Early Childhood Conference – March 13, 2010
Chabot College and Las Positas College will be hosting an early childhood conference on March 13, 2010 at Chabot College in Hayward. The theme: Our Focus: The Child & Creciendo Juntos: Educadores, Niños y Familias. This conference is specifically geared toward early childhood professionals who educate or care for infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children.
Maya will be presenting some of the lessons of her Claiming Face curriculum and how to use creativity as a tool for self-empowerment. She will also be selling and signing her children’s books and art prints at the conference. Her presentation is scheduled for 11:10am – 12:30pm on Saturday.
Conference Details:
Saturday, March 13, 2010
8:00 am—5:00 pm
Chabot College
25555 Hesperian Blvd. Hayward, CA 94545
Sponsored By:
Chabot College
Las Positas College
Every Child Counts
First 5 Alameda County
More information and to register for the conference visit their website.
Hope to see you there!
Filed under Conferences | Tags: children, Claiming Face, conference, creativity, empowerment, family | Comment (0)Letting Go to Express
I went to Almaden Elementary School in San Jose in January. It was one of those visits that leaves me feeling very happy. I enjoyed an especially full day because I got to come into contact with basically every kid in the school. This meant 3 big assemblies and 2 preschool readings. The last assembly was the older kids, 4-5th grade, so besides my presentation we got to do a project together. I’m always moved by the generosity and exuberance of childhood and what children show in their art. But this time what I was most moved by was the very last question of the day. We only had time for one more. Thankfully I called on this boy who asked, “How do I let go and express my emotions in my art?”
I swear it was like having a plant in the audience to ask the most beautiful question possible. I get asked a lot, a lot of things, but this was unique. This question seemed Continue reading »
Filed under Maya in the Classroom, The Creative Process | Tags: children, Claiming Face, creativity, empowerment, presentations, school visit | Comment (0)Maya’s Art in the Children’s Book Illustrators Exhibit Jan 13th-April 3 at Sun Gallery
Maya will be showing the original art from her books, My Colors, My World, I Know the River Loves Me, Nana’s Big Surprise and Animal Poems of the Iguazu at the Children’s Book Illustrators Exhibit at Sun Gallery in Hayward, CA. She will be joined by other talented illustrators such as Carl Angel, Elisa Kleven, Jessel Miller, Paul Tong, Jane Wattenberg, Ashley Wolff and students from Chabot College’s Children’s Illustrators Class. The exhibit will run from January 13th through April 3rd with a book signing and reception scheduled for Saturday, February 20th. Prints of her illustrations will also be available to purchase at the gallery with a portion of the proceeds going to support this non-profit art gallery.
Sun Gallery is located at 1015 “E” Street near downtown Hayward, California. The exhibit is open Wed-Saturday 10:30-4:30 and was designed with schools in mind. A School Tour can be scheduled for $125 per class of 33 students and includes an art project.
ABOUT SUN GALLERY
Hayward’s longest standing non-profit arts organization established its prominent Art Education Program, Gallery Shop, and year-round series of highly respected artistic exhibitions to enrich the cultural life of our community and promote art as the universal language between cultures, income levels and ages. More information about the Gallery, the exhibit and driving directions can be found on their website.
Look forward to seeing you at the opening on February 20th!
Filed under Art Exhibits | Tags: art exhibit, children, illustrations, opening | Comment (0)Two Boys
There are moments that stand out when I visit schools. Moments that stick with me and become part of my stories. There are a number of kids through the years that have never left my side. I can see them still, remember our interactions. I imagine many must be grown up now and I wonder how they’re doing. They’re the ones that remind me the most of myself. Their lesson my lesson, my lesson their lesson. They reflect some aspect of my own experience although it’s not always obvious to me at first.
When I go into schools these days I don’t often get to work with the kids closely. Things are far more assembly oriented now, but any time there’s a chance I still try to make art with kids. Although now it’s not in a classroom but a cafeteria or library, and I’ve got 200 kids instead of 30. It’s definitely a different kind of interaction. But within the parameters I still try to get some of my message across and be fully present with the kids. I know there’s something I understand about being a kid and being stressed out on many different levels. Art served as a great tool for me as a stressed out kid and now I’m old enough to talk about it. What is important to share about art and creativity to me is how it can support kid’s understanding of how to use it as a tool. A tool to process their experiences, create personal reflection and know and empower themselves. When I do get to work with kids, the projects are geared to ground my philosophies which are rooted in my experience as a bi-racial, child of color dealing with a number of serious stressors.
I only have a few moments to provide an opportunity to use art like this so the projects have to be simple and fertile. In these assembly settings I have a current, favorite project. I ask the kids to draw a picture of their self. There are only two requirements. Completely forget you know what you look like and share something about yourself that I cannot see by looking at you. I ask them a few questions to explore what we cannot see when we look at someone. Can you tell who I love by looking at me? Can you tell what scares me? Makes me angry? Where I came from? In my imagination I have huge deer horns. I can feel them, can you see them? I tell them since they don’t know what they look like, they can Continue reading »
Reading the World Conference
UPDATE February 16, 2010: Unfortunately it looks like the economy continues to take its toll. Due to low registration for Reading the World this year, the conference has been cancelled. We are disappointed as Maya was looking forward to presenting at what has been in the past a very enjoyable event. On a positive note, you can still find us at The Early Childhood Conference at Chabot College in Hayward, CA, March 13th and also at the Día de los Niños / Day of the Child event in April at the JFK Library in Vallejo, more information on these events coming soon.
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The University of San Francisco’s School of Education sponsors a yearly conference called Reading the World, A Conference Celebrating Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults. Maya has presented at this conference in past years and will again be presenting at the 2010 conference that will be held March 6 and 7th in San Francisco. Her presentation will focus on the importance of reflection and bringing creativity into the classroom as a tool for empowerment.
The Reading the World conference brings together educators, students, illustrators, authors, Continue reading »
Filed under Conferences | Tags: conference, presentations, Reading the World | Comment (0)
