Project: A multi faceted process of building community and making history that includes the collaborative development and creation of an installation by the Duke Ellington School of the Arts community, and staff from the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. Participants explore building community and making history, through a number of contemplative, educational, and creative practices. Seven-workshop/art making periods that emphasize portraiture served as individual multi-disciplinary learning/teaching exercises to create four collaborative art works. The workshop exercises modeled the action of building community and resulted in objects that document Peace. Two of the works are permanently displayed at Duke Ellington School of the Arts and two were shown at the National Portrait Gallery as a part of the Portraiture Now: Framing Memory exhibition May 25, 2007 – January 6, 2008. Theme: By creating spaces for participants to express their individual selves in an inclusive and peaceful way, there is the creation of a loving community that highlights the individual’s role in our collective history. Concept: The first aspirations of the Building Community, Making History collaboration were outlined thorough group phone meetings, regular email dialogue, and a visit to the National Portrait Gallery and Duke Ellington School months before the workshops together. A synthesis of preliminary educational, social, and logistical realities became the inspiration for the seven-day workshop curriculum, and subsequently the final four collaborative works. Through sequentially structured exercises, and the use of group generated rubrics and peer-to-peer review methods, the participants themselves will define the conceptual intentions of the work and literally make the art objects. By each participant directing their learning/teaching based on material from previous workshops, the art highlights the interconnectedness of the past, present, and future. This inclusive cycle of reflection, action, reflection in each workshop then exemplifies, “…the individual’s role in their collective history,” a theme of the National Portrait Gallery’s Portraiture Now: Framing Memory exhibition - of which this project was catalyzed. All of the activities for fun and growth in the process of creating the Building Community, Making History Collaborative Project are occasions for collaboration. Social collaboration transcends individual privileges where separate expectations are replaced with equality, and collective self-interest. By creating experiences of dynamic demographics, with exercises that everyone can create in, there is a collective unification, a support of new community that is inclusive in its being. At the center of these exercises for positive shared experience is an artistic representation of community and Peace. Method: Each participant will begin by making photographs, drawings, and statements regarding community and peace in a series of 135-minute block class periods. Outcomes from the first four workshops, including learning about digital media, drawing with non-traditional materials, and creative writing on artwork from upcoming National Portrait Gallery exhibitions will be converted into self portraits by each participant on reflective paper. By creating self-portraits, the individual is directly represented. By making and showing the self-portraits together, the participants magnify their voices in community. By being on reflective material the portraits show the interconnectedness of everyone. Participants are then invited to collaboratively project a series of drawings created from photos taken during the previous Building Community Making History workshops, as well as images taken at Duke Ellington that document community and peace. These large main drawings will be projected onto four large prepared polyester sheets 17.5 L’ X 4’ each, hung in the halls of Duke Ellington. The large, collaboratively drawn images will accompany a selection of quotes from the previous assignments that relate to the theme of building community and peace. This initial transfer of smaller drawings to the large-scale works is a unifying experience that helps to connect participants deeply to the project as well as serving as an engine for interpersonal connection, healing, and joy. Thursday January 25 the Building Community Making History Collaborative Project crescendos with a celebratory session of coloring, personal dialogue, and community connection. The Duke Ellington School of the Arts Community and staff from the National Portrait Gallery will collaboratively color drawings and text that have been generated and projected the previous days on the prepared polyester sheets hung in the school hallways over the reflective self portraits on mirrored paper. The final product of this project will be 4 large collaborative colored drawings of images of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts Community, and staff from the National Portrait Gallery practicing peace, and a selection of large quotations hung over reflective self portraits on mirrored paper that explore community and peace. This project aims to empower the entire school community by beautifying Duke Ellington and the National Portrait Gallery with art works that feature images of themselves and their history, that they are directly involved in creating. Day of Dialogue of Reflection On Friday January 26, 2006 participants reconvene for guided writing and talking about the project and what we learned about building community and peace. This group dialogue is a way to contemplate the experience more deeply, and complete the pedagogical cycle of introduce, study, and recall to enhance learning. The National Portrait Gallery Portraiture Now: Framing Memory Exhibition The National Portrait Gallery will include two of the works from the Residency in an exhibition entitled “Portraiture Now: Framing Memory” from May 25th through January 6, 2008. Schedule Thursday January 18 – Workshop 2:00 - 4:15 Defining Collaboration and Peace Contemplative Exercise – Mindful Raisins Introductions Community and Peace Rubric Presentation of introduction, my history, portraiture, and community Packets Digital Camera Worksheet Digital Camera Pass Around, Photos Ending Reflection Friday January 19 – 2:00 to 4:15 The Narrative of Portraiture
 Contemplative Exercise – Mindful Oranges Before and after narrative exercises using Kerry James Marshall, Tina Mion, Alfredo Arreguin, and Faith Ringgold images Looking to See, Drawing Exercises Create prepared polyester drawings Ending Reflection Monday January 22 - Workshop 2:00 – 4:15 The Community and Peace History of You Contemplative Exercise – Tadasana, Sun Salutations, and Vrkasana. Peace and Community Questionnaire Projections of Polyester Portraits on reflective paper w/Quote Added Ending Reflection Tuesday January 23 – Lunchtime 12:00 – Projections Continue Workshop 2:00 – 4:15 Collaboration: Being the change we want to see Contemplative Exercise – Yoga Asanas Learning through Photography presentation Learning through Photography looking and writing exercise Photo Documenting Community and Peace in Groups Wednesday January 24 - Workshop 2:00 – 4:15 Installation: Practicing Multi Disciplinary Models of “Third Space” Contemplative Exercise – Yoga Asana Begin Multi disciplinary installation in Ellington by preparing walls Projection of 4-8 original works on 4 pieces of prepared polyester 17’. 5” X 4’ Ending Reflection Thursday January 25 - Workshop 2:00 – 4:15 Collaborative Community Coloring Day Contemplative Exercise – looking back/sitting meditation Collaborative coloring of images with pastels on 4 17’. 5” X 4’pieces Ending Reflection Friday January 26 - Workshop 2:00 – 4:15 Reflection and Assessment Contemplative Exercise – looking back/sitting meditation Ending Assessment Exercise Ending Reflection Exercise Gallery Exhibition Work Includes: Large projected drawings from Duke Ellington School of the Arts With Participant Statements integrated into the work Images from the Building Community, Making History Collaboration Documentation from the seven Building Community, Making History Collaborative Project workshops Opening%20-%20Portraiture%20Now%20Exhibition%202007.htmlshapeimage_1_link_0
Building Community, Making History Collaborative Project Duke Ellington School for the Arts & The National Portrait Gallery Washington D.C. January 18 – 26, 2007
Project Pages: Complete Narrative Building Community Making History Collaborative Project Exhibition Portraiture Now Framing Memory Daily Workshops Day 1 Defining Community and Peace Day 2 The Narrative of Portraiture Day 3 The Community and Peace History of you Day 4 Visual Literacy Day 5 Defining Community and Peace Day 6 Witnessing Transformation Day 7 Building Community, Making History Background Links National Portrait Gallery Duke Ellington SchoolSlideshow%20-%20NPG%20and%20Ellington%20Complete%20Narrative%20.htmlSlideshow%20-%20NPG%20and%20Ellington%20Complete%20Narrative%20.htmlSlideshow%20-%20NPG%20and%20Ellington%20Complete%20Narrative%20.htmlSlideshow%20-%20NPG%20and%20Ellington%20Complete%20Narrative%20.htmlOpening%20-%20Portraiture%20Now%20Exhibition%202007.htmlOpening%20-%20Portraiture%20Now%20Exhibition%202007.htmlOpening%20-%20Portraiture%20Now%20Exhibition%202007.htmlOpening%20-%20NPG%20and%20Ellington%20Thurs%20Jan%2018,%202007.htmlOpening%20-%20NPG%20and%20Ellington%20Thurs%20Jan%2018,%202007.htmlOpening%20-%20NPG%20and%20Ellington%20Thurs%20Jan%2018,%202007.htmlOpening%20-%20NPG%20and%20Ellington%20Friday%20Jan%2019,%202007.htmlOpening%20-%20NPG%20and%20Ellington%20Friday%20Jan%2019,%202007.htmlOpening%20-%20NPG%20and%20Ellington%20Friday%20Jan%2019,%202007.htmlOpening%20-%20NPG%20and%20Ellington%20Monday%20Jan%2022,%202007.htmlOpening%20-%20NPG%20and%20Ellington%20Monday%20Jan%2022,%202007.htmlOpening%20-%20NPG%20and%20Ellington%20Monday%20Jan%2022,%202007.htmlOpening%20-%20NPG%20and%20Ellington%20Tuesday%20Jan%2023,%202007.htmlOpening%20-%20NPG%20and%20Ellington%20Tuesday%20Jan%2023,%202007.htmlOpening%20-%20NPG%20and%20Ellington%20Tuesday%20Jan%2023,%202007.htmlOpening%20-%20NPG%20and%20Ellington%20Wednesday%20Jan%2024,%202007.htmlOpening%20-%20NPG%20and%20Ellington%20Wednesday%20Jan%2024,%202007.htmlOpening%20-%20NPG%20and%20Ellington%20Wednesday%20Jan%2024,%202007.htmlOpening%20-%20NPG%20and%20Ellington%20Thursday%20Jan%2025,%202007.htmlOpening%20-%20NPG%20and%20Ellington%20Thursday%20Jan%2025,%202007.htmlOpening%20-%20NPG%20and%20Ellington%20Thursday%20Jan%2025,%202007.htmlOpening%20-%20NPG%20and%20Ellington%20Thursday%20Jan%2025,%202007.htmlOpening%20-%20NPG%20and%20Ellington%20Friday%20Jan%2026,%202007.htmlOpening%20-%20NPG%20and%20Ellington%20Friday%20Jan%2026,%202007.htmlOpening%20-%20NPG%20and%20Ellington%20Friday%20Jan%2026,%202007.htmlOpening%20-%20NPG%20and%20Ellington%20Friday%20Jan%2026,%202007.htmlhttp://www.npg.si.edu/http://www.ellingtonschool.org/home/index.htmlshapeimage_4_link_0shapeimage_4_link_2shapeimage_4_link_3shapeimage_4_link_5shapeimage_4_link_6shapeimage_4_link_8shapeimage_4_link_9shapeimage_4_link_11shapeimage_4_link_12shapeimage_4_link_14shapeimage_4_link_15shapeimage_4_link_17shapeimage_4_link_18shapeimage_4_link_20shapeimage_4_link_21shapeimage_4_link_23shapeimage_4_link_24shapeimage_4_link_25shapeimage_4_link_27shapeimage_4_link_28shapeimage_4_link_29shapeimage_4_link_30shapeimage_4_link_31