Midwest Special Services — Hannah Foster — Adults—4 hours
This Friday I had the opportunity to spend some more time with the artists at MSS! Friday was different from other days that I have spent at MSS because folks did not switch programming groups after lunch—so almost everyone who was working in the art area before lunch also was there after lunch (most folks at MSS move between areas and have some time to be alone away from the groups, but at the beginning of each day everyone signs up for with areas of programming they would like to be in). Friday afternoon there was a moment when there were around ten artists working in the art area, which was really exciting because usually there is more like six folks working at a time. Most everyone was focused on independent projects. I spent some time with M., an artist who often does colorful marker drawings with some assistance with switching colors and taking on and off caps. M. was interested in working with a new medium and Hannah suggested he add to a collaborative piece that had been started earlier in the week. We decided to do some weaving into this collaborative piece, and to make the process more accessible, I taped the string down to a light wooden shuttle, covering all sides because the wood was not finished and I didn’t want him to get any splinters. Then I held the canvas over M.’s lap as he pushed the shuttle through, and once the shuttle was through I would ask if he would like me to rotate the canvas or not and we would continue. M. was learning a new skill (weaving) as well as seeing the ways multiple mediums can be used to create a dynamic piece. As we were working together I thought about my own experience in my weaving class that I am taking at MCAD, and the ways I had altered the process to make it more accessible to myself, and I considered how valuable it is to integrate my own personal practices or what I am learning with what activities I bring to the groups I teach.
