February 17, 2023: If you could be the president for a day, what would you do? What one-time executive order would you declare? Our teaching artist Sharmila Karamchandani asked our Casa Chirilagua kids that question, while ingeniously encouraging them to create a 3D log cabin, just like the one President Lincoln grew up in, out of index cards (how in the worlddoes she come up with these amazing ideas)? Sharmila also discussed with them how President Lincoln’s parents were poor and he borrowed books to educate himself and with determination and hard work he became a United States president. Lesson? No matter your circumstances, you can do and become anything you want to!
That executive order? Here’s what these kids would do:
1) “The first thing I will do is kick out all the boys out from US”
2) “I will end poverty”
3) “I will end homelessness”
4) “I will remove all the rules”
5) “I will make everything free”
6) “I will build more playgrounds”
7) “I will make education free”
Some really good ideas here. Maybe they need sharing with our political leaders.
November 16, 2022: Just because you haven’t heard from us in awhile doesn’t mean we aren’t hard at work! And we’ll bet no one has worked harder these last few months than our Heard artist teacher Sharmila Karamchandani! Our partner Casa Chirilagua specifically asked for her when their after school program, Fun Fridays, started up again late last August. It was challenging, we told her – she would have two half-hour periods with up to 19 kids each (yes, each. For a total of 38 in a hour!). Could she do it?
Why of course she could! And when it was time to bring in a new art program (we usually switch out every month or two), the kids weren’t having it! They wanted Miss Sharmila, and she’s with her kids til Christmas break. And maybe after that? Who knows?
What we do know is that these kids love her! And we have proof – when a scheduling conflict caused a few kids to miss her class, one little guy had a meltdown at his desk. And why wouldn’t he? Each week Sharmila figures out how to get them to create something fun and interesting in just 25 minutes, using things most of us toss out – paper plates, toilet paper holders, paper bags, and straws. Add some paint, markers, and glue, and voila! Magic!
We’ve compiled a short “best of” here. Can you match the photo to the project?
A. Divers-city: creating inclusive buildings. This is a superman school where kids learn how to become superheroes.
B. Flying saucers from paper plates. This is a party saucer. No reports of abductions.
C. An owl from a toilet paper roll. (We’re all saving our TP rolls now in case she needs more).
D. Straw painting.
E. Abecederians (I had to look that word up).
F. Another Diver-sity building from a boy who always includes a bird in his drawings. Always.
What do you get when you mix our art teacher Sharmila with dozens of elementary school kids from Casa Chirilagua? Why, puppets and sculptures and imagination, oh my! So much to share here! Where to start? Let’s start with Alberto Giacometti, one of the most important sculptors of the 20th century whose work was particularly influenced by Cubism and Surrealism styles. Giacometti was best known for the bronze sculptures of tall, thin human figures, made between 1945 to 1960. Sharmila introduced him to the Casa Chirilagua kids, gave them some pipe cleaners (tall and thin, get it?) and off they went! We just had to share the octopus video, and we love how proud she was of her creation. And the earrings, of course. One must be properly accessorized.
Puppets were on the docket the second week! It’s amazing what kids can create with paper bags, crayons, glue, and a free imagination. Love the blue eyeshadow and eyelashes on the puppet below!
We were beyond excited when our partner Casa Chirilagua wanted to bring back “Fun Friday” with us! We had started Fun Fridays with them earlier this year, then had to cancel when that Friday time was needed for homework help after school re-opened. Starting Fun Friday was double good news – it was a chance for us to bring art and creativity to these cute kids, and they didn’t need as much homework assistance. High fives all the way around!
The setup was a new one for us: Three 30 minute classes for 13 kids in grades 1 – 5. Whew! That’s a lot of kids in a short amount of time! And of course we delivered! In fact, our art teacher Sharmila Karamchandani told us quite a few times how much she loved working with the kids – their innocence, their openness, their freedom of expression.
For the inaugural project Sharmila asked them to draw gratitude trees – who and what are you grateful for, and write that on your branches. And armed with colored pencils and plenty of paper, the kids drew us mommies and daddies, raspberries, owls, and friends. Here’s a few photos to make you say “aaaaawwwww.”
Imagine if you created your Tibetan Prayer Flag, with your own affirmations. Tibetan Prayer Flags are traditionally believed to bring happiness, peace, prosperity, good fortune, health and victory over obstacles. Who doesn’t want that? The residents of Friends of Guest House created their own flags on August 23, 2021 under the loving direction of our amazing Sharmila Karamchandani. Take a look at these videos and photos, and listen to the powerful messages these brave women created for themselves.
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