Building Bridges Art Exhibit

LSA Comms — Tue, 18 Dec 2018 15:04:33 +0000

December 2018 — Our Building Bridges of Hope art therapy group for mothers held an exhibit of work created over the course of the fall. The projects created represent the growth that each mother experienced as she processed her feelings through clay, photography, sculpture and doll-making. They express messages of courage and hope.

Building Bridges participants, group leader Monica Sanchez, and art therapy interns

HUMMINGBIRD “I have a tattoo of a hummingbird. Aside from it’s meaning, it is a beautiful bird. It goes from to flower–the nectar of life–to survive. I want it to live in an open space, all green, with trees, a waterfall–the sounds of water and of nature are what calms me the most. I painted you purple because it represents calm and fills me with life, with light. The hummingbird, for its beauty, flies free, looks for what it needs and returns to nature.”

DOVE “A messenger in white, carrying an olive branch — I read about it in the bible. It is a symbol of paz. There are so many battles. Many need peace but it doesn’t exist; they have lost it. I feel differently. New things are coming from me. I want the dove to live in the mountains, the white clouds and the blue sky.”

BUTTERFLY “From the caterpillar comes something as beautiful as a butterfly. It learns to survive and is so delicate. Like butterflies, we should learn to take flight and learn to be happy. I want it to live in a tranquil place, in a harmonious forest.”

A doll making project. Group participants were interviewed about their dolls. Diana described her doll as “trying to find who she is by exploring her life struggles and survive through that.” She is brave “because she has no choice.”

“I never had a doll. My mother was never able to buy me one. Now, at last, I have my doll and her name is Esperanza (Hope) because I still have faith in better life, to get what you want.”

A project for the Day of the Dead, honoring loved ones

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Yarn Painting Workshop with Mano a Mano

LSA Comms — Wed, 06 Jun 2018 18:58:03 +0000

On Thursday, Mano a Mano joined parents in our nursing and art therapy groups to lead a yarn painting workshop through it’s Mexico in New York program. They made Wixara-inspired yarn paintings. Through the program, mothers in our Building Bridges art therapy group have also learned how to make a Tsikuri yarn object (“el ojo De Dios”) and paper flowers inspired by Mexican folk art traditions.

The yarn paintings are inspired by the visionary art of the Wixarika (Huichol) people native to the Mexican states of Durango, Jalisco, Nayarit and Zacatecas. Using multicolored yarns, each participant created a unique artwork based in traditional designs.

Our art therapy workshops target mothers in the community. They offer the women who participate an important opportunity to connect with each other and with their own thoughts and emotions through the vehicle of self expression.

Mano a Mano: Mexican Culture Without Borders is a New York-based non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating Mexican culture and promoting the understanding of Mexican traditions. Mexico in New York is a program designed to bring Mexican art and culture to classrooms and community groups. All activities include a lecture on the history of the tradition followed by a workshop or live music and dance performances.

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art therapy Archives - LSA Family Health Service

Building Bridges Art Exhibit

Yarn Painting Workshop with Mano a Mano