reflect back to see just how far we have come. 

We thank The Boniuk Center for funding this project and inviting the Bread of Life to partner in the creative process, as well as host the mural. This has added color and beauty to our midtown Houston community, as well as helped to foster the vision of creating beautiful art that can be view and appreciated by people from all walks of life. 

If you were unable to make the event, we encourage you to drive by to see this phenomenal piece of public art at the Bread of Life.

I  am originally from Los Angeles, California. I came to Houston in May of 2011, after marrying my then wife who was from Rhode Island. After suffering through 6 months of a tumultuous marriage where I endured both physical & emotional abuse, I finally just packed a few of my things and left on the 22nd of May 2012. This is how I became homeless.

How can I describe how survival on the streets is for someone who has never experienced this ordeal before? Life on the streets of Houston was literally Hell! No family to turn to, no friends to depend on, no knowledge of where anything is that will give you can get a HAND-UP and not a HAND-OUT. 

Everyday waking up to try to find some form of work to care for yourself while at the same time trying to find a secure place to hide your belongings, only to come back after spending all day searching for work to discover that your things were stolen by some other person who has a drug or alcohol addiction. My things were stolen on three different occasions since I’ve been on the streets, including having my identification & work credentials stolen the very first time my things were taken. This is what caused me to be on the streets for so long.

Even through all of that turmoil I’d have to say that the worst experience of life on the streets were the winter months. Having to sleep under bridges, in parks, or in the doorway of some building when it is cold or raining or both is the worst feeling ever. Even worst is to have someone who has a nice warm house to go to every night tell you, “don’t give up, it’s going to get better” yet they do nothing to help ease your condition. Its like being on fire and someone standing there with a bucket of water but not throwing it on you to dowse the flames.

I came upon the Bread of Life a few days after I first became homeless, and met Pastor Lanecia during one of the After Dark Art programs she was teaching that day. It was an art contest to paint something using the theme “HOPE”. I’d never held a paintbrush in my hand to create anything until that day and really didn’t want to participate, but she encouraged me to do so.

I ended up winning the contest with a painting that I titled “My Dad’s Not Missing”, and sold the painting at an art exhibit a few weeks later. That experience ignited a desire to create and I’ve since sold numerous paintings at other exhibits that Pastor Lanecia has taken me to. 

The Art Project, Houston was the stepping stone that I was searching for to help me get my life back on track. It gave me a safe and constructive way to vent the stresses and frustrations that life was weighing on my shoulders without me doing anything illegal that would get me into trouble with the law. Through The Art Project, Houston I was able to meet a number of influential people including, but not limited to, Reginald Adams (an artist and Co-Founder of the Museum Of Cultural Arts, Houston).

I have since gotten a job working at the Port of Houston as a roustabout, and an apartment on Houston’s Southeast side. I can honestly say that none of this would have been possible without my experiences and opportunities through TAPH. This is why it is very important for programs such as TAPH to continue to thrive. Because for every 3 people you run into on these streets full of games, there is one who is sincerely striving to make a way to live a better life…and that one is worth all the effort! 
When did you realize you were an artist?
I’ve been drawing with pencil since my youth, but I never realized I was a painter until Pastor Lanecia put a paintbrush in my hand.

Who or what inspires you? What motivates you to create?
Life!
I look at things as I go throughout my day and something gives me ideas about what to paint or create.

Why did you decide to partner with The Art Project, Houston?
The reason was twofold. It gave me a positive outlet to vent, and helped me out financially in a time when I really needed it.

What is the coolest art project you have worked on with TAPH?
That’s a tough one, because there are actually two projects that stand out to me. Working with TAPH & M.O.C.A.H. at the Starbucks convention last September, and working on the Mural project for the side of the Bread Of Life, again with M.O.C.A.H.

This past art class rotation included many unique workshops, powerful times of sharing, and delicious lunches.  The TAPH artist participants fully invested their talents and encouraged one another to explore new creative ideas.  I have seen the power of vulnerability about our struggles, as well as our rejoicing in our celebrations. 

The class began as a group of people and ended as a family.
Some of the common themes expressed in the student’s work included joy, love and life, possibility, and faith.  The class participated in multiple life-giving workshops including watercolor with Joe Synan, collage with Robert Hodge, adornments from recycled objects at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, and silk painting with guest artist Deb Gavron.  The artist participants described their experience as  “great, enriching, and magical”

Here are some quotes from the TAPH artist participants...

 “I thoroughly enjoyed the watercolor class. I was intimidated at first because I had never really painted before. Mr. Joe was very understanding.  He showed us different techniques.  He let us explore our own personal creativity.  After making several paintings I felt more comfortable about the creative process.  I really would like to do another watercolor workshop in the future.  I hope that others will appreciate my paintings but more importantly, I enjoyed the process and I loved my work!”
-K.B. (Watercolor Workshop with Joe Synan)

“Today has been a wonderful and blessed day for me.  A day of light and creativity. It felt so good as a therapeutic release. I just love this class. I am so excited about being in it. God has opened a new door for me! I had been praying for doors of opportunity to be opened, he did more than I asked! (Ephesians 3:20)  I am so blessed and encouraged by this church, and the path and journey I am on. Praise God. Everyday becomes better and more blessed.”
-P.J. (Watercolor Workshop with Joe Synan)

 “I enjoyed myself, it was my first time going and I thought it was going to be boring but I was amazed. I liked the cups exchange exhibit, that was neat. (Artist Michael Strand accepted “misfit cups” from visitors in exchange for his handmade cups as a part of his “Misfit Cup Liberation Project”)  I love that we came here and I loved making arts and crafts. I love my wind chime that I made.”
-A. (Visit to Houston Center for Contemporary Craft)

“The collage workshop was very revealing.  I was very intimidated by the large piece of paper.  I fought through the fear.  I had to overcome my own rigidity and resistance to trying new things.  I seemed to be more concerned about doing the project right than allowing the process to unfold naturally.  I felt that I used too many faces and words rather than images and symbols.  I felt like my collage screamed rather than evoking something subtle and thoughtful.  It was instructive in that it is a study in my own psychology and emotional life.  I feel less fearful about the process and all of the work to cut out and organize the images but it was rewarding.  I would definitely enjoy doing another collage class.  The next time I would be more relaxed and playful.  I would try to flow rather than force it.  I wouldn’t barrel through it like a rodeo bull but cascade over the page like water.  I would enjoy doing collage work again.” 
-K.B. (Collage Workshop with Robert Hodge)

 “I enjoyed meeting the instructor and hearing about her talent and experience working with silk colors/designs.”
- T.D. (Silk Painting Workshop with Deb Gavron)

Blog Reflection by Cynthia Javaras, Mission Year Intern with The Art Project, Houston