Enjoy seeing how the arts are affecting people's lives in so many different ways? This weekend, starting Thursday, April 3, 2014 through Sunday, April 6, 2014, Loyola Marymount University is hosting a symposium where representatives and artists who are sharing their art and their lives for the greater good can share their experiences with you. There will be so many different artforms, including but not limited to visual art, dance, music, film, writing, etc. 

I will be sharing the experiences I've gained through teaching with ArtSMART, a program run by the CalArts Community Arts Partnership (CAP), Los Angeles Department of Mental Health, and Los Angeles Department of Probation. For the past two years, I have been working with minors that are serving their probation inside of probation camps where they eat, sleep, study, and receive treatment. Through ArtSMART, I have been teaching West African drumming and sometimes dancing, as well, at these probation camps. The students not only learn about another culture and how to play some of the instruments, but they also pick up various social and life skills in a fun way, without really realizing it.

Come join myself and others who have experienced working prisons, juvenile halls, and probation camps, doing various art forms, trying to make a difference. We will be presenting our portion "Doing Time" on Sunday, April 6, 2014 from 11am-1pm in the Barnelle Theater nearby Foley Hall. The event is free to everyone and parking is $10.