My Marwen

How has your involvement with Marwen helped you see the world differently?

 

"Not only has Marwen allowed me to explore various art mediums and partake in art making activities, but it has also given me the opportunity to see and do great things. The best thing about Marwen is the opportunity they provide to young people, who otherwise wouldn't find it anywhere else.

"Marwen gave me hope for the future of the arts, and helped me see, firsthand, the benefit of humanitarian work. I hope that one day I will be able to use art to help people the same way Marwen does."

- Anthony Ladson, student

 

"I think Marwen students see things differently without compromising their own individual gifts. I think Marwen students come with creative impulses that Marwen teachers then channel into disciplined, constructive and thus more creative endeavors. Marwen students learn to 'see' the value of working long and hard at a project in order to find its truest incarnation. They see that they have been given gifts others have not. They see that it
would be irresponsible to squander those gifts. They see that, as artists, they have a important contributions to make to our world that others are incapable of making. They see that they are citizens we need and value.

"The Albert Pick Jr. Fund naturally assumes that if a grant is good for the grantee---it is also good for the Fund. A good grant, for us, expands the horizons and vision on both sides. As a funder, I am not impatient. I do not expect to see instant results. If a nonprofit feels pressured to produce 'good results' in record time---those results often come by shortchanging the long creative process that generates true improvement. In the worst case, those results are often manufactured to fit the funder's needs for validation. I trust our grantees believe that we trust them and that all involved will benefit in the long run, in ways we perhaps do not at first understand or envision."

- Cleopatra B. Alexander, Executive Director, The Albert Pick, Jr. Fund

 

"Marwen is a second family to me and fifteen years later I still feel at home. While it did take time to assemble the pieces of the puzzle, I discovered the significance of the arts to my mere existence. Marwen helped me define my interests, build my confidence, and carve my own path. Not only did I establish an artistic career, but I am connected to an extraordinary group of creative thinkers and progressive individuals. I am honored to be connected to Marwen, and hope I will be an inspiration to a multitude of young artists that continue to walk through its doors.

"My experience at Marwen nourished my passion for visual arts through active participation in classes and interaction with students of similar interest yet different backgrounds. Marwen elevated my curiosity about the world---seen and unseen. Marwen empowered not only my imagination, but provided a roadmap to an actively creative personal and professional life. Although I could always see myself in the arts, I never understood the range of possibility. Through mentorship by staff and career planning opportunities, I reached my tipping point for realizing those ambitions. As a lifelong designer and Marwen alumna, I can confidently say every act and thought is an art form. We simply cannot live without it."

- Akilah S. Williams, Communications Officer, Crown Family Philantropies, Marwen alumna and donor

 

"I have realized the importance of artistic education in kids' lives because each year, I see Marwen's students develop self-worth and confidence through their studies and then achieve in life from it."

- A.J. Jindal, Senior Associate, DLA Piper, Marwen volunteer and donor

 

"I think as artists and educators we often forget how important community is. I watch the students over the course of a term strengthen their sense of community as Marwen students, which later becomes apparent when they become Marwen alumni. It definitely shapes my perception of my place in the arts community as a teaching artist and a working artist. And, quite honestly, the student work is amazing. I was talking with visiting educators in the main gallery, and I asked what they thought of the student work. They were in genuine shock that the work in the gallery was not 'adult' work. It's always amazing to see the level of work on par or exceeding anything 'adults' would make and the reaction it evokes from viewers.

"I hesitate to use the term 'work' at Marwen because teaching, participating and engaging critically intertwines pedagogy and studio art practice into an experience. Marwen students are partners in the process, whether that process is a dialogue or art making. As collaborators you can engage each other's narratives, especially in instances where the students' narratives differ from your own and when they make critical choices you wouldn't necessarily make in their position. As an artist, this pushes my practice into places that I wouldn't normally travel to and places that are often uncomfortable and scary to engage in artistically, but that in the long term are immensely rewarding.

- Hilesh Patel, teaching artist

 

"I think one way Marwen helps students see things differently is that there are a lot of misconceptions about the world of art and being an artist, and a lot of this is wrapped up in a cultural context. At Marwen students get close to people who do art; there is proximity to a real, functioning environment where artists work and exist.

"Also Marwen helps students become specific about what might be next for them. Being aware that college is an option is one thing but also Marwen helps them get to the next level of decision making. They start with college ambition and move it to the next level of specificity."

- Carlos Martinez, Design Principal, Gensler, Marwen trustee and donor

 

"Ed and I fund Marwen because it fits into our philosophy of teaching people to fish rather than giving them a fish. You never know when a spark is going to touch a person's life and Marwen can help students begin to develop the skills that can be used in the workplace. What always impresses me is the discipline Marwen provides: kids have to show up, be on time, stick to it. These are things everyone needs to know how to do."

- Carol Kaplan, donor

 

(Images, from top: Anthony Ladson, Cleopatra B. Alexander, Akilah S. Williams, A.J. Jindal, Hilesh Patel, Carlos Martinez)