Dear Friends,

As we begin to look forward to the holiday season, I want to reach out on behalf of Project Create and thank you for your support. This is the season of celebration and thanks, and it is people like you who know that giving and making a difference in the lives of others is incredibly important – especially at this time of year.

You can make a difference now by supporting Project Create’s programs for DC’s homeless children, by donating today.

The number of children who are homess and living in poverty in Washington has greatly increased over the past few years.   Project Create’s mission is making a difference for these children. For sixteen years, through classes in the visual and performing arts, we have provided the skills, knowledge and confidence necessary to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty. Each year we offer more programs at more sites to meet the increasing need for our services and build a bright, stronger future today.

Using the arts, Project Create helps over 100 children each year develop into successful members of our community. When a child attends Project Create they learn how to:

• COMMUNICATE. Through art-making, our students learn to how to communicate who they are visually, verbally and in writing. They learn that their voice is important and should be respected.
• COLLABORATE. Life is requires teamwork. Our students must work together to be successful, whether creating a mural, playing the African drums or writing a puppet show.
• SOLVE PROBLEMS. Art, like life, isn’t always easy. There are challenges and tough decisions every day. You have to think through a project from start to finish to make it work.
• BE CONFIDENT. By exhibiting, performing, creating and exploring, our students build confidence every day. This confidence will help them succeed in school and in life.
• BE RESPONSIBLE. By developing their own expectations for class, our students learn that they are responsible for their behavior. Taking care of the art supplies and cleaning up prepares them for the responsibility and challenges of adulthood.

We need your support to continue building a brighter, stronger tomorrow for today’s children. Your donation helps us offer fun, enriching and transformative programs in the arts to Washington’s homeless children. What they learn today at Project Create can make a world of difference in their lives tomorrow.

• $50 = Film processing for 12 rolls of student film
• $100 = Fifteen weeks of arts class for one child
• $500 = Two buses to our Creative Voices Showcase at the MLK Library
• $1,500 = One teaching artist for one semester (15 weeks)

Every dollar goes to support our free programs for DC’s homeless children.

To give online, visit Network for Good or mail a donation to: Project Create, 2401 Virginia Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20037.

As always, I appreciate your support and belief in the importance of preparing our children for tomorrow.

Thank you,

Marget Maurer, Executive Director

P.S. Please go online to donate — https://www.networkforgood.org/donation/MakeDonation.aspx?ORGID2=421559894)

I know, closet cleaning is typically a spring chore.  But there’s a good reason for it this year.

Project Create needs materials for our art classes… and not just your typical paint, brushes and paper! Instead, we are looking for less ordinary, more “junk” or recycled materials.

The materials we seek  will be used to create Treasure Boxes, construct 3D landscapes & cityscapes and create Wacky Worlds inspired by books like “Diary of A Spider” and “Roberto: The Insect Architect.”  Pretty fun stuff, huh?  You can help us make this happen!

• Wooden Cigar Boxes or for the non-cigar smokers out there – wooden card notecard boxes
• Copper & Aluminum Wire
• Needle Nose Plyers
• Beads and anything sparkley… mardi gras beads, costume jewelry, old sequined scarves, etc
• Fancy schmancy paper… perhaps some  notecards that you don’t use
• Animal print paper… wrapping paper perhaps
• Fake flowers.  yep, i said it.  fake flowers.  nice silk ones that your grandmother gave you.  even the more ordinary polyester ones will be put to good use
• Shoe boxes… all sizes
• Magazines… child friendly only please, like National Geographic, Parenting, etc
• Yarn leftover from your knitting frenzy days
• Buttons… all shapes, colors and sizes
• Single hole punches
• Matboard… from those of you that attempt framing your work at home!

And for those more inclined to give traditional art supplies, check out our wish list on Dick Blick..  We are in need of acrylic paints, felt, all sorts of paper, mod podge, etc.  Your support would make a huge difference to our programs this fall and into the spring.

Of course, if your closest is already clean and you don’t feel like buying supplies, you can STILL help out.  Donations of all sizes are always welcome.  Visit our website to donate now or check out our page at the Catalogue for Philanthropy.

 

Happy Fall!

Marget VH Maurer

Executive Director

 

 

We’ve just launched our email newsletter – YAY!  This is something we’ve wanted to do for years, but just never had the time or capability of doing it.  So finally, here it is…

Project Create News!

There is no set formula for the newsletter, but we hope there will be articles, activities and information of interest to you.  Highlights can include:

• a letter from the Executive Director
• an art project you can make at home – children not required!
• spotlights on teaching artists & volunteers – including a calendar of their performances and exhibitions
• information on Project Create classes and activities – including photographs, what students are creating, field trips and more
• upcoming events – fundraising events, volunteer opportunities, student exhibitions, etc
• how you can help – volunteer & board of directors opportunities, art supplies needed, etc

Plus, you can always find out what we are up to and thinking about through Facebook, Twitter & Flickr!

HAPPY FALL!!!

Creative Voices 2009 (83)

Originally uploaded by Project Create

Hythia & student at 2009 Showcase. She gave each student (over 60 present) a HUG!

National Theatre (2)

Originally uploaded by Project Create

Hythia & student on their way to a puppet show at the National Theatre!

Make summer magical!

Support Project Create’s Summer Art Sessions

Project Create is gearing up to offer our first summer of arts classes to Washington DC’s homeless children. It’s going to be a magical summer – full of fun field trips, amazing arts classes, and music and movement classes that will keep the kids on their toes all summer long!

We need your support to make it happen.

By donating today, you will help us provide the following workshops that will challenge and brighten our student’s summers:

Self Portrait Workshops:   Students will learn about portraiture, visit the National Gallery of Art and create a group self-portrait

Music Making:    Students will create their own instruments and write their own music.  Can’t wait to hear and see the final product!

Multi-Media Arts:     Students will make vases (and plant seeds), create placemats and do other arts activities designed to stretch their imagination and understanding of what art can be

Martial Arts:     Students will learn the discipline and focus that martial arts requires while challenging them physically, mentally and creatively as they choreograph their series of movements
We will also be taking field trips to local cultural institutions such as Wolf Trap for the Children’s Theater-in-the-Woods and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

What you can do to help

Your contribution can truly make summer magical for the homeless children we serve.  Think of what you enjoy about summer, how much it costs and what that same amount will enable homeless children in Washington, DC to do…

Seeing the Nationals Play

$50 or the cost of 1 good seat     =     metro tickets for 12 students to a museum

Dining Al Fresco

$100 or dinner for 2 with drinks    =    one day of art camp for 12 children

Sitting on the Beach

$500 or a weekend at the beach  =    transportation to Wolf Trap for two field trips

Please donate today through Network for Good or by sending a check to:

Project Create Summer Sessions

2401 Virginia Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20037

For more information on our programs and how you can get involved, visit our website:  www.projectcreatedc.org

Wishing you a bright, sunny and magical summer!

Marget VH Maurer               and                 Hythia Phifer

Executive Director                                       Program Coordinator

Calling all volunteers – Project Create needs YOU!

Our mission is to bring life-changing arts experiences to homeless youth in DC!  There are so many ways to contribute to a child’s life.  For many of our current volunteers, Project Create connects them with opportunities to enrich their own lives as well as the lives of at-risk youth in our community.  Self expression, creativity, passion for life and the arts is what we are all about. The door is open for all who share our vision.  We’d love to have you join our team!

Please take a moment to review our current volunteer opportunities, listed below:

• Classroom Assistants –Like to work with kids?  Volunteer to assist a Teaching Artist weekly at one of our partner sites and gain the rewarding experience of working directly with our youth!  There are two availabilities:  Puppet making on Mondays in SE and Hip Hop Dance on Thursdays in SE.

• Field Trip Chaperones – Hang out with our kids during one or more of our upcoming field trips. Chaperones are needed to supervise and manage our field trip participants at all times.  Generally our field trips are on Saturday and we have several coming up in April, May and June!

• Summer Program Volunteers – During the summer months our programs usually come to a screeching halt because we do not receive enough funding to continue providing fun arts activities for our youth.  Many of our kids are unable to participate in summer activities for a variety of reasons. We need a few good men and women to volunteer to continue facilitating low-budget arts workshops to Project Create youth at our partner sites.

• Creative Voices Showcase/ Events Volunteers– Art Auctions, Fundraisers, Exhibits, Showcases, the list of events goes on and on. We need your help to get everything accomplished! There are jobs for every skill level!  Sign on to assist with one or more of our many events coming up in April, May and June!

• Additional Opportunities – Put your professional skills and life experience to work for a greater good.  Your expertise can be applied in creative ways to benefit Project Create and our youth.

As you can see, opportunities to get involved and support our mission abound.  Just a few minutes of your time makes all the difference to the children we serve daily. We hope you will find something here that sparks your interest. There is a place here for everyone who has compassion for children and a belief in the restorative healing power of the arts!

For more information on how YOU can get involved and make a difference in the lives of DC’s homeless youth, contact Hythia Phifer, Program Coordinator at hythia@projectcreatedc.org.

Free this Saturday?

Looking for a fun way to spend your day OUTSIDE, enjoying the projected sunshine & blue skies?

Interested in some AMAZING performances by DC youth?

If so – join Project Create at the National Arboretum’s annual plant sale from 9am to 4pm this Saturday to enjoy performances by students from our West African dance and drumming and Hip Hop dance classes!

And if the prospect of hearing our Drummers isn’t enough, there’s plenty to do the plant sale before and after our performance…

• Watch theWashington Revels will do a traditional Maypole Dance (with PC Kids helping!)
• See the Arboretum’s 10,000 azaleas in bloom!
• Visit the Washington Youth Garden for projects to make there and take home!
• Or purchase some beautiful plants for your garden!

For more information on Project Create, visit: www.projectcreatedc.org.

For more information on the garden fair, visit: http://www.fona.org/index.php

Project Create’s 2nd Annual Art Auction and Reception is on it’s way.  So, grab your calendars and save the date:

We are thrilled to be back at this incredibly serene space in downtown DC.  It’s a wonderful space to view art, and of course BUY art.  All of proceeds from the event will go directly to Project Create, enabling us to provide free arts programs to DC’s homeless children.

As I sit down and write our 2009 annual report – hard to believe 2009 is over already! – I am also thinking about our goals for 2010. One of which is to keep our blog a bit more up-to-date AND have our teaching artists, volunteers and students write posts. Not only will give a better sense of what Project Create is all about — who better than the people in the trenches — but it will my life easier. And for you, reading the blog more interesting!

Until our next post, enjoy the new year and the fresh start that comes with it.

Marget Van Horn Maurer
Executive Director