Arts Learning Grant

The goals of this project are to engage young people in a creative project, build skills and language related to the visual arts, and complete a collaborative public art piece to enhance the physical environment of Grand Rapids. Engagement can be measured through youth attendance in the mural design and creation sessions. Repeat attendance will be an added marker of engagement. Learning new art terms, techniques, and concepts can be measured by observation and documenting the students' responses to discussion questions and feedback prompts. Documentation of the final product and the level of participation in the public unveiling event will help measure progress toward the community-wide goals of the project. Assessment and evaluation is built into this project through the elements of community design and collaboration. With the project partner (YMCA), art learners, and myself as the teaching artist involved in each phase of the project, there will be multiple opportunities for reflection and feedback on design, composition, and the final product. The specific arts learning goals will be assessed by the staff for the youth programs providing input and observations and my own notes and reflections after each session. The success of the project overall and its impact on the community will be initially evaluated during the public community unveiling through informal conversations and a chance for event attendees to leave written feedback, though the majority of the public impact will be over the long term and not be measurable within the timeframe of this grant.