The Latin American Community Center:

In 1991, we focused on the home environment. We thought it would be exciting to make colorful objects that would enhance the home. We started with nameplates, maraca music instruments, chimes, necklaces, handkerchiefs, mobiles, 1 ft. sculpture relief’s and place mats.

In representation of the projects made at the Latin American Community Center placemats, handkerchiefs, maracas, name plaques, mobiles, necklaces, relief’s and the LACC 5’x 7’ mural. To see more of the projects that were built at LACC also see Citri-Southbridge and Kingswood as all were the same syllabi. Being so we had to pre design kits for those projects in the hundreds. As well we taught painting and drawings hundreds of those were being produced on a continuum at all three communities.

Placemats:

We obtained a large bolt of brown canvas and cut 450 placemats. Each child was allotted 4 using fabric crayons and fabric paint. They made their own version of family placemats.

 

handkerchiefs:

All of the centers had the opportunity to dye shirts as well we brought a large bolt of cotton fabric bolt and cut hundreds of handkerchiefs.

The children used some of the same techniques used in dying shirts (using knots and rubber bands) and applied those to handkerchiefs.

Maraca's:

Also shown here are children wrapping aluminum cans in colored felt strips and decorating them with smaller felt scraps to be turned into maracas.

Name plates:

We fabricated 130 nameplates out of 3”x ¾” board. The children painted their names and patterns on the boards.

 

Necklaces:

Using sculpi the children fabricated beads we labeled the beads and Tiara Luciaga baked the clay then the children applied paint and laced them with gold rope.

3d relief's (12"x12"):

Pictured here are children making 1’ cubic ft. sculpture relief's and maracas. In the first two photos, they are gluing wood scraps in miscellaneous sizes to the Luann sheets we provided as basis for the relief's. Once the glue set, they were painted.

Mobiles:

Out of similar scraps that we made the 3d relief's (12"x12") we made mobiles, using steel rings ropes and wood. Once assembled the children painted them.

Collaborative mural canvas (5'x7'):

The murals were originally requested by the community centers as mementos of the 1991 Arts Van Go program. Since there were three communities, we produced three 5’ x 7 ’ murals.

The mural project began at the end of the ten week program, after the children had completed many paintings, drawings and 3D projects. In developing the murals I had the children work together in groups. Since the murals making came in the end of the summer project, the children were really comfortable with drawing and painting. The murals were compositionally beautiful and full of color.

The LACC really embraced the vibrancy and color of the children that attended LACC. As well they painted a beautiful abstraction with words, bold imagery and icons as well they applied the paint with extremely bold marks very thickly.