And....we're off! Summer JAMS 2008 Begins

Day One of Summer JAMS has begun!

21 artists ages 14-18 years old, new faces and very familiar faces as well, start off the summer with drawing and painting techniques ala Cathy Ledeker. In just a matter of days they will all get their bench assignments and begin meeting with bench clients. We don't waste any time!

Unveiled!

Check out the final result of all the hard work by JAMS apprentice artists over the spring session. The totem project, "Reduce, Reuse, Remember," was unveiled to great acclaim at the Lawrence Earth Day celebration on April 19. Some of the pieces will be auctioned at What Floats Your Boat, a Van Go fundraiser held at Clinton Lake Marina on June 21. Please call Van Go (842-3797) if you'd like to attend this event and get your hands on one of these beauties. By the way, the outdoor shots are by Van Go friend Tyler Lindquist of TJL Photography.

Day 32: Fabulous finish

On this last day of the the spring 2008 session of Jobs in the Arts Make Sense, we invite you to play a sappy instrumental tune in your head and view this montage of art projects reaching completion.
















As the day wrapped up, artists reflected on what they learned during the proess, and Midori took home the final Employee of the Week honor.



Thank you for following our journey! Remember, the project--"Reduce, Reuse, Remember"--will be unveiled April 19 during Lawrence's Earth Day celebrations. Also, Van Go is working on a showing at a new art gallery in Greensburg, Kansas. Check here or www.van-go.org for updates on where to view the art in person!

Day 31: Say green!

You know the end is nigh when the JAMS session busts out a group photo. Thursday will be the final day of the JAMS project, and we'll bring you non-live coverage of all that transpires. In the meantime, Lawrencians should mark their calendars for noon, Saturday, April 19, at South Park-- the big unveiling of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!!!

Day 30: Good clean fun

The eco-sculptures may go down as the messiest JAMS project in history.

Day 29: Countdown to finish!

It's the final week of the spring JAMS session, and apprentice artists have begun painting symbols and narratives onto their sculptures.

Their stories, represented visually through found objects and imagery, cover deep topics both positive and negative. Kyle's piece is topped with a fork and spoon, to represent consumption. Matt conjured a movie reel from found objects, because his dream job is as a movie editor. Sierra incorporated a bottle to symbolize hope flowing as water. Kayleigh tackled alcoholism with a two-sided totem-- one part coherent, one part messy-- to reveal the duality and self-destruction of people facing the addiction.

Day 28: Coming into view

The JAMS artists have come a long way. They started with two-dimensional paintings exploring nature and personal symbols. Now, their huge, three-dimensional sculptures are shaping up, and the end is in sight.






Also: Virtual high-five to Matt for his stellar on-the-job performance!