sunblossom
Sunblossom is an evolving volunteer skill share between myself and kids who are refugees from Burma. Since their arrival in Houston 3 years ago, we've made art once a week.
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Art Bikes
A series of workshops in collaboration with James Ciosek in which the students built, decorated, and earned their own art bikes. The project culminated in an exhibition at labotanica, an inaugural ride around Emancipation Park, and riding in the 2011 Houston Art Car Parade. -
Conversations with Contemporary Burmese Artists
Skype talks between refugee youth community leaders and amazing artist activists Htein Lin and Chaw Ei Thein were followed by art projects in response to their methods. Read the New York Times article about them at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/world/asia/13prisoners.html?_r=1. -
Mural
A collaborative mural composed of drawings by 75 refugee youth from Burma illustrating their old and new homes. -
Bone Making Party
In collaboration with Naomi Natale and One Million Bones, I hosted a Houston Bonemaking party to protest current genocides, raise money for displaced victims, and raise awareness about the refugee populations living in our city. We made skulls from recycled milk jugs, as well as bones from soap, wax, flowers, plastic bags, paper towel tubes, and newspapers. onemillionbones.com -
Art Class
We've done multiple projects including painting, batik, paper mache masks, collage, origami, a field trip to the Houston Museum of Fine Art, and a portrait drawing class taught by accomplished local Karen artist Sar Moo Lay. As Burma's military junta loses power and the country slowly opens, we've focused on collaborative projects imagining our own theme parks, schools, and cities. These kids were born in refugee camps outside of Burma but may be one of the first generations able to return to their home states.

