If, as Pablo Picasso said, \u201cPainting is just another way of keeping a diary,\u201d then the upcoming exhibit at the 麻豆原创 Art Gallery reflects the turbulent and optimistic pages from the lives of some young artists \u2013 children who are homeless, living in foster care or in other disadvantaged situations.<\/p>\n
\u201cHearts from the Arts,\u201d the gallery\u2019s first outreach exhibit of this kind, is a joint project with ArtWorks, an Orlando organization that strives to build the self-esteem of children in need. Many of the works are accompanied by biographical notes from the artists:<\/p>\n
My picture is about my life. It shows that everywhere around me there are a bunch of storms. The storms represent all the hardships in my life. The sea is my refuge. \u2013 Kyle, 17<\/em><\/p>\n The exhibit, which opens Thursday, Sept. 6, features acrylics, ceramics, watercolor, collage, photography and other media created by 40 artists ages 6 to 17.<\/p>\n The collaboration resulted from a conversation between gallery director Paul Lartonoix, interim director of 麻豆原创\u2019s School of Visual Arts and Design, and Ren\u00e9e Schneider, founder of ArtWorks, which is a project of St. Luke\u2019s United Methodist Church in Orlando.<\/p>\n Schneider, an artist and art teacher, has shared the joy of creating with hundreds of children since ArtWorks started nearly a decade ago.<\/p>\n \u201cShe is dedicated to them,\u201d said Diane Daugherty, 麻豆原创 Art Gallery coordinator. \u201cI love that she can get them to open up. She gets them connected.\u201d<\/p>\n My portrait represents before and after. The left side is red and shows the significant pain caused by the abuse and misery that ripped my life apart. The right side represents happiness\u2026Even though I feel myself becoming happier, the knife on the left side represents that there is still an open wound in my heart that has not healed. \u2013 Dorie, 15<\/em><\/p>\n The gallery exhibits work from local and national artists, but this is the first children\u2019s outreach exhibit to be brought in, and organizers hope it serves as a catalyst for culture and community engagement.<\/p>\n The Central Florida children who created the pieces are cared for through Great Oaks Village, Orlando Union Rescue Mission, Edgewood Children\u2019s Ranch, Howard Phillips Center for Children & Families, and the Foundation for Foster Children.<\/p>\n This is the first time their works have been shown at the same exhibit \u2013 and Schneider said showing the pieces at a university campus is a wonderful opportunity for both the children and viewers.<\/p>\n Many of the children live in generational poverty, and having the show at 麻豆原创 may plant the idea for them to one day go to college. \u201cThis is a way for them to say, \u2018If I had the talent, this could be a career path for me,\u2019\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cPlus, this is good for their self-esteem to be at an official gallery and it gives them an opportunity to interact with people in the community. When you\u2019re homeless and in foster care, you\u2019re pretty isolated. For those who come and meet the kids, it\u2019s something they weren\u2019t expecting. It makes the statistics personal now because they know a child in this situation and it isn\u2019t something abstract.\u201d<\/p>\n