Barat Foundation

Arts in education programming: the Barat Foundation continued developing and producing artist in residence programs, completing several animodules: artist facilitated, community created public art pieces created by schools and communities working directly with professional artists. The Foundation completed its largest animodule sculpture to date: a giant 8' high by 16' long dragon at and with bard college early high school, peoples prep, and bridges high, funded in part by a $10,000 grant from the newark education trust. This was a campus-sharing program, and as such included students and staff from all three schools. The project impacted all three communities, allowing students from all three schools to work together. The magnificent dragon served as a backdrop for the chinese new year celebration at bard college early high school, and is now on permanent display at the school, testifying to the power of shared experience, shared space, and collaboration. A dinosaur animodule was created for dino bbq with artists in residence dorian r. monsalve, elizabeth storm and kaliptus with students from big picture ironbound academy, funded with a $5,000 donation from dinosaur bbq. The bold green dinosaur has been placed permanently outside the restaurant cafe directly next to the prudential center. Seen by thousands of guests and passersby, the sculpture, signed by the students who created it, stands as a welcoming example of the creative talents of newark youth. An animodule in the form of a native american indian carrying a torch was created at east side high school and included over 150 students, each of whom helped both design and produce the sculpture. The project was funded in part with a $7,500 contract from the newark public schools, at east side high school. Artists in residence athena Barat and elizabeth storm worked closely with art teacher melissa montemuino to fully integrate the project into the school's art curriculum, directly involving all of ms. montemuino's art classes. Program evaluation included evaluation of artwork, research, and visual arts core curriculum standards.animodules proclaimed the "official peace ambassadors of newark". The Barat Foundation animodules were proclaimed in june 2013 as "the official peace ambassadors of newark", by the honorable cory booker, mayor of newark. In an official city proclamation, the mayor proclaimed: whereas the Barat Foundation animodules, giant modular sculptures, are an original newark art form first created in 2008 by the Barat Foundation and newark school teacher, terry brewin, working with newark youth, whereas animodules represent the Barat Foundation's mission of "transforming young lives through the arts and innovation", whereas animodules represent a powerful vision of community unity and peace, whereas animodules have proudly led the creation nation art and peace parade, since 2008, the largest collaborative art event in the city, thereby creating a new tradition of "public art by the public" in newark, whereas over 50 animodules have been created by the Barat Foundation in newark by artists in residence working with newark youth, for locations including east side high school, west side high school, central high school, university high school, newark early college high school, bard college early high school, teachers preparatory charter school, bridges high school, big picture schools, belmont runyon school, the park street school, the newark boys chorus school, the yees center, rutgers future scholars, north 13th street vocational high school, newark vocational high school, newark technology high school, fast track academy, the greater newark conservancy, communities in schools, the newark museum, dinosaur bbq, and the newark housing authority, whereas the animodules represent the best of the spirit of the city and the creative potential of her youth in public events at the creation nation art and peace parade, the newark museum, essex county bloomfest, hoopfest, the harlem book fair, the izod meadowlands sports arena, the governor's island peace parade, turtle back zoo, the lincoln park music festival, and the new jersey global yoga mala, whereas the animodules are set to become a national model, making history in educational reform and creating a new vision for public art, i hereby do declare animodules as the official peace ambassadors of the city of newark, representing a powerful vision of community unity and peace, improving the lives of all the residents of this great metropolis, signed by:the honorable cory booker, mayor of the city of newark, njthe Barat Foundation in collaboration with its new sister organization, animodules llc, was commissioned by the essex county parks Foundation to create two sea lion animodules to welcome guests to the newly created sea lion exhibition at turtle back zoo. Funded in part with a $12,500 commission from the essex parks Foundation, the colorful sculptures were created by local artists terry brewin and dan fenelon with students from arts high school and the newark hetrick martin institute after school center. The animodules were inaugurated at the opening of the sea lion exhibition, and were welcomed to the zoo by new jersey governor chris christie and essex county executive joseph n. divincenzo, jr. all of the Barat Foundation artist in residence programs are evaluated by dr. c. michele scott, and include evaluation of the artwork, the research that goes into creating the artwork, and student questionnaire

: 2013 summer program in provence, france: in 2013 the Barat Foundation summer program in provence brought 16 students from all over the world, including two scholarship students from newark, to the south of france for a month long french language, culture and art immersion program. The french program grew to twice its 2012 size, and in 2013 brought in $95,000 in program fees, contributing $24,000 to our general operating costs. Our two scholarship students from newark include a student from arts high school and a student from newark collegiate academy. The program was a veritable united nations including a student from lebanon, a student from china, a student from france, an orthodox jewish student, a muslim student, a student from the dominican republic, and american students from los angeles, boston, westchester county, new york city, Connecticut and new jersey. The program is life-changing for the students, particularly for our newark scholarship students who have never before traveled. Each of our students study french language and culture, and create both group and individual art projects under the tutelage of our french artists and teachers. Several students are also engaged in community service, working with our local village grammar school and teaching english to the french children of the town.

The creation nation art and peace parade: october 20, 2013 marked the sixth annual creation nation art and peace parade. The parade was endorsed both by new jersey governor chris christie and senator cory booker both of whom participated in separate public service announcements to promote the parade. The parade expanded its reach, doubling its length, and for the first time began at teacher's village, moved onto broad street and extended all the way to Washington park, where a youth performing art festival ended the days festivities. Local, national, and international artists participated, led by honorary artist in residence, willie cole. The all stars project of new jersey joined the parade and youth performing arts festival. The people's open mic, the oldest poetry collective in newark led the spoken word portion of the culminating art festival. For the second year, mrs. new jersey was in attendance along with mrs. union and mrs. mercer county. The cicely tyson marching band led the music, supported by art cars, art buses, and 40 animodules. An estimated 2,000+ students participated in the making of the parade, and the youth art festival at its end. The parade was supported by the newark city council and numerous corporations and organizations within the city including rbh associates (teacher's village), the thomas edison Foundation, rutgers newark, edison properties, and united way. An indiegogo campaign was added to raise funds. As the final event of the newark arts council's open door art festival, the parade coincided with the breast cancer march in newark, which brought some 12,000 guests to the city.

After school arts in education programming: the creation nation creator's club after school program: the Barat Foundation with the support of a pse&g after school grant of $10,000, provided an after school program for 30 - lgbtq youth from the newark hetrick martin institute from january through june 2013. The multi-media creators club program included both written and oral poetry, visual arts, animodule making, vogue dancing, fashion design and screen-printing, and entrepreneurship education relating to the arts. The afterschool program impacted our target population by first creating a safe physical and emotional space for the students to work, collaborate and create. Students wrote, performed and recorded poetry; choreographed, performed and documented dances; and created "creation nation" clothing including tee shirts and accessories. Program evaluation was directed by dr. c. michele scott, and consisted of evaluation of artwork, and student questionnaires, in collaboration with hetrick martin staff. As the pse&g program grant was not sufficient to cover a five-day per week after school program, it was decided to modify the original programming from five days a week to two days per week. In addition, hetrick martin staff and volunteer interns accompanied youth to all after school sessions, reducing Barat Foundation staffing requirements, helping to make the creator's club program successful. After school fashion design and arts entrepreneurship program: the Barat Foundation continued working with the newark public schools creating arts immersion programs for the city's youth. A semester-long fashion design workshop including career opportunities in the fashion sector and culminating with a student-created fashion look-book took place at the marion bolden after school arts center. High school students at the center created clothing line, which was then documented in their fashion look book.messages through murals: newark city mural program: the Barat Foundation completed a large-scale mural on first and central avenues, on two adjacent sides of njcri, an aids/hiv support facility, as part of the newark city mural program with a $25,000 city grant. Artist sue daly, working directly with staff, clients and students at njcri, including lgbtq youth from project wow, completed the mural, which includes over 20 realistic portraits of the njcri family. The mural was completed in the spring of 2013, with inspirational words and sayings from njcri applied to the newly painted ground floor windows. The realistic mural tells the story of the organization from its founders to its current clients, expressing the mission of the center to everyone who passes, transforming the building from a drab and lifeless corner to a visual celebration of hope and personal growth. The mural has impacted all who participated including njcri staff, clients, and youth, and all who pass either by car or on foot, who can now understand and appreciate the work of the agency. Program evaluation included interviews, focus groups, and questionnaires from staff, clients, and youth involved in the program. The link school mural: a Barat Foundation year-long artist in residence program created an 8 foot by 12 foot mural with 7th and 8th grade students at the link school in newark, which will remain on permanent display at the school. The mural was created over the entire academic year during free-study periods under the supervision of two artists in residence, karl miller espinosa and ariana Barat. The mural was funded in part by a $3,000 newark arts council art start grant. Evaluation included a documentary on-line blog, and student surveys and questionnaires at the beginning, mid-term, and project end, to evaluate student progress, attitudes, and social development.

Program- art sale