This was my last week interning for ACA! On Tuesday, I helped Bethany paint over many of her old canvases so she can reuse them in the future. Afterwards, we spent awhile brainstorming emails to various people to figure out next steps for our project involving the Doris Leeper Spruce Creek Preserve. We had already drafted an email to the management at the trail, but needed to contact Nancy (who is the head of ACA) and Eve to address specifics and ask advice. Bethany showed me a bit of what goes into drafting a proposal for a project such as this and explained the importance of collaborating. In this case, many other people may have ideas or other pertinent information that could influence our proposal, so while we did create a draft, more discussion needs to happen before it can be submitted. Even afterwards, discussion will continue as more specifics are decided on. She is also going to try to find a grant that can help fund this project or try to partner with a group in Volusia that focuses on preservation. Bethany sent me a copy of our proposal draft that I will be including in my portfolio.

On Wednesday, I drove over to Beachside Rehabilitation Center since a few members of the group of improvisational musicians called “OneBeat” was putting on a small concert there. These musicians are currently visiting ACA and although they had only been together for a few days, were able to play together harmoniously. I was honestly so impressed by how well they blended their sounds with no planning! Each of them had a very unique instrument and showed everyone what instrument they used. Each one on its own was beautiful, but hearing them come together was exceptional. The patients who were there also thoroughly enjoyed the performance and stayed very engaged. Many of them commented on how beautiful the music was and asked for a recording. Seeing them smiling was so impactful since they don’t often get experiences like this. 

Although my official internship has ended, I will still be helping finish up some of our projects moving forward. I am very excited to see how they will turn out and have been apart of them. 

On Tuesday of this week, I was at Harris House with Bethany where we met two other staff members to discuss the bird project we’ve been working on. They were able to find slightly different materials from what we had been using, so they wanted to redo some of the mobile. Bethany was not particularly happy about this since we had already spent a lot of time on the project and we had to go back and undo the paint and wires for the rods. Additionally, she did not agree with some of the artistic changes that would be implemented. Originally, Bethany was drawing inspiration from Alexander Calder to create this mobile but feels like her vision has not been brought to fruition (between the materials she was given by maintenance workers and the new suggestions this late into the project). In the end, she is still helping but actually removed her name from the project and is letting the other team members take more liberty with what they want to do. 

I was able to see through this experience how collaborators on a project can respectfully disagree and how this type of situation may be navigated appropriately in the workplace. Personally, there are parts of the mobile being changed that I like (such as adding a stiffer type of wire) and parts that I don’t like as much (such as adding laminated fake leaves). I did help on Thursday and Saturday by taking off the wire I previously put on and repainting the rods to look like tree branches at the request of other team members. I also helped trace more birds to be added and someone else will be cutting them out. 

In addition to my other tasks on Thursday, I also helped Bethany draft an email to the project managers at the Doris Leeper Spruce Creek Preserve. We asked if they would like to collaborate on a project to make maps/directions more accessible through signs and physical maps or QR codes while incorporating info on Leeper since she is directly correlated with both the preserve and ACA. She is not going to send it out yet since she needs to check on another project about the preserve involving ACA that may influence this, but we have the email saved for the future. 

On Saturday, I came to nature sketch club where Bethany had set up a still life and was teaching people how to go about drawing it. She always tells people that they are free to sit inside or walk around outside, leaving the choice to them. I think being open to people doing their own thing is really important when it comes to workshops like this, since many people attending feel like they do not have significant artistic skill but want to try it. Allowing them to choose freely what they want to do takes the pressure off of doing the “right” thing and feeling confined to the “assignment.” On the other hand, giving them some sort of direction (such as setting up an optional still life) can help people who may not know where to start. Regardless, she remains very encouraging to those attending. 

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. 

This week I went to Harris House on Tuesday to help with the “Put a Bird on It” event. To recap, Bethany received a grant that is allowing her to put together a bird mobile with the help of the community and bring awareness to the native birds. This day specifically she had two people from the autobahn society come to speak on scrub jays and barred owls. I honestly really enjoyed learning about these birds a bit. I discovered barred owls only ever travel about 6 miles from where they are hatched and scrub jays look similar to blue jays, but are larger and behave differently. Everyone used paint pens to color one of those two birds Bethany and I had previously traced and cut out of fiber glass. Everyone’s turned out so well, I think the final project will look great.

On Wednesday, I went back to help at the Beachside Center for Rehabilitation. We had a group of elderly patients and gave them a picture of reference to water color paint. Some struggle more than others, so I sat beside a woman and helped her throughout. She seemed to have adequate motor skills but was struggling cognitively, so she stuck to painting on top of the picture that was already printed out instead of the blank page. I gently encouraged her and helped remember what color she was using and what she could do next. At one point, she seemed to be giving up but I helped figure out what else she could add. She seemed happy with her picture by the end and everyone gave positive feedback about her piece. It was really great to see how being able to bring even just a few minutes of happiness to these patients made such a difference. 

I went back to Harris House on Thursday to help paint the rods we will be using to hang the bird mobile and spray sealant on the rods/birds. We also brainstormed some about the teen center I had researched activities for previously (it’s called “Me in Progress). I gave her some of my ideas and she particularly liked the idea of a mural everyone could work on together, so we are going to continue to think of what we could do. Bethany also let me know that her grant for the Center for the Blind project got approved which is very exciting. She said the projects will cover multiple 4ftx8ft spaces on the walls. This project won’t come together for awhile, but both of us are looking forward to how it will turn out. 

Sorry this entry is posted late, I meant to have it up a few days ago but the past week was incredibly busy with other assignments. Regardless, on Tuesday, I helped set up for a big fundraiser ACA has every year called “Horsin’ Around.” The fundraiser takes place at main campus and involves both silent and live auctioning of experiences and artwork. I specifically helped set up a bunch of jewelry and wearable art on a table using stands and place cards. I had to clean off the stands before we could use them which took awhile, but everything looked great at the end. 

The event itself took place on Sunday so I showed up then to help as well. When I got there, I was immediately put to work helping people park. They have a lot of parking, but there were SO many people at the fundraiser that all the lots filled up and people ended up having to park on the street. I got a chance to check out some of the other work that was being auctioned and there were some really amazing pieces. My favorite was a picture of a lighthouse in the night, but the whole landscape was a very beautiful purple and it was placed in a gold frame that really brought out the colors. After we took a break, I helped Bethany some more by clearing glasses off of tables and cleaning up around the area. We also got a chance to hear some of the auction process, which was impressive. The people who come to the fundraiser are very willing to give a lot of money to the organization (especially when they’ve had a few drinks). I know Bethany is relieved to have another major event done, but now we are looking ahead to the arts and wellness academy coming up! 

Last week was super busy! I helped set up for the World Forum of Acoustic Ecology conference and help with tasks while it was going on. On Tuesday, I helped Dr. Wolek and other students set up a few of the rooms to prepare for exhibitions. Each room required a lot of wiring and although I wasn’t sure how it all worked, I was impressed with the team for understanding how to hook up all of the equipment. Every room needed speakers as well as other electronic equipment such as TVs or audio files and computers. It took way longer than I thought, I was there for about 5 hours and we set up 3 rooms in that time. It definitely gave me an appreciation for even hooking up cables properly haha. I also learned a great tip; leaving a black cord out in the sunlight will soften it enough to pull it straight and achieve a cleaner look. I’m glad that we were able to help the center with all of that so they did not have to deal with it on their own.

On Thursday, I went back and helped Bethany with some miscellaneous tasks such as taking attendees to their room and making sure the cafeteria was clean. I was also able to sit in on a conversation between two attendees who were discussing the dichotomy between the natural earth and technology and whether technology actually influences nature as much as nature influences technology. It was great to hear these interesting points of view that I hadn’t thought about previously. I wish I could have attended some of the conference segments myself, but last week was extremely busy (I had multiple essays, a quiz, and presentation, and some assignments all due) so I couldn’t stay longer than necessary.

Then, I came again on Saturday for nature sketch club. We had about 4 people come to sketch and it was a very beautiful day to sit outside. I worked on my stippling technique through drawing a large oak tree. I also ran into Professor Underriner who was setting up speakers for an event that evening and got to introduce myself (I took his wife’s ceramics class last semester).

Overall, this was definitely a busy week but I was incredibly glad I could help out and that the conference went well for everyone 🙂

Last week, Bethany was gone on vacation so she gave me a couple things to research. I spent my free time looking up ideas for activities to do with teens that involve both art and exercise and options to put trail signs at the Doris Leeper Trails near New Smyrna.

For the first part, Bethany told me that there is some sort of recreational center being built in the area that will offer teens a place to hang out after school and offer resources. She is hoping to set up some sort of workshop with them at some point that not only includes art, but also exercise since that is a big part of wellness, especially for teens. Some ideas I came up with to share with her are to take a walk around the area and sketch what everyone sees, a game where students have markers accessible at different parts of the room to draw and once music stops or a while blows, they run to find a new location or different marker, and alternating physical activities with small art projects. I’m not exactly what direction she wants to go with this, so I’ll show her my ideas and see what she likes.

In terms of the trails, this is a more complicated situation. Basically, the founder of the trails is also the founder of ACA so they are connected. The trails do not have good signage and it’s easy to get lost (plus there’s no service to look up directions). I tried to look up criteria for trail signs, examples of ones in other locations, and found information about these specific trails online that could be used on signs. 

We also hosted the Spotlight workshop on Saturday. This week was a small turnout, likely due to spring break. We discussed Brice Marden, who is a minimalist abstract artist. Some of the paintings we observed by him included grey, dull backgrounds with brights lines curving around the page. Bethany discussed the paintings and the idea of abstract minimalism before turning things over to the group. While there is always a theme, Bethany makes sure to let everyone know they have creative freedom when it comes to their art and everyone is welcome to take a different direction. I personally took the central idea but did not try to imitate the artist in my painting. I was able to have conversations with a few different people about my major and how I’ve been able to pick the classes that best suit the direction I want to go. 

This past week, I helped Bethany with many smaller things at the Harris House location of ACA.

On Tuesday, we discussed upcoming events and I scheduled Facebook posts for any events happening in March. Then, we searched awhile for a website that sells pool noodles in bulk because a teacher at a school near there (I think middle school) is planning a project with the art classes and needed supplies. They already have most of the supplies they need but couldn’t find the pool noodles (I’m curious about what these will be used for). I also assisted Bethany in gathering the supplies someone needed to host an event this upcoming Friday called “Painting for Wellness.” Normally Bethany is the one running this event, but since she is on break this week, someone else is filling in for her. We put together boxes with aprons, paint, brushes, easels, and canvases that participants will use. I have unfortunately not been able to attend this workshop since I have a school commitment during that time on Fridays, but I hope I’m able to go someday and see exactly how Bethany ties in wellness with art.

Then on Thursday we needed to measure the dimensions of the gallery space in Harris House for the staff to figure out where exactly they could place artwork. We took measurements of all the walls and then spent awhile inputting the numbers onto a floor plan (and then figuring out how to print it and enlarge it and copy it and fax it…). Even though things like this seem tedious, it is so necessary to plan accordingly since not having space for artwork after you thought you would could be disastrous. I’m glad that I could help her create a cohesive floor plan that they will be able to use in the future! I then added some more survey responses into the system. I ALSO sent out a mass email informing people about the Arts and Wellness Academy coming up in April. I really wanted to go to this last year but couldn’t, so I am very excited that I will be able to help out this year. This academy is meant to train people in the field of arts and wellness, so it is perfect for me given my major in art therapy. I really felt like we accomplished a lot on Thursday and I know Bethany was glad to have gotten so much done before her trip this week.

This week, I accompanied Bethany to the Westminster Assisted Living Facility in Winter Park. Bethany started the workshop by having each person introduce themself to the group. This allowed for everyone to be more comfortable with each other as we began. She then had everyone participate in some light stretching exercises, such as twisting wrists and ankles or rolling shoulders. I think this is a great example of how to be cognizant of the age group one is working with and the abilities that they have, since she structured these activities around what they could do and what would be beneficial for their health. Once everyone was done, we went through the same activity that we had used for the Center of Health and Wellbeing, which involved a discussion of the painting of shoes by Vincent Van Gogh. The point of this exercise is supposed to get people to discuss their past profession or job and if there is any object to represent it. There are materials such as pens, pencils, markers, and paint sticks available to use on a blank piece of paper or on the b&w image printed out. A large part of workshops like these is encouraging people to get involved in any way, even if they do not follow the directions exactly.

On Saturday, I went to the main campus of the Atlantic Center for the Arts for nature sketch club. On the 4th Saturday of the month, Bethany has people come for an hour to walk around the campus and follow a general prompt. This time, she wanted everyone to take note of the plant life around the area and sketch, draw, paint, or color. She and I put out all kinds of materials such as watercolor paint, oil pastels, pencils, charcoal, and pens. Everyone took an hour to sketch and came back to compare. It was great to see how everyone tried different materials and different styles. Many people are insecure about their art, but still have a great time trying something new and enjoy taking time to attend on a Saturday.

Last week, Bethany was shadowing another employee and learning more about curating, so I did not go in to help with anything.

This week however, I came in Tuesday to help with a few things. I started by inputting survey card responses into a spreadsheet so they can keep track of what kinds of people are attending their workshops throughout the month. Then, I helped Bethany research options for a project with the Center for the Visually impaired. They are hoping to create artwork that can cover the walls in the center, so we brainstormed what kind of materials could be used to create a textured art piece. This was pretty enjoyable for me since I was able to take time and think about how each material might feel, how hard it would be to place, and what we would need to do to secure it. I find it intriguing how art can be experienced so many different ways and especially that those who may not be able to do so one particular way can still experience it in others.

On Saturday, we hosted our Spotlight event again. This is a painting workshop that is open to all ages and skill levels. Bethany normally pulls inspiration from an artist and uses that as a prompt so that everyone has a place to start. This month, she discussed the artist Alex Katz. Katz paints stylized portraits, so we were encouraged to draw portraits during the workshop. Although not everyone did exactly that, it was a calm atmosphere that allowed for creative freedom and everyone was encouraged to express themselves through their artwork. I invited my friend Natalie to come with me so we both took part in the workshop and painted a portrait of ourself or someone else. I made sure to observe the way Bethany interacted with each person and spent time encouraging them or helping them figure out the next step. Many people are very hesitant to paint in general and particularly when it’s of themself, but everyone tried to encourage each other which was nice to see.