Every summer, we partner with the South Dallas Cultural Center during their five-week Summer Arts at the Center. The students, ages six to fourteen, learn about African history through a broad array of classes such as creative writing, digital photography, printmaking, sculpture, mural-painting, and dance. Programs with the DMA have included artmaking workshops and tours of the Museum’s African galleries and special exhibitions. Last summer, the teens created an interactive presentation on the summer’s topic, the Middle Passage. This summer, a different group of teens is developing a new interactive presentation on their topic, African gateway communities in the Americas, with an emphasis on Haiti.
The teens meet twice a week with DMA staff for two hours, both at the Center and at the DMA. Their presentation is shaped by what they have learned in their classes, and they determine as a group the content and layout. With one week left in the program, they have gathered all of their research, selected artworks from the DMA’s collection, and chosen the layout. Next week will be spent building their presentation. Check our Web site next month to view their completed project!
Dominique and Sasha research Haitian traditions.
Takaziah reads about the Haitian Revolution. Her partner, Renicia, is traveling this week.
Eric writes Fun Facts about Haiti while Craig searches for images to include in the presentation.
Melissa Nelson
Manager of Teaching in the Community
