There was a lot going on this week at ACA! I came on Tuesday to help plan more of the bird mobile project and discuss future plans. I worked on cutting and attaching wire to the wooden poles that I helped paint last week while Bethany punched holes through many of the painted birds. We also met with one of the handymen who is helping figure out the best way to construct and attach the mobile. Bethany found some swivel clasps that we are going to use to allow more movement in the mobile while still maintaining stability. Once we had figured all of that out, we went across the street to the Arts on Douglas gallery to get a TV screen we would need for the event later in the week. 

On Thursday, I did not go into the office but I had taken home some of the wire and poles so I continued to cut pieces and wrap them around. Working with wire is pretty difficult, but I managed to get all of the pieces securely attached in intervals using some pliers. Once we get all the birds attached, it will look much better than it currently does with just some lines of wire sticking out. 

Much more exciting, the 3rd annual Arts and Wellness Academy took place over Friday, Saturday, and Sunday! I couldn’t go Friday due to classes, but I attended the whole day on Saturday and Sunday. I actually wanted to attend this last year but couldn’t, so getting to help and attend it this year was super exciting! The goal of the academy is to help others build arts and wellness workshops based off of some of the the techniques ACA uses. They featured speakers with all different experiences to discuss what they do for their workshop and we had a chance to brainstorm our own ideas for a workshop. Some sessions included expressive art journaling, a sound walk, the Spotlight painting workshop, using art for those who are grieving, breathing techniques, and Tai Chi. There was a very diverse range that encompassed many different forms of art for many types of audiences. I took notes and learned a lot from the speakers. One thing in particular that stuck with me is how every single person incorporated breathe work into their workshop. They all made sure to start with deep breathing to allow everyone to calm down and practice mindfulness, which seemed to help everyone relax and become more involved in the workshop itself. I was given a certificate of completion for the academy which is very cool and will be a good experience to share with others in the future. I have some plans in mind for my senior project and am going to try to incorporate some of what I learned into it.