Craft in Schools/Consuelo Jimenez Underwood I

Craft in America has been so thrilled to host students from LAUSD’s Clinton Middle School and Fairfax Magnet Center for Visual Arts at the Center this week.  Underwood and her NALAC-mentee Sheila Rodriguez worked with the students on specific elements to be included in Underwood’s site-specific borderline. Craft in America’s education outreach program, Craft in Schools, coordinated the whole experience. Getting young people to work with artists is what our program is all about. The middle-schoolers had been instructed on how to make Undocumented Border Flowers, white flowers that are, in essence, spiritual flowers. The high school students were instructed on how to make “power wands.” The power wands are personal artifacts that channel whatever energy the students intended. Some were very creative and crafted chiles out of Coca-Cola bottle-caps. Another student created flowers from books. It was truly inspiring seeing these young artists make such innovative work to be incorporated in our final Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA exhibition.

In addition, Underwood’s invigorating speeches to each group energized and engaged the students. It was an honor to have KPCC’s Arts Education correspondent Carla Javier come record the experience with the middle schoolers.

Underwood’s exhibition will be on view through January 20, 2018 at the Craft in America Center.