Hello All :-)
It's June. We're seguing out of our daily workshops and moving towards Summer Programs. We'll have four arts programs; health and fitness programs going on starting in July. The city of Long Beach, its citizens and leadership have come together to support the vision of Living Love in investing in children through the arts. This is a winning ticket. Period. It's good to be somewhere, to live somewhere and work somewhere where that's understood. It's also very humbling. That's a funny thing to say and people look at me sideways when I say it, but like mom used to say, "things aren't always good, so be thankful when they are."
Things are good right now. There is audible, tangible hope in the air. The conversations amongst peers and colleagues are centered around sustainability and the wealth of investing in meaningful relationships that pay in dividends in real ways. It feels like the world is changing and people will have access, have tapped into their access to creating and making the world a place where we all want to live. Now that it's here, that this time is here, I wouldn't know how to imagine any other way of being...it's electric and these are the times that some really wonderful things happen, seeds are planted, take root and change the game.
Paradigm shifting is never easy, well not for me at least :-) but the impact of the shift, of moving from one way of being to another, especially when it involves creating change on the ground in ways that will create long lasting positive impact makes shifting provocative and necessary. It's like waking up every day wondering like "wow, what great thing is gonna happen today? what great flower is going to emerge from the seeds we planted in winter or in the spring?" That's pure, organic magic.
This summer Living Love is bringing together some of the titans of the on the ground arts scene in Long Beach, and working on an open air arts program in one of the most beautiful parks in the city. We'll be at Bixby Park, Tuesdays and Wednesdays and we'll be doing raw food classes and yoga and recylced arts workshops and have guests like Pedal Movement and LB!Creative and working with professional artists who will take their time to teach hand crocheting and t-shirt printing....hosting workshops for the kids and elders. Maribel will be coming from Ventura to lend her special expertise to the children of this community...we are all very excited.
On July 10th we're having a launch and a fundraiser to invite everyone to sample what we'll be doing and who will be there. Bixby Park...probably start around 11:00 AM...
The program will run two full days out of the week. But check it out...the idea of kids who have had little to no exposure to the arts, on their way to the beach from North LBC or the Westside, the idea of them running into a full-on conservatory quality arts program, FREE...in session twice a week, the idea that it could catch their attention, change their lives, make an impression on them that could last a lifetime...give them some hope and help them make some new connections...there is no way to express how lovely it is to be involved with that experience. That these things have come together here...like this...gorgeous :-)
Glad to be a part of it.
Glad to be a part of something good.
See you at Bixby :-)
Ciao Meow
Kelly
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
The Foundation will be at The Aquarium of the Pacific tomorrow for it's celebration of Black History Month. We'll be doing hearts with the several thousand visitors who are gonna roll through from everywhere. Days at the Aquarium and fun, exciting, lots of art and lots of people! It's exciting because we really get a chance to share arts with all kinds of different people from all different walks of life. It's also great because we get to make things with recycled pieces of everything. Great chance to have fun. I remember the last time we were there, for Halloween, I was working with this little boy and while we were picking what supplies he wanted to use, he had the choice of used toilet paper rolls, fuzzy dice, googli eyes, paint, crayon, these crazy leather strips, he was like "I'm getting confused, there are so many things I don't know what to choose," at that moment, when I told him he could choose as many as he wanted and do whatever he wanted to do with them...when he looked up at me with these big wide excited eyes I realized that art is one of the only places where it's appropriate and exciting to do exactly what you want...anything you want. That's why I like the days at the Aquarium, to see kids come through and stop and look and sit and stay and work and create something of their very own...it's alot because there are SOOOO many people and the days are long, but it's worth it.
Long Beach is coming along in general. I am certain that Living Love Foundation will continue to grow here. For the first time, I really feel like we've found our niche. The programs are growing like crazy and there's so much excitement about the mission and what we're doing. It makes all the hard times feel worth it. This April will make four years since we launched Living Love and it's come along way. I'm humbled to see the progress and the way communities have embraced what we're doing. Feels weird to be doing work that is the answer and have it regarded in that way.
This past February 13th, Mom's birthday, we had children and volunteers and consultants having fun in the garden, planting, painting, it was great. The community involvement here in this city is great! I don't think I've lived anywhere where just about everybody is active in one way or another. And in March we're gonna take some of our volunteers and students up north to Ventura to work on the art program at Pleasant Valley. That will be great, I love it when all the different programs get a chance to meet and compare work and styles. Not an easy thing here without solid public transportation. In New York you could get some train passes and get everybody around like that...not so here. But the hard work pays and in the spring when the gardens blossom ( you can already see the little fennel poking its head up in the herb garden) that will be the best :-) all that sweat and toil coming up daisies...the road to beautiful...I mean :-)
Ciao
Long Beach is coming along in general. I am certain that Living Love Foundation will continue to grow here. For the first time, I really feel like we've found our niche. The programs are growing like crazy and there's so much excitement about the mission and what we're doing. It makes all the hard times feel worth it. This April will make four years since we launched Living Love and it's come along way. I'm humbled to see the progress and the way communities have embraced what we're doing. Feels weird to be doing work that is the answer and have it regarded in that way.
This past February 13th, Mom's birthday, we had children and volunteers and consultants having fun in the garden, planting, painting, it was great. The community involvement here in this city is great! I don't think I've lived anywhere where just about everybody is active in one way or another. And in March we're gonna take some of our volunteers and students up north to Ventura to work on the art program at Pleasant Valley. That will be great, I love it when all the different programs get a chance to meet and compare work and styles. Not an easy thing here without solid public transportation. In New York you could get some train passes and get everybody around like that...not so here. But the hard work pays and in the spring when the gardens blossom ( you can already see the little fennel poking its head up in the herb garden) that will be the best :-) all that sweat and toil coming up daisies...the road to beautiful...I mean :-)
Ciao
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
I can't believe it's been a year since we did our first Gallery show up at Bell Arts in Ventura last year. Time flies!
Now we're in Long Beach, preparing for our second toy/art supply/book/clothing give away. The first one was for NOLA, after Hurricane Katrina...these things aren't easy. So many items! We have three hundred kids at the shelters in LBC and I hope that we can have something for each one, and something for children who just show up or are visiting. This is going to tax my organizational skills, but I know we can do it.
The Holidays are the best, most awesome time of year, people can give and not be ashamed. Love and not be ashamed. Be loved and not be ashamed. I guess that's why it was one of mom's favorite holidays too, she definitely passed the gene to me and Chris, that's for sure.
We're working with LBCreative! to do a big winter wonderland on the campus at Cabrillo Villages. Cabrillo houses over 5 family shelters, it's where our children's garden is and our afterschool program. The children just finished planting this week and they were thrilled. I want to get copies of my Strawberry Shortcake book, the one I was fortunate enough to write and have published on the subject of the "Butterfly Garden."
I wrote that right after I'd completed a real butterfly garden with my students in Harlem years ago. It's like a time capsule of all the great work we put into the garden. I want to get some copies of that book and give to all the little gardeners at the shelter...we have about 25 in all. They're a good bunch. Magical...Wish me luck on the toy drive :-)K
Now we're in Long Beach, preparing for our second toy/art supply/book/clothing give away. The first one was for NOLA, after Hurricane Katrina...these things aren't easy. So many items! We have three hundred kids at the shelters in LBC and I hope that we can have something for each one, and something for children who just show up or are visiting. This is going to tax my organizational skills, but I know we can do it.
The Holidays are the best, most awesome time of year, people can give and not be ashamed. Love and not be ashamed. Be loved and not be ashamed. I guess that's why it was one of mom's favorite holidays too, she definitely passed the gene to me and Chris, that's for sure.
We're working with LBCreative! to do a big winter wonderland on the campus at Cabrillo Villages. Cabrillo houses over 5 family shelters, it's where our children's garden is and our afterschool program. The children just finished planting this week and they were thrilled. I want to get copies of my Strawberry Shortcake book, the one I was fortunate enough to write and have published on the subject of the "Butterfly Garden."
I wrote that right after I'd completed a real butterfly garden with my students in Harlem years ago. It's like a time capsule of all the great work we put into the garden. I want to get some copies of that book and give to all the little gardeners at the shelter...we have about 25 in all. They're a good bunch. Magical...Wish me luck on the toy drive :-)K
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
June gloom and still the sun shines through!
June Gloom is in full effect ya'll...can't stop the sun from shining through though and a great hope and love for the future.
This just in!
Living Love Foundation will be walking on over to Long Beach within the year...moving headquarters...living and growing in a culturally diverse, very aware and pretty hip part of Southern California.
Long Beach, its government organizations, grassroots communities and children have shown Living Love Foundation and it's programs, especially Home is Where The Art Is, our program for homeless children and their families, alot of love. We're gonna follow that and head out as soon as we find a home for our great and lovely organization.
Change is the wind...yes indeed. New people, new places, new port...:-)
I guess that means we'll be doing classes in San Diego soon since it's so close...I have to remember to think big, but manageable...San Diego's not that far right?
Ciao Ya'll
This just in!
Living Love Foundation will be walking on over to Long Beach within the year...moving headquarters...living and growing in a culturally diverse, very aware and pretty hip part of Southern California.
Long Beach, its government organizations, grassroots communities and children have shown Living Love Foundation and it's programs, especially Home is Where The Art Is, our program for homeless children and their families, alot of love. We're gonna follow that and head out as soon as we find a home for our great and lovely organization.
Change is the wind...yes indeed. New people, new places, new port...:-)
I guess that means we'll be doing classes in San Diego soon since it's so close...I have to remember to think big, but manageable...San Diego's not that far right?
Ciao Ya'll
Friday, February 13, 2009
Happy Birthday Betty Ann!
My mother was born on Friday the thirteenth, February 1948. It was the day before Valentine’s; in a leap year; during the height of America’s baby-boom.
For me, growing up it was always weird because as we were preparing for her birthday, mom was preparing for Valentine’s Day. And as we were giving mom birthday gifts, she was busy making valentine’s baskets for us for the next day. Chocolates, fruit, stuffed fluffy hearts…sweet loving things.
Somewhere, at some point in my maturation as a kid, I wondered what mom got out of it all. Didn’t it steal Betty Ann’s thunder…a holiday like that being right on top of her birthday?
I got my answer today when made a Valentine’s Party for the kids at our Port Hueneme school. The kids there named the little school house Kingdom of Art and Talent, which for some reason makes me chuckle every time I say it.
The chocolate kisses and tres leche cake and chips and salsa were part of the excitement, but the thrill of sharing a celebration of positivity and goodness, the fact that the world even makes a day for that felt like the balm in Gilead. No joke.
I watched the kids pour in from the street after school, laughing and playing, painting and recycling and brainstorming their valentines cards (my favorite said I LOVE HIM! in bright red and yellow) and sweat me for when the food was gonna be done. I cut up one of those whole rotisserie chickens and one of the Kingdom of Art and Talent School House Living Love students sliced the bread really small and we made these tasty, tiny sandwiches.
I thought back to mom preparing her baskets and readying the house for Valentine’s day and thinking to myself “doesn’t that steal her thunder,” today for the first time ever I realized that mom was celebrating love…for love’s sake…
It was about real love. Just good old, pure love.
The love the kids showed us when they came into the Kingdom of Art and Talent Living Love School House and saw that Tamas and Gloria and Maribel and I had been cleaning and moving things around for days and days to get ready to have a real bonafide place to learn and teach and do art and continue our mission of inspiring them to love themselves…and they said “wo!!! You guys did all this for us!”
The real love when Gloria and Bill, who run the mobile home park, invited us yesterday to use the Art-Energy Program to teach the kids how to install solar panels on their mobile homes, so they can help the environment, save money for their families and learn that the earth has natural resources that they can tap into without hurting future generations.
The love of our web designer Cindy who has worked late nights all this week to bring us an online store so we can share some more oldies but goodies from Betty’s closet, sell some t-shirts and continue our work AND launch on mom’s birthday, Friday the 13th.
The love of my father who has reached out his hand; put his hand in his pocket; and monitored his temper to mentor and train me, Ms. bratty Kumbaya My Lord, into being someone who can have a real, sustainable impact on the world.
My mother’s sister Kathy, who has gurued me to a livable sanity the last three years and some months since mom passed away and Nicole, my mom’s grand niece who just calls to see how I’m holding up on mom’s special days and anniversaries.
The love of the children…pure love, who ask us “can’t Living Love come every day?!!!” My brother Christopher, the combat veteran who patiently hands out little bowls of water and suggests that they shouldn’t dab again in other people’s colors before they rinse their brushes…
Monica who writes grants for Living Love in her sleep from Inwood in New York City and texts me in the middle of the night about her ideas…my boys in Morocco who are waiting for us to return with art classes and smiles…
My mother who travels dimensions when my spirits are low to shine her good light and keen sense of humor on my path and remind me that with pure love, every dream I have ever dreamed for the children of the world can come to be true.
Little Erik who made the beautiful card you see on the face of the website for his mom and dad and put it under his jacket so it wouldn’t get ruined as he rode his bike back to his mobile home after the party.
Tonight as Maribel and I drove away from The Kingdom of Art and Talent School House, bellies full of tres leche cake, Gloria’s delicious potato enchiladas and Hershey’s kisses chocolate, I understood more what mom was doing. How she saw things. And how natural a stroke across God’s palette to birth a child like her to the world who loved love for love’s sake, the day before valentine’s day…at a time in the year…if even for a moment when people organized to celebrate love…and not just the romantic mushy kind. But the kind that can’t have thunder stolen; because it’s love and real love is busy making thunder of its own.
I think these two should share a line…Happy Birthday Betty Ann and Happy Valentine’s Day to the world!
Love You Always-Kelly
My mother was born on Friday the thirteenth, February 1948. It was the day before Valentine’s; in a leap year; during the height of America’s baby-boom.
For me, growing up it was always weird because as we were preparing for her birthday, mom was preparing for Valentine’s Day. And as we were giving mom birthday gifts, she was busy making valentine’s baskets for us for the next day. Chocolates, fruit, stuffed fluffy hearts…sweet loving things.
Somewhere, at some point in my maturation as a kid, I wondered what mom got out of it all. Didn’t it steal Betty Ann’s thunder…a holiday like that being right on top of her birthday?
I got my answer today when made a Valentine’s Party for the kids at our Port Hueneme school. The kids there named the little school house Kingdom of Art and Talent, which for some reason makes me chuckle every time I say it.
The chocolate kisses and tres leche cake and chips and salsa were part of the excitement, but the thrill of sharing a celebration of positivity and goodness, the fact that the world even makes a day for that felt like the balm in Gilead. No joke.
I watched the kids pour in from the street after school, laughing and playing, painting and recycling and brainstorming their valentines cards (my favorite said I LOVE HIM! in bright red and yellow) and sweat me for when the food was gonna be done. I cut up one of those whole rotisserie chickens and one of the Kingdom of Art and Talent School House Living Love students sliced the bread really small and we made these tasty, tiny sandwiches.
I thought back to mom preparing her baskets and readying the house for Valentine’s day and thinking to myself “doesn’t that steal her thunder,” today for the first time ever I realized that mom was celebrating love…for love’s sake…
It was about real love. Just good old, pure love.
The love the kids showed us when they came into the Kingdom of Art and Talent Living Love School House and saw that Tamas and Gloria and Maribel and I had been cleaning and moving things around for days and days to get ready to have a real bonafide place to learn and teach and do art and continue our mission of inspiring them to love themselves…and they said “wo!!! You guys did all this for us!”
The real love when Gloria and Bill, who run the mobile home park, invited us yesterday to use the Art-Energy Program to teach the kids how to install solar panels on their mobile homes, so they can help the environment, save money for their families and learn that the earth has natural resources that they can tap into without hurting future generations.
The love of our web designer Cindy who has worked late nights all this week to bring us an online store so we can share some more oldies but goodies from Betty’s closet, sell some t-shirts and continue our work AND launch on mom’s birthday, Friday the 13th.
The love of my father who has reached out his hand; put his hand in his pocket; and monitored his temper to mentor and train me, Ms. bratty Kumbaya My Lord, into being someone who can have a real, sustainable impact on the world.
My mother’s sister Kathy, who has gurued me to a livable sanity the last three years and some months since mom passed away and Nicole, my mom’s grand niece who just calls to see how I’m holding up on mom’s special days and anniversaries.
The love of the children…pure love, who ask us “can’t Living Love come every day?!!!” My brother Christopher, the combat veteran who patiently hands out little bowls of water and suggests that they shouldn’t dab again in other people’s colors before they rinse their brushes…
Monica who writes grants for Living Love in her sleep from Inwood in New York City and texts me in the middle of the night about her ideas…my boys in Morocco who are waiting for us to return with art classes and smiles…
My mother who travels dimensions when my spirits are low to shine her good light and keen sense of humor on my path and remind me that with pure love, every dream I have ever dreamed for the children of the world can come to be true.
Little Erik who made the beautiful card you see on the face of the website for his mom and dad and put it under his jacket so it wouldn’t get ruined as he rode his bike back to his mobile home after the party.
Tonight as Maribel and I drove away from The Kingdom of Art and Talent School House, bellies full of tres leche cake, Gloria’s delicious potato enchiladas and Hershey’s kisses chocolate, I understood more what mom was doing. How she saw things. And how natural a stroke across God’s palette to birth a child like her to the world who loved love for love’s sake, the day before valentine’s day…at a time in the year…if even for a moment when people organized to celebrate love…and not just the romantic mushy kind. But the kind that can’t have thunder stolen; because it’s love and real love is busy making thunder of its own.
I think these two should share a line…Happy Birthday Betty Ann and Happy Valentine’s Day to the world!
Love You Always-Kelly
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
It is December 17th, 2008.
The bitter sweet days of magagazine production have come to a close. It wasn't like there was all this time to celebrate afterwards though...we dropped it to gotham press over there by Samy's in Los Angeles on Fairfax and then hit Canter's for some matzo ball soup.
Then we had to turn right back around (in the rain-it was wilin' that night)for Ventura for a meeting with PoP and the lovely ladies of Musician's Answer (whose kids will be performing at our show on this weekend). We needed to go over details of the show for Saturday the 20th and preparation for a later venture in March at the Canyon Club.
Exciting times.
Musician's Answer is the dream baby of Olympia DeCarlo and is featured in this issue, the eARTh issue of Kids Love Arts magazine...I've seen these young people in rehearsals and just this past Saturday at the sound stage in the Valley. They're a great group of kids, talented and sweet and very excited about performing for their peers. Maybe Kids Love Arts can get on the mic with them and do some of the poetry from the magazine. That will be exciting for everybody!
Today though, more promotion, calling, organizing and working on the texture of the Saturday show...texture is euphemistic language for food and music and gift bags for the kids...little things, as emeril would say to kick it up a notch
Have to work out some donations :-)
Headed to the gallery now to scoop Maribel (still raining here in Cali and windy like back home in CHI)
All this and there is preparation for our show in Long Beach with the children of Home Is Where the Art is on January 10th...We're meeting with that gallery space the Tuesday before Christmas. Our Long Beach children and their families will be here on Saturday the 20th, God willing. I can't wait for the kids in different programs to meet!
How exciting...one day when we have an arts school in addition to the love on wheels classes we do, wow that'll be the best...til then nose to the grindstone and feet on the ground. that's my new saying for myself...with as many ideas as i have and all the energy that swirls around me between the kids and the work and the feeling good with the work...i need it-
keep your nose to the grindstone, feet on the ground curry! when it's tiime to take off and fly...i'll be able to enjoy the ride.
Anyhow, have to hit the road on this blustery california day to go talk to the parents and kids of Rancho Sespe in Filmore about the show and see which ones have the nerve to get up on stage and do some poetry at the show and like mama used to say work with joy...which is what we need more of on a gray day like this. l8r alligator ;-) K
The bitter sweet days of magagazine production have come to a close. It wasn't like there was all this time to celebrate afterwards though...we dropped it to gotham press over there by Samy's in Los Angeles on Fairfax and then hit Canter's for some matzo ball soup.
Then we had to turn right back around (in the rain-it was wilin' that night)for Ventura for a meeting with PoP and the lovely ladies of Musician's Answer (whose kids will be performing at our show on this weekend). We needed to go over details of the show for Saturday the 20th and preparation for a later venture in March at the Canyon Club.
Exciting times.
Musician's Answer is the dream baby of Olympia DeCarlo and is featured in this issue, the eARTh issue of Kids Love Arts magazine...I've seen these young people in rehearsals and just this past Saturday at the sound stage in the Valley. They're a great group of kids, talented and sweet and very excited about performing for their peers. Maybe Kids Love Arts can get on the mic with them and do some of the poetry from the magazine. That will be exciting for everybody!
Today though, more promotion, calling, organizing and working on the texture of the Saturday show...texture is euphemistic language for food and music and gift bags for the kids...little things, as emeril would say to kick it up a notch
Have to work out some donations :-)
Headed to the gallery now to scoop Maribel (still raining here in Cali and windy like back home in CHI)
All this and there is preparation for our show in Long Beach with the children of Home Is Where the Art is on January 10th...We're meeting with that gallery space the Tuesday before Christmas. Our Long Beach children and their families will be here on Saturday the 20th, God willing. I can't wait for the kids in different programs to meet!
How exciting...one day when we have an arts school in addition to the love on wheels classes we do, wow that'll be the best...til then nose to the grindstone and feet on the ground. that's my new saying for myself...with as many ideas as i have and all the energy that swirls around me between the kids and the work and the feeling good with the work...i need it-
keep your nose to the grindstone, feet on the ground curry! when it's tiime to take off and fly...i'll be able to enjoy the ride.
Anyhow, have to hit the road on this blustery california day to go talk to the parents and kids of Rancho Sespe in Filmore about the show and see which ones have the nerve to get up on stage and do some poetry at the show and like mama used to say work with joy...which is what we need more of on a gray day like this. l8r alligator ;-) K
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Today is December 11, 2008...which means we have nine days...eight more days I guess :-) to get ready for our gallery show and finish the second issue of Kids Love Arts. We've been working really hard on it lately, three days straight with naps in between...lovely, beautiful magazine production.
If it weren't for the kids amazing, beautiful artwork and poems "i touch heaven...i touch the sea...i worry about my mom...i cry that i can't see my dad...i am cool...i say what's up...i try to be nice...i hope one day i see my dad..."if it weren't for that and knowing how happy they will be to see their work in print...the way that that one thing will change their lives and impress them with their own power...i don't know if could bare the stress and the sleepless nights.
Maribel is really the one with the hardest job though, designing and organizing the images and the look...with the pressure of the last publication on her mind (i dont' know that, i'm just saying i might feel that way if i were her). I just try to keep cafe con leche and good treats and food flowing :-) it's better than learning how to use a mac...
It's amazing though the way the children's work, our initial concepts about the curriculum for classes and of course Betty Ann's ideas and attitudes about love and giving back have come together to be one thing.
It's all very genuine. The more I live the more I see how necessary that is for real positive, sustained movement. I thank God and marvel that a lot of great things, ideas, concepts, prayers, love and people have aligned to make something really, really, really beautiful :-) K
If it weren't for the kids amazing, beautiful artwork and poems "i touch heaven...i touch the sea...i worry about my mom...i cry that i can't see my dad...i am cool...i say what's up...i try to be nice...i hope one day i see my dad..."if it weren't for that and knowing how happy they will be to see their work in print...the way that that one thing will change their lives and impress them with their own power...i don't know if could bare the stress and the sleepless nights.
Maribel is really the one with the hardest job though, designing and organizing the images and the look...with the pressure of the last publication on her mind (i dont' know that, i'm just saying i might feel that way if i were her). I just try to keep cafe con leche and good treats and food flowing :-) it's better than learning how to use a mac...
It's amazing though the way the children's work, our initial concepts about the curriculum for classes and of course Betty Ann's ideas and attitudes about love and giving back have come together to be one thing.
It's all very genuine. The more I live the more I see how necessary that is for real positive, sustained movement. I thank God and marvel that a lot of great things, ideas, concepts, prayers, love and people have aligned to make something really, really, really beautiful :-) K
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