This week in playgroup, we opened with clay again.  But, this time it looked different.  It was nice to see many friends plunk down and enjoy exploring clay again this week.

We welcomed a new bunch of kids to our Kids Workshop today.  We gathered around clay, which was a new experience for some.  It was nice to hear children offering one another feedback about what they were working on.  Working with clay was quite a social experience today.

In one small group we talked about upcycling and using materials in new ways.  Sometimes we alter a material to use it to create, and today we deconstructed damaged books so we can use the pages for our project work this session.  In our other small group, we worked on a large, five dog mosaic.  One group took some pieces off of the mosaic that were not functioning right in terms of the overall aesthetic of the piece.  We talked about how artists often create, assess their work and make adjustments.  After we removed the pieces that weren't working, we painted a back ground for the mosaic.  We had to work carefully to paint the background and not inside the dogs.

We did not have time for free exploration today, so we will be sure to include it next week!  

Dogs have an undeniable presence in the City of Alexandria.  They are frequently seen walking with their owners, playing in one of our city’s many dog parks, drinking from bowls outside businesses, and enjoying treats from shop counters. Numerous businesses in Alexandria cater to the needs of dogs and their owners, and it’s unlikely a day will pass without a resident encountering a dog. Our project explores the roles that dogs play in the City of Alexandria and how they fit into our community. 

Fur-Vor will encourage and enhance artistic engagement with businesses, students, local artists, and the Alexandria community throughout the phases of the project. The project will engage over 500 students enrolled in Alexandria City’s out-of-school programs to introduce them to new artistic media. The project will also engage businesses in Alexandria in a competition to create Fur-Vor art using their own upcycled material. We intend to enlist the assistance from Alexandria-based Torpedo factory artists to create a dog-themed float and costumes for the Scottish Walk, which draws 30,000 visitors to the city each December. Finally, at several community events, including Del Ray's First Thursday, Art on the Avenue, the AWLA Shelter Walk, and Alexandria's Earth Day Celebration, Fur-Vor will engage the public in and provide opportunities for the community to create upcycled art.

This project is funded by generous support from the Alexandria City Commission for the Arts, 2015 Arts Grant program.  As well as the following individuals, businesses and organizations:

TOP DOG
Animal Welfare League of Alexandria


FIDO'S FRIENDS
Baylor Solutions

YOUR PARTICIPATION IS WELCOME AND YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED!  
FUR-VOR PROJECT PAGE

We hope you'll join us to explore the possibilities of working with reused materials on the grassy lot next to Bean Creative, 2213 Mt. Vernon Avenue.  We'll be making bottle cap necklace charms and weaving a large sculpture.  Come join the fun... and our mailing list!

Some images from our evening: