Where can you go to see every-day household items like paper plates, egg cartons, and coffee filters transformed into beautiful pieces of art? At The Cabbage Patch of course!
On May 10, The Cabbage Patch was pleased to share the hard work of a group of talented young artists during our 2013 Spring Art Show, held in the lobby of the Polly Williams Art Center at The Cabbage Patch.
Members of the Art Education program helped Cabbage Patch members create the unique pieces featured in the show. Their range of work included paintings, paper-mache, needlefelting, as well as individual portraits and drawings. Each piece in the show was unique—just like the member who created it.
“The most rewarding part of this job is sitting down with a child who says they ‘can’t draw’ and taking the time to work with them individually and show them how much potential they have.”
Perhaps the most prominent feature of the show was “Gill”—a giant paper-mache fish that the children worked on together as a group project . “Gill” was the center of an ocean-themed corner, which also included watercolor fish paintings and indigo scarves hand-dyed by Cabbage Patch members using the Japanese Shibori technique.
Elizabeth Smith, a Recreation & Youth Development Specialist for The Cabbage Patch, led the young artists in creating each piece that was featured, and said she drew from Pintrest for much of her inspiration for the various projects.
“The most rewarding part of this job is sitting down with a child who says they ‘can’t draw’ and taking the time to work with them individually and show them how much potential they have,” said Smith, who previously worked at the Chicago Botanical Garden. “You don’t have to give them a lot of instruction—just a little bit—and suddenly the child creates something they never thought they could, and they are so excited and proud to display their work.”
On the night of the art show, several children who have gone above and beyond in the Art Education program were recognized and given art supplies so they could continue their artistic endeavors.
Art Education is one of the many ways The Cabbage Patch seeks to give our members unique opportunities and experiences. Of course, we want them to be kids and have fun too. When asked why she enjoyed working on the art show, one award recipient (who had proudly taken the member of the staff around to each of her pieces) answered with a big smile, “I just like it.”
