Robert and Lynne Farrow visit the BuildaBridge House on their way back to California.  Lynne taught the Arts in Spirituality course for 9 years at the BuildaBridge Institute.  Her influence has been large on creative people as they learn to engage metaphor, understand their own spiritual development, and mentor of people in crisis through art-making.   She continues to work with women in crisis.  Her well-written blog shares her stories and methods, as well as provides resources through her practical books. 

Three Arts in Tranformation students head for graduation this Saturday with a presentation of their theses at the Graduate Research Forum.  Photographed at the Graduate Research Forum, they are pictured left to right; Jamaine Smith, Dr. J. Nathan Corbitt (Professor), Julia Crawford, Bethany Rieff (walks in December) and Dr. Vivian Nix-Early.  The three join a growing number of creative people studying Arts for Transformation in the M.A. in Urban Studies program at Eastern University.  All three interned through BuildaBridge, have demonstrated their academic research skills through a thesis and completed international service projects in Thailand and the Democratic Republic on Congo (Smith).  Click read more to find links to their service and thesis projects.

 Staff, board and volunteers personned a table at Mt. Airy Day accompanied by a great Australian Sheep dog who couldn't resist wearing an Artology T-Shirt.  Artology begins June 25-July 20 6th-8th Grades; July 23-August 10 4th and 5th Grades.

Evan Holmes (age 6) was among 25 volunteers, board members and former staff of BuildaBridge who gathered at the Awbury Arboretum Sunday afternoon March 25 in recognition of their volunteer service.  Coming from as far as Harrisburg and New Jersey, the volunteers have provided arts-assisted service in Philadelphia, Harrisburg and globally.

Evan is the son of Ebonye Holmes who has volunteered with BuildaBridge since our founding in 1997.  Full of energy and joy, Evan volunteers to help with light yard work and even helped in the restoration and installation of the new art gallery at the BuildaBridge offices.  Many thanks to all our volunteers who have faithfully served in their communities.

Build Your Skills and Learn to Engage Your Art-Making for Transforming Communities through Education, Therapeutic Art-Making and Community Programming at the BuildaBridge Institute June 6-10, 2012.  Click more for information.

Four volunteers who will be assistants in the newest ArtSmart Project attended a BuildaBridge Classroom ^sm training Thursday, March 1st.  The volunteers first reviewed the importance and procedures of defining roles as a part of BuildaBridge's Team Teaching methods.  They participated in a mock-class led by trainer and COO, Dr. Vivian Nix-Early, recognizing ritual and structure as key components of the BuildaBridge Classroom ^sm.  The four volunteers then led a class of their own, designing the opening rituals and a lesson plan reflecting their own artistic abilities.

Magira Ross (left),  Community Programs Coordinator, taught West Africa to America: African Dance and Embedded Culture to M.A. in Urban Studies students at Eastern University.  The workshop, a part of the cross-cutlural competency requirement of the program, provided students with an opportunity to experience African Culture through dance. Students learned basic African dance moves and how they are integrated into traditional and contemporary dances that carry the values of African Culture.  

Ms. Ross is the Community Programs Coordinator of BuildaBridge where she teaches and oversees arts programming in community centers and transitional homes.

Students in Youth Build Charter School's Service Learning Class received training on at-risk youth, the protective factors to build resiliency and the elements of the BuildaBridge Classroom Model Wednesday, February 29th.  Sara Graybeal, Artist-on-Call in training and Youth Build Charter School teacher who works with the Service Learning classes, asked BuildaBridge to present a training for the students as they embark on their own projects with youth.  Long-time Artist-on-Call, volunteer and trainer, Alaina (Cronkright) Dobkowski and Danielle Dembrosky, Programs Administrator led a one and a half hour training for the 18-21 year old students.