Blog Entries - May 2008

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 [...]