Blog Entries for J. Nathan Corbitt

Diaspora of Hope 2008

ncorbitt

On November 21, twenty-six (26) artists from the US, Thaliand and even Rwanda will disperse around the globe joining as many as 30 local artists in Kenya, Haiti and Guatemala to work with as many as 300 children in a Diaspora of Hope. Volunteering their time and donating the c [...]

Artists on Call: Estrategia de Transformacion Mural-Final Day

ncorbitt

We didn’t have the proper party we were hoping for when we finished the mural today. The tall, sturdy ladder we needed to reach the top half of the wall was in use at the prison hospital most of the day. I had brought with me a change of nice clothes for the event, but someone spilled black paint on the blouse while it wa [...]

Artists on Call: Estrategia de Transformacion Mural- Day 3

ncorbitt

Today the men made us lunch. It was a nice surprise! Two fries eggs with beans and a lot of bread. One of the chaplains who translates for us was excited to take several photos of me eating it. One or two chaplains sit with the men every day. While I am here they are my guides and guards.

The men who gather to watc [...]

Artists on Call: Bonzai in Guatemala

ncorbitt

Leah Samuelson. It's hard to know what to think about the painting gangsters. They have such a strong and violent reputation here (no one will work with them), and I'm getting feedback from different outside sources:

One opinion is that these guys aren't a good use of our resources, which

would be better spent in poor villages with people who aren't murdering people. </

Another opinion is that the real enemy lies within the church- among those who d [...]

Artists on Call: Estrategia de Transformacion/BuildaBridge Mural- Day 1

ncorbitt

Leah Samuelson. Estrategia de Transformacion staff showed me to the prison for barrio 18 gang members at 9:00 this morning. We entered with a long line of wives and girlfriends bringing clothes and gifts to men inside.

I was introduced to two artists in a hallway who were interested in helping with the mural. My host from EDT asked if I was ready to begin painting. I said no, and

asked where was the wall we were supposed to consider. “Right here,” he said, [...]

Artists on Call: Leah Samuelson in Guatemala

ncorbitt

Muralist Leah Samuelson heads to Guatemala City on Sunday May 18 to begin a mural in one of Guatemala's prisons that houses gang members. The project, a local request, will

pair Leah with an artist inmate as they design and complete a mural on the theme of the Prodigal Son.

Leah is a professional ar [...]

Create! Discovery Celebrates A Successful Year of Arts Education

ncorbitt

From May 5-15, 2008, BuildaBridge's Create! Discovery program celebrated the end of the year with final celebrations at six Philadelphia homeless

shelters and transitional homes. Over 150 children and youth participated in the year-long holistic arts education program, taking weekly classes in su [...]

Heroes for the Arts in Guatemala

ncorbitt

A window to see Guatemala

April 12th. Liz Hererra, BuildaBridge's Central American Institute Coordinator,&
nbsp; joined 20 organizations at a volunteer fair organized by GuateAmala (www.guateamala.org). More than 1000 visitors had a chance to know and consider different opportunities for serv [...]

From Scotland With Love

ncorbitt

Take some origami birds from the kids of the Create! Achievement after-school program. Accompany Dr. and Mrs. Corbitt and Dr. Nix-Early on their recent

visit to Glasgow, Scotland where they presented "Arts and Transformation" to a lively group of artists and community workers from [...]

Banking on Good Behavior

ncorbitt

Charlene Melhorn

What do banking and behavior have to do with each other? In most cases, not a whole lot, but at Create! Achievement they are inseparable. In order to address some of the out of line behaviors occurring at our arts based afterschool program, we decided
to challenge our students with “Student Stars,” a system of rewards and consequences c [...]

Stomp!

ncorbitt

Charlene Melhorn.

March 28, 2008

As fifteen Gwynedd-Mercy College students arrived with boxes of supplies and Professor

Carol Evans called out directions, it seemed like an army of help had descended on Create! Achievement, BuildaBridge's s [...]

First International Artist on Call Project in South Africa

ncorbitt

In March 08, 14 muralists responded to an Artist on Call invitation to work at a shelter for young women who had been involved in the sex trade industry as part of a team from Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church. Barbara Price Davis, Executive Director of YouthCAN! in Arkansas, also a psychologist and arti [...]

BuildaBridge Volunteer Training

ncorbitt

BuildaBridge reguires all volunteers and potential staff to undergo training for working with kids and integrating the arts. Highly interactive, our April training reached a record 29 people from across Phialdelphia responding to the needs for consistent artistic workers in transitional homes and our after-scho [...]

Corporation for National and Community Service Visits BuildaBridge

ncorbitt

On Wednesday, BuildaBridge was honored with a visit from Mr. David Eisner (right), CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), Ms. Mary Strasser (front left), Pennsylvania State Program Director

of CNCS and Karen Kaskey (back left), Executive Director of PennSERVE. BuildaBridge was selected as a site visit for the gr [...]

Renovation for BuildaBridge Dance Studio Begins

ncorbitt

Arts programming at the BuildaBridge House is becoming a reality. Gina Stickney, BuildaBridge dance teaching artist, is among the first to volunteer to renovate the current reception room
at the BuildaBridge House to house a children's dance company. The renovation and programming is part of the BuildaBridge long range plan to provide programmin [...]

Guatemala City Leaders Meet to Provide Direction

ncorbitt

March 5, 2008. Guatemala City. BuildaBridge hosted a forum dinner for a select group of leaders from Guatemala City to provide input and advice regarding

arts-integrated work in the City and country.

Guatemala City is transforming itself through art at every levels of government, wit [...]

Artists on Call Training Continues

ncorbitt

Training for arts service is an important part of the arts and restorative transformation process for BuildaBridge. This past Thursday another group of eager and excellent artists gathered

at the BuildaBridge House for "all things BuildaBridge". The training covers the basics of working with vulnerable children. Training incl [...]

First Days in Egypt

ncorbitt

With about two hours of sleep we are off to the desert to see the famous pyramids. Camel rides are the first order of the day and for an exhausted group the hardest part was getting

on without falling off. So the internet is shutting down, check back later for more details.