SOHO Field Trip!

Last week girls, mentors and SOHO staff all headed out on the first-ever SOHO field trip together! The trip was slightly impromptu but there were too many wonderful things happening at once to miss it. It was also a fun activity to follow up last weeks somewhat serious talks.

 

First everyone went to Sonya Clark's exhibit at 1708 Gallery called "The Hair Craft Project".  

The Hair Craft Project is based on the premise that hairdressing is the primordial textile art form—hairdressing is the earliest manipulation of fiber toward an aesthetic and functional purpose.  Artists from VCU’s Craft and Material Studies program will prepare canvases each hand stitched with threads to simulate hair growth.  Local hairstylists will each be given a stitched canvas and the opportunity to braid them as skillfully as possible. Photographs of stylists' hairdos created for the project will be shown in conjunction with the canvases. The project aims to break down barriers by crossing boundaries between hair salons and art galleries as sites of aesthetics, craft, skill, improvisation, and commerce.

Sonya Cark explained the process to the girls, how she had her hair done by many different artists, took a photograph of the artists and their creation, and also had them create a piece of artwork on canvas. The show really resonated with the girls. Sonya first asked if anyone knew any of the artists and a few people raised their hand!

 

She talked about a hair dressers role as an artist, and each particular work of art. Then we all got to vote on our favorite pieces - there's an award for people's choice! Everyone was very engaged and Sonya was an amazing speaker and so kind to come early before an event that night at the gallery to talk to our group about her project. 

After 1708, we went to Quirk Gallery right next door. There were so many wonderful connections to SOHO there! Mary Fleming is the Gallery Director there and is a former SOHO mentor; she was Maikaisha's big sister last year. The group also saw Sarah Hand's show who taught the girls portraits. And they also saw Aimee Joyaux's show in the Vault at the back of the gallery. Remember Aimee from our first week? She and Jordan worked with us on learning about letterpress and printing our journal covers. Since it was the opening night, both artists were able to speak with us.

 

If you haven't been to Quirk, they have a great shop so naturally all of the girls did some browsing and shopping which was really fun. Everyone loved trying on sunglasses and taking selfies!

After our gallery-hopping, the whole group walked just a few more blocks down to Tarrants where we all got to have dinner!  Tarrants is a beautiful restaurant with a really nice atmosphere inside: fancy but still friendly. The servers and managers were really kind and the groups server was actually a friend of Tesni's. Thank you to Tarrants for serving all 27 of us with only a few days notice! 

It was nice to be able to all eat and talk together. It was a nice change of pace from SOHO nights where we are usually - and wonderfully- busy. Girls and mentors were able to be together in a more casual and friendly environment. many mentors said this was a really nice time to be able to relax and talk. We even played a hilarious round of telephone and received a toast from Markayla!

 

Though the night was mainly all about fun and taking a much-needed "SOHO Spring Break", it was also a great way to show the girls where to see art in the community. And it was extra-cool since the girls were connected with so many of the people we saw that night. We may have a new tradition on our hands!

A Healthy Converstion, a Dance Party and Applique

This week we started out SOHO a little differently than usual.  Tesni, Liana and the rest of the group decided to not have Girl Talk and Photography for the first part of class but rather to have a discussion about a few things happening in SOHO. We had a few recent absences along with just a couple issues with behavior. Taking the time to talk as a group turned out to be a wonderful thing.  Everyone had a mature conversation; with big and little sisters each talking about what they liked about SOHO, some of their concerns or worries, and things they would change if they could.  

Many things were discussed through this like trying to be your own person and only talking about how YOU feel, and not how someone else feels. The little sisters gave suggestions about how big sisters could ask them more about things about themselves like what they were good at so they could relate to them bitter. Big sisters suggested that they try and remember that we are all humans and that everyone, even adults, have feelings as well.

Tesni decided that it would be a good time to do an anonymous survey after the ones from last week that would capture some of what they were talking about. These were collected and will be shared with the group next week so we have a sense of what the group really wants, is happy for, is nervous for and is excited for. After reading through them after class, many of us at SOHO were excited to see some really productive suggestions, constructive criticisms and some beautiful things said about SOHO.

We ended this sort-of-group-Girl-Talk with a dance party.  Some of the groups was timid at first but after Rev Rock (from their school) jumped in and showed us all how to do the "naenae", we all loosened up.  The girls even did some choreographed dances.  The dance party really helped that talk end on a positive note. 

 

Because of the changes in plans,  there was slightly less time for art-making.  But, Tesni was still able to get the first big sewing project going - pillows! Everyone learned about applique and how they were going to applique onto their pillows to make them unique.  The girls and sisters worked together to create shapes and cut out their patterns they'll use next week. 

 

On the horizon for SOHO are room visits next weekend were pairs work together on their make-over plans!

We've also decided to take the girls up on a suggestion to go on a SOHO field trip to 1708 Gallery and Quirk Gallery! More updates on that next week!

 

Friendship, Cookies and Sewing Machines

SOHO started Girl Talk out in a circle together, and heard about one of our big sisters recent travels.  She had just returned from a trip abroad visiting her boyfriend who is currently serving in Bahrain. Everyone spent some time talking about it.  All the girls were very interested in how and why the women wore burkas but still wore fancy clothing underneath. The big sisters also told us how they had a whole street dedicated to American food, and that they still sold some sort of shoe that was sold out in the US. It was pretty entertaining to hear the questions and answers, and the girls really enjoyed learning about such a unique place and experience.

Last week the Girl Talk session was about friendship, the qualities of a good friend, a proactive in order to be a good friend. Everyone broke off into three mini-groups of two pairs each and discussed some scenarios involving these ideas. Walking around, you could hear the different teams having great discussions about friendship, how people were feeling in the scenarios, and how things could go differently. Some groups even saw it as an opportunity to do a bit of acting and roleplaying - which was very fun to watch! 

After this, everyone came back together and decorated cookies.  Tesni explained that they were supposed to decorate the cookies in an way that represented what a good friend means to them. Some were more abstract and some were more literal - but they were all really fun and beautiful.  The girls were told to eat one cookie, but give one cookie to a friend outside of SOHO who represented those qualities. Everyone had fun talking about what they're cookies mean and explaining what a good friend meant to them.

 Last Thursday was the first day we started using sewing machines!

Tesni asked if anyone wanted to be a fashion designer when they grew up and a few people raised their hands. Tesni went to school for this - and talked a little bit about how you have to use a sewing machine in order to become a fashion designer.

Sewing machines can sometimes be a challenge, but often becomes many people's favorite activity at SOHO! Tesni explained that their first project would be a big pillow for their beds, but for now they would just focus on the basics of sewing. The big and little sisters worked together to thread the machines and sew their first line of stitching. It's always interesting to see how people work together and rely on each other to remember all of the steps to threading. And it's wonderful to see the concentration, closeness, and conversation, and problem solving that happens so that they could get everything working. For a lot of people, this was the first time they had sewn - so a lot of girls were really excited to get started!

We also did mid-program surveys with both big and little sisters and we had some wonderful moments we thought we'd share from those. Here are some answers from the girls to the question, "What has been the most important thing that you've learned so far at SOHO?"

That y'all love us no matter what.

To respect each other.

To trust people and build social skills. 

Be patient with others and other people I don't know.

Be respectful of one another.

 

To be myself!

 

Our mentors had really great things to say too:

 

I thought I was creative, oh but now!!! It’s so amazing!! The intricate detailing to pottery, to wood sanding, the list goes on! Just AMAZING! I’m very blessed to have experienced such great Thursdays!

 

Love all the work put into making SOHO special – it always feels authentic, sweet, and full of love!

 

 

"What is something you've been able to share with your little sister?"

 

That funny stuff and creativity is important. More so than drama or cool clothes or “what’s cool.”  I try to confirm that personality is what matters.

Building her confidence in her opinions.

How to handle challenge and overcome obstacles in life.

 

"What is something she's been able to share with you?"

The importance of laughter.

 

The importance of family and loyalty.

She has taught me patience.

Big and little sisters were asked to describe each other in five words.  Here's what they said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Woodburning, Raku and Safety

Happy Wednesday!  

 

This week in SOHO Girl Talk was a repeat of last week with the second group learning about empathy and judging others, drawing their own "icebergs" and playing "The Big Wind Blows..."  The glaciers and icebergs were as thoughtful and wonderful as last week, but they were as thoughtful as ever! Girl Talk went well and everyone had a good time together.

 Everyone met back up in the fiber studio (SOHO's "home base") to have snack and get ready for their art projects that evening.  SOHO that night had two awesome activities happening: raku and wood burning -- it was a multi-tasking kind of day! The actual active time of raku is fairly short, so the girls and mentors would switch between the courtyard and fiber studio. Before going out to do Raku, the pairs worked together on the designs to burn onto their wood lap desks (remember them from a few weeks back?).  Then our guest teacher for raku, Paul Klasset, came to get us. 

 

Paul is a professional potter and does raku firings for every First Friday Sampler here at VisArts. He also teachers advanced pottery classes - all while creating and selling his own work. He was so nice and happy to be part of SOHO. Everyone came outside in the courtyard behind VisArts where we have 2 outdoor raku kilns. It was pretty cold but everyone was tough! Paul explained some safety rules around Raku since it does involve some VERY hot pottery and fire!

Paul had loaded the kiln with everyone's pieces that we had glazed a few weeks back.  The pots had been firing outside in the kiln while we had started SOHO. As he opened the kiln he explained that he would take the hot pots from the kiln and place each one into its own small, metal trashcan-like container. Then, each person would throw sawdust on top of the pot to create smoke. Evening opening the kiln was exciting because the pots were literally red hot!

 

After that each person would put the lid on top of the smoking trash can.
This combination of cooling quickly and the smoke creates beautiful irridescent colors, unique patterns and crackling on the surface of the pot.   All the girls were brave and went through the process safely.  After the lids are put on, the pots have to sit in the cans for about 15 minutes, so we went to learn the wood burners in the mean time.

 

 Tesni explained safety rules about the wood burners--a lot of safety discussion were had tonight! She also showed them how the tools worked and gave everyone some tips on how to make things go smoothly. If you've never done wood burning, it definitely takes some finesse! Rev Rock came in and told us stories about his experiences with wood burning -- it was a nice surprise to have an expert in the room. Thanks to Rock! (In case you've forgotten, Rock is the wonderful guy who rides to and from AJCES with the girls each week.

Paul came back in and got us so that we could retrieve our pots. He did the heavy lifting and took the pots out of the trashcans for us so that they could cool. Everyone was really excited to find theirs and see how they turned out. Each once is such a surprise! The process is really very magical. Once they had some time to cool, Paul dunked each pot into water to totally cool them. 

 Then the pairs took them inside to scrub and clean them up because there's a lot of soot from all of the burnt sawdust on them when they first come out of their cans. Everyone was really happy with the results of their pots-and there was even some very gracious trading between girls who like some of the other resutls better. Everyone all gave a big thank you to Paul for seeing such a unique process in action. One of the beautiful things about having SOHO at VisArts is the ability to show the women and girls processes that they may not have seen otherwise. Raku definitely falls into this category.

 

For the rest of class the group worked on wood burning their desk.  These didn't get quite finished but everyone had great persistence in experimenting with the different methods that worked for them in creating smooth lines. Everyone will finish their desks in another class.

We are officially halfway through SOHO! Room visits are coming up soon and more talks about make-overs are on the horizon...

Fabric, Icebergs and Portraits

Exciting things are happening in SOHO!

 Last week's SOHO started with choosing fabrics. One of our wonderful mentors named Carley owns U-Fab, a local fabric store located very close to VisArts. She and U-Fab have generously offered to donate ALL of the fabric, pillow forms, foam and quilt batting for the SOHO program. This is especially AMAZING since these are some of the materials we need the most for the program. Girls and mentors make pillows, curtains, a new bedspread and all sort of other fun projects for their room makeover in May.

Tesni went on to U-Fab last Thursday morning and was so kindly helped by the staff at U-Fab to gather fabric samples. That night at SOHO all of the girls and women were excited to choose their own fabrics.  This was the first year that they were able to choose what they wanted thanks to U-fab's generosity.  Previously, we had picked general colors and Tesni had worked hard to pick the right types of fabrics for the girls. So a big thanks to U-Fab!

This week in photography, Liana and the girls had their first printing day with the negatives that they took from their photo walks outside. Everyone was talking about how much fun they had watching their photos appear, almost magically, while working in the darkroom.  We'll now have some beautiful photos to show you after they've dried!

Girl Talk started in on a new set of session dealing with the topics of empathy and judgement. The class started off with Tesni talking about glaciers and icebergs and the powerful metaphor they can be for this topic.  The top of the iceberg that you can actually see above water is a very small part of the whole. This top portion represents what people think you should be and how they perceive you. Underneath the water lies the larger part of the glacier or iceberg which represents who you really are. It may be that people don't actually see that part very often or at all, or maybe you only share it with a few people. 

 Everyone then started brainstorming how this relates to how girls are often viewed in general as opposed to who they really are. Then everyone broke off and drew their own icebergs in their journals. These were shared between big and little sisters and they had conversations about what they drew and why. Tesni overheard some wonderful discussions about this and went around to each group to take a look at each pair's icebergs and hear what they had to say.

After that, Tesni had everyone play a game called "The Big Wind Blows". In this game, everyone has a hoola hoop on the floor which are arranged in a circle.  One person (Tesni to start) is in the middle. The person in the middle says "the big wind blows for anyone who..." and then fills in the blank with something that is true about themselves. Tesni started off with something light: "the big wind blows for anyone who has gotten straight A's before." Everyone who has gotten straight A's leaves their hoop and moves to another hoop.  Because there's not enough hoops for everyone, one person will always be left in the middle--think musical chairs! This new 'middle" person will then have to say something true about themselves.  And the game goes on.

 This was a new game for SOHO and could be intimidating for someone shy, but this game was a hit and everyone wanted to be in the middle! Some very nice things were said like: "the big wind blows for anyone who...is afraid they won't reach their full potential in life", "who grew up with divorced parents", "who just wants to be happy", "who struggles with doing the right thing in a fight", "who loves their gap" (in their teeth)!  After the game, the group chatted about some of the feelings and thoughts the game brought up like taking risks while being in the middle or getting out of your hoola hoop and learning that other people feel the same way as you. And of course - the day ended with hoola hooping!

After snack, we all went down to the studio to continue on our self portraits with Sara. . Sometimes in past SOHO years, this has been a heavy project because some of the girls have been uncomfortable with self portraits, looking at themselves, or making their pictures "perfect".

 

Sarah does a great job of breaking things into steps and helping everyone be confident that things don't have to look perfect, or exactly like "you".  Instead, your portrait can be the essence of you. It's amazing how many of the portraits succeeded in this. Some just have the feeling of the girl who drew them or a feature that's perfectly drawn.

 In the end, everyone was proud of their portrait and everyone there finished their portraits! One of our girls had to miss SOHO that night, but her mentor (who is especially artistic) painted a wonderful portrait of her.

 

 

For now, the portraits are brightening up the walls of VisArts. Eventually they'll make their way home with the girls to be a part of their home.