WHEDco is partnering with the BxArts Factory to host a free series of online career development webinars to help Bronx artists transition to new employment opportunities or launch and grow their businesses during COVID-19. Join our interactive session on Zoom Thursday's in May at 5pm to get real time feedback from the teaching artist. Sign up for one or all three events in this FREE Professional Development Series below:
How to Brand Your Art Date: Thursday, May 7, 2020 Time: 5:00pm-6:30pm How to Budget Your Project Date: Thursday, May 14, 2020 Time: 5:00pm-6:30pm How to Create a Web Comic Date: Thursday, May 21, 2020 Time: 5:00pm-6:30pm Register to join interactive session on Zoom or watch on Facebook Live My seminar will be focused on giving artists the fundamentals to create (or develop) their own brand. As an artist you have to become the perfect seller, not only by creating the perfect piece, but by letting everyone know you did it.
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Art helps me to overcome the different events that happen in my life. I believe if I could not make art I would have not make it through.
Join me to talk about our struggles and create art with them. Let's make out something new from the past, from our grief, from our sorrows. Leave all that in the paper, in the canvas, in the words we write. “We are human bodies made of cells regulated by hormones and chemical balances. Once one of those small things goes wrong, the balance falls apart and it’s really hard to pick it up. I have ART to help me through”. Marianne Gunther, a licensed creative art psychotherapist with nearly thirty years of experience will be joining me for this workshop. One of her joy is guiding others to re-discover their inherent creativity and well being. Space is limited and RSVP is needed. _____________________________________________......_______________________________________ Woman Being: Mundo Interior Art Exhibition On view from March 1 to 30, 2020. Opening reception: Thursday, March 5, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Gallery Hours by appointment request at Laura@lauralvarez.com
This summer I am working with WHEDco to create a Step Street Mural in the Highbridge neighborhood of The Bronx. We have done a couple of outreach events to let the community know this is coming and to gather volunteers to help with the painting process. Right now we are just waiting on some permits but I can already taste the paint!!!
____________ In the past years, some organizations and neighborhoods in the Bronx have started to fight back against the burden of being number 62 out of 62 counties in the health rank of New York. Part of the #Not62 initiative have been the community gardens that have sprung around the borough, promoting healthy eating. One of the issues we face is the food deserts, where you have to travel in order to get fruits and vegetables, and when you find them they are expensive and their quality is not great. These small gardens give the communities an alternative option, growing your own food, and at the same time they create community spaces where you get to know your neighbors and share time with them. This step street mural is an homage to those gardens and at the same time will make fun and colorful the fact that you have to go up and down the stairs, promoting exercise. In this project I want to involve the community gardens inviting them to help in the painting process and also bringing information about what they do and where they are located to get more people to join them. Public art is a great outreach platform. Once we are done we will write the names of the gardens in the steps. Sometimes there are projects that happen and you don't know how much fun they are going to be until they happen. The preparation for this mural was somehow long and uncertain because of the design. We went through several sketches and I wasn't even sure if the one we went with was what the school wanted.
After all that work, my process is always “let it flow... there’s nothing wrong in art” you are working with kids, so whatever ideas you have in your head, most likely won't be what they want to do. I gave them some directions, and some of them were disregarded (like keep the hand prints in the sun) so we incorporated that in the design. I think after all, it ended up looking great. Over 30 kids participated in this community mural during period of 2 hours. They painted and wrote words that school inspired them and we all had an awesome evening.
I've been doing Paint Parties for a while. Last week, a friend asked me to facilitate one for her birthday. She is very creative with her birthday parties and loves painting and crafting.
I created a special painting for the event, inspired in the fall, as she requested, I designed a cute warm peacock. Even though they started a little scared, the blank canvas is very intimidating, at the end of the night everyone had a great piece of art to hang in their walls. I am always so proud!!! It is very rewarding to see how they create something from nothing.
It's been a hard month but life goes on and we are back with our monthly Paint the Night Away events! This September our design will be a surprise (with flowers involved)!
Friday, September 9th at The Bronx Beer Hall from 7 to 10 p.m. $35 ticket includes a FREE drink and ALL art materials. At the end of the night you will take home your own creation on a canvas! Buy your tickets here This month we have a special treat! During our summer months, adults and children in the community have created designs on the aprons that you will use. It is a way for them to thank you for your financial contribution! You can have this specially designed aprons! You can purchase the apron you will use this evening for only $5. This evening, all funds collected by BxArts Factory will support our Free Workshop Series for 2017! With your contributions we are able to purchase materials, support the artists facilitating the workshops and provide free of cost snacks for participants. We love our Free Workshops Series and we are happy to receive your support for our 3rd consecutive year of programming. Our Paint the Night Away party is back in July!!! We are back at the Bronx Beer Hall by popular demand! Join us for a fun, chillax night of painting, beer drinking, music and real cool vibes!!! July 1st will be a celebration of summer's arrival! Let's paint the summer solstice!! Join us!!
Buy Tickets HERE Ticket includes a FREE drink (Draft Beer or House Wine). And all art materials. At the end of the night you will take home your own creation on a canvas! This evening, all funds collected by BxArts Factory will support our 2017 Free Workshop Series!! Help us keep our workshops free and open to ALL members of our community! Your donation will help us with materials, artists stipend and it will allow us to expand the types of workshops offered! |
I am a...Graphic Designer, Illustrator, Educator, Community Activist... ARTIST! All Images COPYRIGHT © 2008-2021, are property of Laura Alvarez Fernandez. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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