“How Do You See Yourself?”
One sure sign of children in a home is handmade artwork hanging on the fridge– an icon representing a parent’s love and a mark of honor for a blossoming artist.
We aim to create spaces to celebrate our kids and facilitate a positive experience with creativity, which is made possible with the Dallas Museum of Art as an enrichment partner. DMA art experts came in to host a 3-week pop-up with hands-on art education and experience. They also guided the kids on a personal tour of the DMA and helped make a showcase at Bonton Farms where families, friends, and the community could view their artwork.
The payoff of this is that moment when a kid sees themself as an artist, so they’re not hesitant to express themselves artistically. Art is not just a skill, but an exploration of purpose and uniqueness. Kids need space to learn that some things aren’t right or wrong; art is a safe place to learn not to fear these “gray areas” in their lives. The soft skills they develop in the nuance of art help connect dots in the discomfort of the unknown. Lack of constraints can be scary, but when there are no limitations, what can we create?
“Thinking outside the box and being able to repurpose things is a creativity that can be used in work, used at home, and seeing how trying things a different way can produce different results.”
– Porcha Ensley
Director of Student Services
Creating self-portraits lets kids experience something distinctly positive related to their features. Some struggled to know how they see themselves and how others see them, and each had to learn how descriptive language differs from value language; focusing on capturing the exact way something looks rather than your feelings about its look.
Becoming something in life is a challenging new phase for any kid, so being able to examine themselves vulnerably, yet safely, gives them a chance to view who they are, which we hope will reflect in who they’ll be. Our students are full of potential, but when they have to be creative to turn that potential into progress, we want them to move with confidence.
The big little impact of art is exploring and expressing identity through the unique space of a creation process. Art takes a lifelong journey and displays it in smaller steps that help a child see and appreciate themselves. That’s a big impact from a little program.
Many thanks to the DMA for leading South Dallas students in their artistic journey, and to Bonton Farms for being a supportive “fridge” to proudly display the unique portrait of this neighborhood.
