Introduction

 MOCAH utilizes the Art Residencies In The Schools (ARTS) program model to reinforce our mission of using cultural arts as our medium to enhance creative awareness, social health, and education. Through the ARTS program we join students with professional artists in long and short-term multidisciplinary art residencies. These residencies provide children within schools, community centers and other educational settings with alternative arts education. With ten years of experience teaching multidisciplinary art classes, ARTS founder, Reginald Adams seeks to pilot a new and innovative project within the ARTS program titled Artwares.

Summary

Artwares is a product based vocational art training project component to the ARTS program. The Artwares product line will consist of handmade functional artworks all produced by students trained by professional artists. The line will include but not be limited to ceramics, photography, custom t-shirt designs, custom postcards/prints, and other products that the will be created by participating students in the ARTS Program.

 The concept for Artwares evolved from a reoccurring opportunity presented to MOCAH through the University of Houston’s Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) to produce centerpieces for their annual scholarship drive. For the past two years, 2000 & 2001, we have produced handmade centerpieces for their annual fundraising event. The first year we worked with 10 students from the Davis High School Art Club, lead by student artist Israel Barbosa, to produce tile mosaic candelabras. The following year MOCAH worked with, ceramicist, Elena Cusi-Wortham and Phillis Wheatley High School students to produce handmade and painted ceramic bowls, which held flowers and floating candles. Each year all 40 of the functional works that the high school students made sold out. All proceeds from the sale of these works went towards future GSSW scholarships and to the participating high schools’ art club.

 The success of these initial opportunities spawned the idea to develop and implement long-term residencies whereas the students could produce a larger inventory of these functional artworks. In turn, the products will be offered for resale to nonprofit organizations, schools and churches as fundraisers items. As well, the handmade crafts will be wholesaled to distributors including specialty shops, craft stores, gift shops and outlets over the internet. The proceeds from the sale of the products will allow the MOCAH to expand the scope of the ARTS program to schools and other educational settings as well establish a scholarship fund for student interested in pursuing a career in the arts.

Objectives

The goals of this project are:

•  To provide a creative, non-competitive, learning environment for students to exercise their imaginations.

• To increase the students’ practical knowledge of traditional arts and craft techniques.

• To empower the children by teaching them a skill that they can use in the future to provide economic sustainability to themselves and/or their families.  

To obtain these goals we have developed the following objectives:

• Commission professional artists to work in long-term residencies with selected schools or educational settings.

• Collaborate with business consultants to strengthen our ability to market and distribute the final products.

  Methods

The proposed project is being planned with the assistance of volunteers from Junior Achievement and the Urban Initiative. A creative committee of specialist representing the fields of production, sales, marketing, accounting and law are developing internal measures to insure the feasibility and growth of this project. Through this pilot project we will focus on the medium of ceramics. Mosaic artist and muralist, Israel Barbosa will work with 20 students from Edison Middle School to create the initial line of functional ceramic Artwares during a 30-week long residency. Over the 30-week period the students will be introduced to the history of ceramics, learn several techniques using clay and how to apply glazes and underglazes on ceramics. Students will learn how to create ceramic bowls, plates, cups, candelabras, picture frames, doorknobs and ceiling fan pulls. Each student’s production will be monitored for optimal efficiency in the production phase of the project. Several large-scale kilns will be used to fire the students’ greenware (clay before it is fired for the first time) and glazed ceramic pieces. Throughout the duration of the residency guest speakers from business consultant groups will be invited to discuss with the students the business strategies behind successful consumer products.

This pilot project will begin in September 2002 and will be completed May 2003. The artist will work with the participating school’s after school program, during the hours of 3:3Opm-5:3Opm. Twenty students from the school will have an opportunity to create functional ceramic works of art. Collectively, the ceramic pieces will be produced, packaged, marketed and distributed across Houston and the nation.

Evaluation

The students participating in the ARTS will evaluate the effectiveness of the project through surveys and production evaluations. Pre and post surveys will be aimed at measuring what terms, techniques and other information the students retained over the period of the residency. Production evaluations will be maintained over the duration of the residency to measure the actual production of each participant. We will compare actual vs. projected budgets to measure production efficiency, sales growth, profit margins and areas were costs could be reduced.

Results

By implementing economic strategies within the residency program we will expose the students, the school and their parents to the economic viability and a value of the arts. Upon completion of the residency the remaining works of art will be offered for sale during the end of the year finale and dedication of the program.

Collaborations

The community partners and stakeholders proposed to participate in this project include the Museum Of Cultural Arts Houston, 21^st Century Learning Program, Urban Initiative, and Junior Achievement. We are requesting that these stakeholders provide financial and/or in-kind support to the Artwares project.  

For additional information contact Reginald Adams, Executive Director, at 713.864.2780.