Express Yourself: Workshop about Beauty and Image at Theatre Memphis
Looking at Women: Workshop at the Brooks Museum of Art
Le Bonheur Children's Hospital Christmas Party
Several weeks ago I was asked to help facilitate a Girls University workshop at the Brooks Museum of Art. This was my first time volunteering with the Girls, Inc. organization and like so often happens when we give of ourselves, we get much more in return.
The two-part workshop was centered around the temporary exhibition "Looking at Women." The exhibition explored some of the ways women have been represented in art (including the role of goddess, mother, femme fatale, etc.) By looking at a wide range of examples we were able to examine differing and evolving viewpoints. During the two sessions participants explored the role of women in art, society, and culture. Using examples from the exhibition and museum's permanent collection, they communicated their reactions and reflections through discussions, journaling and sketching. It was especially interesting for me to see and hear how young women (with no art background) interpreted the work.
This has been part of a larger journey for me to find meaning, to contribute in some way to the greater good and my community. Admittedly, my first instinct is to promote, volunteer, and donate to animal shelters and charities but was a cause deserving of an exception.
The Girls, Inc. organization "aims to empower all girls to be strong, smart, and bold". . . a worthy goal if I've ever heard one. Through a wide variety of programing (ranging from Google's Made with Code to workshops in visual and performing arts to an introduction to organic farming and local chefs using the "farm to table" concept) Girls University works to promote the Girls, Inc organization's mission to empower all girls. If you're interested in Girls, Inc or the Girls University Program, I encourage you to learn more and become involved in whatever way works for you.
Click the following links for more information Girls University (Memphis), Girls, Inc. (Memphis) and Girls, Inc. (National).
Urban Art Commission: Mural Painting at Roxy's Grocery