Celebration Day; Our last day with the Artists

As always, this is a great and hard day and today was no different except it just feels more fantastic each year.

We got to the school early so to meet with the Principal Beatrice to have our closing meeting and discussed the possibility of Kuona Trust coming monthly and providing like a art "In session" for the students, talked about storing the art supplies, a debrief and a new idea, The Graduate Institute. Beatrice continually is amazed at the work of the students and really demonstrates her excitement and support. She gives us so much trust, support and latitude to make this all happen. The ingredients that make this a success are all the support and welcoming of us and us asking what is OK to do and not to do. This has been wonderful.

We each set up our rooms for celebration and the form 3 and 4 were ready to celebrate, be rewarded and look at art. We each had hung art and looked at the pieces with our students and it just seemed so awkward to hear them so maturely talk of the art, its meaning, what they feel like with it and how they approach it. They have become truly immersed in their art and it makes both Margaret and I pleased to see that this is part of who they are now. Today, Thom Ogonga of Kuona Trust came and took in the class and it was so wonderful to see his reaction to the students. He really loves working with students and art so it is so appropriate that not only as an artist but as part of the administration of the Kouna Trust, this is his role. The students received their certificates with pride, had their soda, ginger snaps and cookies and milled around, danced to music, sang to me, loved on Margaret, said beautiful things to us and made us feel like we had been over paid for lack of a better term from them. We get so much from this.

My form 2 class, came to the form 4 class so they could get their supplies and art to prepare for celebration. They hung their work and waited patiently for their time of celebration and we looked at their art, gave out certificates, had snacks and celebrated. The interesting thing is that they have 2 more years and they are already on this great path and direction that will mean that as they develop, they will continue to hone their skill, express themselves and by doing so, become even greater artists. They were happy and excited and said they could not wait to see me next year.

Prior to the celebration of form 1 celebration, Margaret had to practically kick out the form 3's since she had her celebration in the same room. The form 1 class who seems like a higher caliber student at that age, are ready to be truly the next big artists of St. Al's. Although my form 4 class is really talented, I cannot wait to see what Margaret's' form 1 class will be producing in three more years.

Form 3 made Margaret a video which I am sure she is watching as I am writing this, we each got wonderful well wishes from our students, a few cards and excitement of what they have accomplished and what is to come.

All in all, a day of absolute perfection. At the end of the day, we went to meet Anne Wangari at the Norfork Hotel for a celebratory dinner. This is the original colonial establishment of Kenya and has recently been redone. It was absolutely beautiful and a nice way to end this years visit. Tomorrow, we leave late in the evening and will have a day of fun. We will take the Georgetown Grad Students to see the elephants at Sheldrick. This is an elephant rescue that is so much fun. All should see. We will do what ever last minute running around we need to do before we depart Nairobi.

As I reflect on today, I just realize that it continues to become more apart of our lives and reality that we are in Kenya as part of who we are. As I say often, I do not think Margaret and I would never have imagined that our art backgrounds would ever lead us to making a difference in Kenya. I am so glad it has. It has made a difference in us and in the smart, beautiful and important artists that we are so lucky to have as part of our lives.

There may be one last post trip entry and surely more photos. Thank you for being with us on this trip and indulging us by reading these blog entries. Knowing that so many of you share our interest and passion is enough to help spur us on stateside as well as here in Nairobi. As I type this Ghana is winning their match and I can hear households across the valley cheering. Just imagine the impact it would have on Africa if Ghana won the world cup. Today it was equated to Obama winning the presidency for the Kenyan People.

Much Gratitude and look forward to seeing you soon,

Charles and Margaret

Last Day of Class, Frank Lloyd Wright and wow

So as always, the last day classes really ends up feeling a bit like a race. We go and prep for the celebration day by making certificates, buying soda and ginger snaps and getting all this so we do not need to run around on the last day worrying about it. Well, the Franco stand in, was late. Franco had meetings that came up at his day job were they called him back from vacation which meant they took our Franco away. He is great.

We went to Nakumatt, Margaret went off to pick up some things she had made, I got our certificates done, she gathered our celebration supplies,we got to visit with Ken Okoth for coffee at none other than Nairobi Java, and then all of a sudden it was 3:20.... The race was worth it to arrive 7 minutes before classes started because of Ken. This person is one phenomenal human. From Kibera, college educated in the states, grad school at Georgetown, former teacher at Potomac School in DC, started the Children of Kibera foundation, started the Red Rose Primary School that we usually get to teach at but time has prevented us this year, and is now a director at the University of Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania. Wow....He is so joyous and so affirming that we are doing the right things in Nairobi in our art program. We raced to school and once there, it felt like the sky cleared and the reason we are there is so in front of us and the work we are doing is so worth while..... The Smart, Beautiful and Important Students of St. Al's.

Today was the day to deliver the presentation of Frank Lloyd Wright as architect/artist. We had been waiting for the projector and computer with External Modem etc all week. We set it up, took nearly half an hour to no avail. For some reason the presentation would not stream over the principals laptop and now the students were chomping at the bit because they really wanted to see it. Luckily I had my 6 year old Powerbook 12 inch computer and they all wanted to see it, so we all gathered around this little screen, listened carefully with rapt attention and I saw amazement. It was overwhelming to watch these students watch the world unfold through Frank Lloyd Wright. Having been a fan and admirer and now an absolute follower of FLW, watching the form 4 class get overtaken by his creations, made me sit back and catch my breath. The concept of all his beautiful work and then watching them realize the house, as someone in the class said "lives on a waterfall" was unreal. Then they making ow and ahh connects on the interior, etc. Then when I gave them all post cards, they were overwhelmed. They said to me, "this is for me, I can keep this", you realize how so little goes so far. Since I had recently done a residency Insight Onsite program in May at Fallingwater, I also shared my pictures and they loved them. They said, "why are you in the photo" how did you get there, like it was unattainable and that's when I again had the realization how much is not attainable for not just my art students but so many in the world. It made me become reflective. They loved it, they loved it....Thank you Lynda Waggoner, Vice President and Director of Falling Water and Justin Gunther, Curator of Fallingwater for sharing this privileged presentation and providing the post cards. These are new friends of mine from my visit to Fallingwater. So little makes such a huge impact. This presentation was presented in Brno, Czech Republic in April on a website. The volcano prevented Lynda from attending in person so they made the presentation available remotely as we did the same today in Nairobi, Kenya. Thank you, they loved it and there is something very funny to me. As I was leaving the school, I was looking at all the railing around the school and if I did not know better, the new school looks like Frank Lloyd Wright had been there. I will share photos later. After this, the form 4 class got to work doing everything from water color to charcoal in their newly freed style. Some even did FLW inspired work. I am so very proud. Today, they were singing to my Glee sound tracks, yes, don't laugh and working away, they nearly needed to be throws out 15 minutes late today.

With my form 2 class that usually starts at 5:15 wanted to start at 4:15. They are fiercely independent, came in, took their supplies, asked for the key to their room, set up and asked when I might be by to provide instruction. Kelvin informed me that I need not rush because they had lots of work to do on their art. Off they went and did their work. When I went to work with my form 2 class, they were diligently doing more work, focused on their painting or drawing, clearly took in and heard every thing I had to say when I read about more artists bios today. This group has been with me since they were form 1 and are developing as they should, steadily. There is not one that is sticking out like in other classes, but there is lots of talent.

Margaret's classes are just producing in a way she or I did not expect. Her form 3 class which she has been with from the start still need more focus and maturity but they are diligent and some of their work is really overwhelming. The shapes, the figures, the colors, Saisi Wycliffe continues to amaze. He totally gets color and does not get it at all and that combination results in some really beautiful art. He reminds me of Gauguin.

The work that her form 1 class does demonstrates more potential then any of our other classes did their first year. They are focused, quiet, and productive and damn good. They went from drawing to filling in their work with color today without direction. They listen to Margaret like she might be delivering the state of the union or that she is the second coming of Christ and She (The irony, oh the irony) is delivering the message they need to hear. She is mother incarnate to them and they really respond. It is so warm and charming to see and they really are producing.

The end of our day always culminates in Margaret and I walking through our classes together commenting on the artist's work. She walks in and we go through all the art and comment and we have such pride in the work that they are doing. We walked down the steps of the school today and looked at each other and said, wow, that was the last day of teaching for the third year. Margaret said something that I have thought about since she said it, "at the end it always feels like they are just getting started" and she is right. It feels like that every year. The thing I think we both find great comfort in is that this is just the beginning and then they get to work from the inspiration of these two weeks until we return next year.

Something came to me today....My form 4 class came to me when they were form 2's. This means that they will not get a full 4 years of the curriculum like all the students since they started as form 2 in the Art Immersion program. There is also a year between the end of secondary school and the start of higher education. I have committed to them that we will start the Graduate institute for Art Immersion that will bridge them between high school and college. In 2011, the Graduate institute will get the same curriculum that Art 4 will be delivered to Form 4, but subsequent years will get something that is outside of the 1 through 4 curriculum. This is so exciting and great. They want it and we can bring it. I am sure that we can do it at St. Al's, but if not, Kouna Trust would love it if we did this type of work with them. We have options.

Tomorrow is a big day. Not only is it celebration day, certificates get handed out, soda drank, ginger snaps eaten and art looked at but Thom who heads up school programs at Kouna Trust is coming to visit and he is bring Isaac Miriri who is an art correspondent for the news to accompany him. This is exciting. They might get press yet.

The reason that I have not attached more pictures is because it is difficult and time consuming using the stick modem. I will make sure to load the blog up and send it out one last time when I return to DC.

I hope that you have or will experience the absolute fulfillment that Margaret and I get out of this aspect of our lives. It is powerful, tangible and makes a difference. I never knew that we would be helping out Kenyans by providing them a venue to express themselves through art and art immersion. We feel so lucky.

One last Blog entry tomorrow.

On behalf of Margaret and I, thank you for being on this journey with us. It means so much.

Be well.

Charles and Margaret