The Dynamic Duo!

I am very excited that two of the very best art educators will be leading projects with me in Uganda in November! I met Amanda Batson and Rebecca Schaefer in 2008 when they jumped in full force, assisting me with a Talking Mural Exchange and Art Workshops for the first part of this project to promote bark cloth - thus earning their nickname.

They are teaming up yet again to recreate these art programs for the community in Masaka Uganda.

Just a little more info about these two:

Amanda is currently pursuing her thesis at the University of Texas at Austin in Art Education. She will conduct part of her thesis during this trip; looking at the effectiveness of these types of art programs and cross cultural exchanges, such as the mural exchange.

Rebecca is art teacher extraordinaire at Rasor Elementary School in Plano, Texas. She is taking leave of her teaching duties for 2 weeks to travel to Uganda to lead the Talking Mural Exchange. This week, she began working with her students to create the first part of this project - a mural on canvas that is to be sent to Uganda for the exchange (more details to follow).

The Bark Cloth Players...

Before I launch into writing about my project, you should know who I am working with. I have been blessed to know and work with very talented and dedicated people whose commitment to art, education, and Uganda have inspired me.

Fred Mutebi is a talented artist and founder of Let Art Talk, an arts organization whose focus is to use art as an educational tool, empowering communities. He was a visiting artist at the University of North Texas in 2008 - creating a beautiful collaborative print, working with the local community on a Talking Mural project, and lecturing. He took our work back to Uganda, enabling what we started at UNT to reach a larger Ugandan community, including the Uganda National Museum. The attached photo shows our Talking Mural from the US.

Please visit his websites, www.fredmutebi.org and www.letarttalk.org and you will see why I am so excited to work with him.

In the next post, I will highlight another great team member!

Turning a new leaf... in time for autumn

My IAA fellowship this semester has given me a unique opportunity to fully commit to my work in Uganda. As I make preparations for the projects in Uganda in November and the exhibition at the UNT Art Gallery in March 2011, I have been able to interact with interesting people, learn about important organizations, and continue to find connections that bark cloth has to people and places I would not have expected.

It has been interesting to look back on the last few months - what a unique journey this has been.

I thought that as I continue to plan, prepare, and learn, that I would open up my journey with you ( I will make up for the time lost). I want you to learn about the people, projects, and just plain interesting things that are going on in my world.

So I may reflect back, look forward, and post as I go...