Creating art with and among the community
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No one participant is alike. Each has their own story, and each is on their own path with their own personal goals to achieve and their own hurdles to overcome. Because of that broad range of life and situational diversity it becomes difficult to say with a single response how participants have changed as a result of the arts. It's much easier to give examples.
After participating in Creative Expressions writing classes, some of our participants who previously lacked confidence, went on to submit their poetry to literary magazines and have been accepted. Now they are published writers.
Creating art with and among the community
Q&A with Craig Nowak: Nonprofit Journal Project
MELINDA CLYNES | THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2023
Craig Nowak is the program coordinator of Southfield-based Gesher Human Services’ Creative Expressions, an arts and culture program for adults with mental health challenges and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
What will some of the program offerings be in 2023.
In the first quarter of the year, January through March, we’ll be offering many fine arts classes, including 3D painted sculpture, large-scale drawing, mural painting and mosaic, and ceramics. A photo journalism and creative presentation class will also be available. For those into music, we’ll be collaborating with our long-standing partners at the DSO for music groups in Detroit and Southfield.
In the spring, our folks will be busy with exhibition planning and classes on preparing for art fairs. Our annual Frame of Mind arts event will be in May or June, and some of our folks will be working to exhibit at the Midtown Art Fair.
Programs are added based on participant interest and partner availability. The Creative Expressions Program is always growing, changing, and continuing to add to our list of creative community partners, so I can't predict what we will be doing in the latter half of the year, but we’ll likely have some new programming as well as bringing back some old favorites.
