Bhakti Baxter: Understanding Differences, Building a Bust

KIDSART 2011

Tolerance and Understanding In Our World.

Week #1

WOW! What a wonderful beginning to Artoconecto’s 2011 KIDSART Summer Camp. Bhakti Baxters workshop “Understanding Differences; Building a Bust”... was a great success in unfolding the huge task of “UNDERSTANDING IN OUR WORLD”. Thank you to Mr. Baxter for allowing us to hold the camp at his studio, surrounded by all his magnificent works, it was an inspiration to the children... to all of us. After a brief introduction by Artoconecto’s Executive Director, Alexandra Rangel, we began our fun filled adventure in the process of making 3 dimensional sculpture. A great demonstration was given by Mr. Baxter, then the children quickly went to work designing and building their busts of imaginary characters that focused on humor while engaging their creative little minds. Utilizing a wide array of recycled materials, thank you to ReThink+ReUse Center, Inc who provided us with all the recycled goods, the projects aim was far surpassed. All the children embraced the complex task of building in the round, and produced magnificent sculptures that questions all our differences and irregularities. Each child transformed the usually negative view of the "abnormal" into the very qualities that make each of us beautifully unique. Mr. Baxter provided each child with a cast concrete base structure to build upon... which by the way kept all of us assisting the workshop super duper busy with hot glue guns, utility knives and drills. Thank you to all the amazing children who participated and too all those who graciously assisted and made this wonderful moment in time possible!

Thank you to all the parents and the of course the children! Here is the line up for KIDSART 2011!

Lacoreya Glass

Chloe Gonzalez

Leandra Michelle Hall

Daisy Hoover

Rose Hoover

Juliet Loyd

Taylor Lynott

Skye Miklesell

Galt Miklesell

Trenard Newkirk

Torance Newkirk

Latron Steadman

Kamilla A. Polese

Luka R. Polese

Lara Rodriguez

Mateo Rodriguez

Lucas Rodriguez

Azziji Usery

Thank you to our wonderful assistants

Alba Arevalo

Cooper Underwood

Thank you to Brian Mullens from MS CHEEZIOUS for their kind contribution of the meals they provided to our kids.

Thanks to ReThink+ReUse Center, Inc: http://www.rethinkandreusemiami.org/

All photos by Benjamin Thacker

Bhakti Baxter and the kids getting started!

Luka at first taking the minimalist approach... that changed quickly... abstract expressionism anyone?!

More hot glue please... Thank you Alex!!!

Leandra transcending sculpture, to performance art! BRAVA!!!

We need more glue... more staples and more drilling!!! YUP!

Hi! I'm Tolerance! - Hi I'm Understanding!

HI!!! We are differences and irregularities... Together we are beautifully unique!

Thank you Ms. Cheezious! KIDSART LOVES YOU!

All photos by Benjamin Thacker

See you all Saturday, August 6th 2011 for

Understanding Through Self Portrait;

Drawing and Painting a Portrait Workshop;

By; Leda Almar

KIDSART 2011

Tolerance and Understanding In Our World.

WOW! What a wonderful beginning to Artoconecto’s 2011 KIDSART Summer Camp. Bhakti Baxters workshop “Understanding Differences; Building a Bust”... was a great success in unfolding the huge task of “UNDERSTANDING IN OUR WORLD”. Thank you to Mr. Baxter for allowing us to hold the camp at his studio, surrounded by all his magnificent works, it was an inspiration to the children... to all of us. After a brief introduction by Artoconecto’s Executive Director, Alexandra Rangel. We began our fun filled adventure in the process of making 3 dimensional sculpture, a great demonstration was given by Mr. Baxter, then the children quickly went to work designing and building their busts of imaginary characters that focused on humor while engaging their creativity little minds. Utilizing a wide array of recycled materials, thank you to ReThink+ReUse Center, Inc who provided us with all the recycled goods, the projects aim was far surpassed. All the children embraced the complex task of building in the round, and produced magnificent sculptures that questions all our differences and irregularities. Each child transformed the usually negative view of the "abnormal" into the very qualities that make each of us beautifully unique. Mr. Baxter provided each child with a cast concrete base structure to build upon... which by the way kept all of us assisting the workshop super duper busy with hot glue guns, utility knives and drills. Thank you to all the amazing children who participated and too all those who graciously assisted and made this wonderful moment in time possible!

Thank you to all the parents and the of course children! Here is the line up for 2011!

Lacoreya Glass

Chloe Gonzalez

Leandra Michelle Hall

Daisy Hoover

Rose Hoover

Juliet Loyd

Taylor Lynott

Skye Mikesell

Galt Mikesell

Trenard Newkirk

Torance Newkirk

Lara Rodriguez

Mateo Rodriguez

Lucas Rodriguez

Latron Steadman

Kamilla A. Polese

Luka R. Polese

Azziji Usery

Thank you to our wonderful Assistance

Alba Arevalo

Cooper Underwood

Thank you to Brian Mullens from MS CHEEZIOUS for their kind contribution of the meals they provided to kids. THANK YOU!

All photos by Benjamin Thacker

Thanks to ReThink+ReUse Center, Inc: http://www.rethinkandreusemiami.org/

See you all Saturday, August 6th 2011 for

Understanding Through Self Portrait;

Drawing and Painting a Portrait Workshop;

By; Leda Almar

INTERTIDAL LIFEFORMS By Colin Foord--Morphologic Studios

WE WOULD LIKE TO GIVE OUR SPECIAL THANKS TO THEODORA LONG FROM THE BISCAYNE NATURE CENTER. Please check it out. They offer all types of outdoor family activities. It is a real jewel on Key Biscayne. www.biscaynenaturecenter.org


Colin, Theo and the kids

On our last Saturday (sniff) artist and marine biologist Colin Foord of Morphologic Studios took the kids on a trolley car ride and walked them through the coastal hammock from the Biscayne Nature Center to an ancient, fossilized mangrove forest at the water’s edge of Bear Cut. After learning about the mangroves (they had a good deal of knowledge at this point, which impressed Colin) the kids then waded into shallow water to explore the tide pools and sea grass with nets. The kids were able to identify hermit crabs, shells, and small fish which were caught and released. By Colin Foord.


Wading into shallow waters


Under Colin's trained eye, the kids found a diversity of marine life


from small to big hermit crabs


to sea cucumbers--Luka shows Kamila not to be afraid of holding one


they found all kinds of things they wanted to take home--from bamboo-Kurt in the picture


To coconuts--our dear Rosie holding one


Then, back at the camp, the kids engaged in the creation of their own mangrove pods

which they took home for conservation purposes.

KIDSART HAS BEEN AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE THIS YEAR. WE WISH ALL OUR WONDERFUL PARTICIPANTS THE BEST OF LUCK DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR. WE ALSO LIKE TO ANNOUNCE THAT ARTOCONECTO...PLUG IN, WILL HAVE A BOOTH DURING THE FALL FOR THE ARTS FESTIVAL ON SEPTEMBER 12TH, WHERE ALL THE ARTWORK MADE BY THE YOUNG ARTISTS WILL BE ON DISPLAY FOR THE ENJOYMENT OF ALL THE ARTS COMMUNITY IN MIAMI. THE DETAILS WILL BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY IN THE UPCOMING DAYS.

Thank you so much to our sponsors for trusting us with this project:

World Resource Cafe
Bamboo Barry

our partners:

Urban Paradise Guild
Rethink and Reuse

the artists:
John DeFaro, Onajídé Shabaka, Karen Rifas and Colin Foord

to our volunteers
Annette Mauricio, Cooper Underwood, Fernando Ramos and Candice Major

To all the parents

And a special thanks to De La Cruz Collection and The Biscayne Nature Center for allowing us to conduct our workshops on their premises. Thank you very much
for making KIDSART 2010 possible.

The Artoconecto Team

THE RAINMAKER By Karen Rifas

SPECIAL THANKS TO THE STAFF OF DE LA CRUZ COLLECTION


Before their workshop, the kids were given a tour of the De La Cruz Collection, very impressive as Nina shows below


Nina's 'The Scream'


Entering Karen's lab, the kids were so intrigued

'Abandoned' Site-specific installation.
Karen demonstrates how in nature even leaves can have a double life

Last Saturday, the kids toured the De la Cruz Collection and participated in Ms. Rifas' installation entitled 'Abandoned', her current site-specific, environmental art project. They picked their favorite leaves from the art laboratory which were used to add to the exhibition and to trace and embellish bamboo rainmakers. The rainmakers were assembled using various additional materials. By Karen Rifas

The wall in 'Abandoned' is an interactive piece in which the kids left their leaves behind for posterity

HERE COMES THE RAINMAKERS...
Lucas and Bao
Phoenix and Bao
Sophia and...drums?

Please stay tuned for upcoming news and events. We would like to give a special thanks to:
Karen Rifas, De La Cruz Collection, John DeFaro, Onajídé Shabaka... AND to our fabulous sponsors:
World Resource Cafe
Bamboo Barry

See you next weeeeeeekkkkkkk.

Hidden in the Water Forest

A temporary mural was created which was used as a map to describe native and non native flora. Leaf forms were described and used to create the fauna (animals) that live in the mangrove ecosystem. These animals were mounted to a wall at the Artlab33 Art Space gallery. By Onajide Shabaka



HIDDEN IN THE WATER FOREST WAS AN AMAZING DISCOVERY OF MANY OF THE FISH THAT LIVE WITHIN OUR MANGROVE SYSTEM IN SOUTH FLORIDA.




Hugo Jr. Daisy and Ashley mixing paint


Ashely drawing straight from her memories of fish


Truman realizes that the color of the paint matches his t-shirt. A good way to disguise a stain

Julia coloring her fish in pink. Very focused

Tara gives us a big smile

Hugo Jr. uses color, leaves, push pins--you name it


Bao admiring his piece and giving final touches

YES

We would like to give special thanks to Sam Van Leer from Urban Paradise Guild for the donation of leaves and branches.

And of course World Resource Cafe for their succulent food!

See you next week with another installment of KIDSART, The Rainmaker: the Kids and Karen Rifas

THE GATOR. WORKSHOP DESIGNED BY John DeFaro

Head body and tail in progress
All photos credit: John DeFaro

John DeFaro, a Miami, Florida and Southampton, New York-based artist returned after his successful KIDSART 2009 workshop ‘The Bottle Tree’ by offering another exciting workshop titled ‘The Gator.’

The artist continued his exploration of fundamental sculptural idea of shape and form with the kids by utilizing and celebrating our environment, mainly the Florida Everglades, with gathered discarded 2009 holiday evergreens consigned to the curb sides of Miami streets the artist has been saving for the makings of art. Informing a bold, readily recognizable folkloric aesthetics to materials and exhibiting a child-like engagement with process was the obtained goal. They achieved a sensibility that was simultaneously inviting and foreboding with dashes of humor.

THE KIDS LOVED IT. By John DeFaro

Rosie, Daisy and Kurt (left side) Luka and Luke (right side), in the garage painting organic materials for The Gator's nest.

Artist Candice Major cutting up fabric shared by Rethink Reuse Miami

Photo credit: Fernando Ramos

John DeFaro and the kids working on The Gator body

Ashley coloring frog for surroundings The Gator's nest

Kids coloring reptiles with makers before cutting them out

Guess who? Behind 2009 MY O MY stickers created by the artist

Mateo picking clam shell to color

This picture is just so cute--weaving fabric on Gator's head

Nina and Kamilla taking a break on hammock

On their waayyyy to the Everglades. See you next week when artist Onajide Shabaka will bring the kids Hidden in the Water Forest.

We would like to give special thanks to: Fernando Ramos, Candice Major, Cooper Underwood, Rethink and Reuse, and World Resource Cafe!