Art & Activism
Students in projectART classes use creativity to help others
Wimberley’s projectART recently partnered with The Leaning Pear and Wimberley Fig Tree as part of an “Art as Activism” class. Co-founder and board member Jennifer Ober led a class of 4th - 6th graders in the process of designing and screenprinting canvas tote bags. The bags will be available for purchase at The Leaning Pear in Wimberley with all proceeds going to Wimberley Fig Tree, a nonprofit providing nutritional support to children who are experiencing food insecurity. Created by Ober, the class aims to educate youth on the importance of engaging within their community to affect positive change.
Fig Tree Bags
The Fig Tree Bags project began with a presentation by Christy Youens of Wimberley Fig Tree, where students learned about food insecurity among members of the community, as well as the support that Fig Tree provides to students over weekends and during school breaks.
From there, participants designed images that highlight the importance of nutrition, community support and the connection between physical health and school success. Students then learned how to create screens and print their artwork on canvas totes. Each student made two bags to keep and 10 more to be sold by The Leaning Pear to raise funds for Wimberley Fig Tree.
Empty Bowl Project Students created two clay bowls and learned two different clay-building techniques. After glazing the bowls with food-safe glazes, the students were able to choose one bowl to keep and one to donate to the Empty Bowl Project, an organization that raises 65% of the annual budget for the Dripping Springs Helping Hands Food Pantry.
Self-Directed Linocut Project As a final project, each student chose an issue important to themselves and then created a linocut carving printed in the final class.
To register for projectART classes and camps, visit the website at projectartwimberley.org. Registration for summer camps is currently open.
To learn more about Wimberley Fig Tree, visit the website at wimberleyfigtree.org.
To learn more about the Empty Bowl Project, visit drippingspringsemptybowls. org.
projectART is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to supporting art education and providing creative opportunities for area students.
Founding members include art teachers, art professionals and parents who believe art is an integral part of a child’s development. We understand that the fine arts provide students with opportunities to explore their creativity and self-expression, as well as use critical thinking skills and self-motivation to excel in all areas of their learning. projectART nurtures and inspires young artists, supports diverse learning and innovative thinking, and provides real-world experiences that give area students the tools to pursue their creative ambitions and meaningfully contribute to their future communities.
