Community Service

Art is a multifaceted and influential form. It doesn’t always have to be hung up on a wall somewhere in a famous museum to be considered powerful. Whether art is seen by workers walking on the streets or the curious faces of chubby cheeked children, it can always make an impact. To me, the beauty and impact of art are intertwined, though I do not think they are the same. This Community Service page seeks to encourage perhaps some contemplation on how art can impact a community. Art can be used to cheer up a white-walled room in a hospital or to bring peace to wrinkled hands hardened by age. Below are some ideas to use your way of seeing the world to maybe expand the someone else’s horizons.

Sketch Book Posters

Creating art can brighten up many people’s days and has been proven to have positive effects on the brain! A fun way to include your community in art making is by creating a sketch book page for your community to color. You can draw designs onto poster to be hung up on the walls of nursing homes, hospitals, and other community places. Below are some before and after photos of my sketches that have been colored by seniors at a local assisted living space:

Home Decor Paintings

Many nonprofit organizations that help the community are always looking for good wall art. Saranam, for example, is a two year housing organization that provides an apartment to a homeless family filled with all the essential home goods. And nothing could better decorate the walls than some homemade decor paintings. Art can be impactful if you take the time to design, paint, and frame some nice homely paintings for your local nonprofit housing organizations. It also does not have to be limited to paintings, art pieces such as sculptures, ceramic bowls, and many others would be lovely as well. Below is a simple decor painting of a cactus that I made for a Saranam apartment.

Chalk the Walk

During quarantine, many schools have elected to go online while faculty and staff still arrive at school to work in their classrooms. Though students cannot be on campus for their classes, they can still arrive for a few minutes during the day to write some inspirational quotes onto the sidewalk for their teachers! Below are a few example pictures of what you can write to brighten up teachers’ days! Though this example is with school faculty and staff, you could write quotes with chalk wherever it is allowed such as on your driveway for your neighbors and friends.