Day 4 - Breakthrough......

Our day started out smoothly with a timely arrival to the school.  Today was a wonderful day for us because it felt like we had a breakthrough and turned a corner with sculpture.  Margaret and I were questioning if we had made the right decision to introduce sculpture because although the creativity was there with the paper made cylinders, etc, we weren't sure they were getting much out of it.

Today when we arrived to class, we did our starting meditation and out of the gates went the artists, creating, talking, creating, thinking, etc.  While they were doing their art creation, I ended up creating a hanging sculpture to show them that they could move from the cylinder made of paper to using paper free form to create and wow did it happen. Some of the most amazing mobiles, sculptures of Giraffes, etc happened.  And it just happened.  We realized that the structure of using paper cylinders to create objects and sculpture were just to get them going.  Once we gave the license to use the paper how they see fit, it went over the moon.  Using paper seems like an odd technique for sculpture but using a fairly 2 dimensional subject to create 3 dimensional objects helps create the movement to 3D.  I don't know how or why, but it works.  The class was abuzz and it felt great to see our students really engaged.  It was also a bit of a relief.  We ended class with cleanup and meditation because we are going to work with our found objects to make sculpture starting tomorrow.  I could not be more excited to see what they come up with.  The really are Smart, Beautiful and Important.

After class off to the Masai Market, where I feel like after all these years of visiting Kenya, that this really is a tourist souvenir shop for the masses.  I asked a merchant if in fact that was what it was and she said its both for the tourists and the locals.  I really appreciated her honesty.  The stuff I used to get excited about buying is now just stuff.... Ughh.  After this we were off in search of bendable wire that for some reason can't be purchased at hardware stores or the Nakumatt!  Heaven forbid you can't find something at the Nakumatt, Kenya's Walmart.

After this we went to are really wonderful art opening at the Kuona Trust.  We met the artist Maryanne Muthoni who's installation exhibit titled "The Woman's Vote" was both timely and relevant considering that next year is the Kenyan Election under the new constitution.  It basically was about the importance of the women's vote and how little it is heard or valued though they are the mainstay of this society and so many others.  Really wonderful exhibit.  Our students are coming next Wednesday for a Meet the Artist talk just with her and our students.  It will be great for them. 

The Kuona Trust is a special place.  It is a central artist hub in Nairobi with local and international artists in residence.  We feel very connected with this organization and feel like they are a major supporter for us and our students at St. Al's.  They are so engaged with our work and look forward to what ever the future may hold related to them working with our students.  It is great to be at an event like this today and have artist come up and recall when we met over the last few years.  It makes us feel part of this community. We love it.

Another great day and more progress.  We are fortunate and filled with gratitude to be able to do this work.

We are happy to have you on this journey with us. Until Tomorrow!

Be well,

Charles and Margaret