(This is an excerpt from a full article that appeared in the Indianapolis Star)
By Whitney Smith
Sunday, June 28, 2008
As young adults, their lives began in strikingly different ways, with in-depth study in psychology, dance, graphic arts, vocal music or elementary education.
Now, the paths of four Indianapolis women have begun to resemble each other's. These days, they use their creative gifts for a common goal: making a difference for the next generation through the arts.
During the early 1990s, Catherine Wade was a child actor in Indianapolis-based Young Actors Theatre. After studying graphic arts in college, she returned to the youth playhouse to take on new roles, as teacher, scenic designer, and eventually, associate artistic director.
Laura Alvarado coaxed seemingly unrelated interests in psychology and studio art into a cohesive career. Since moving from Arizona to Indiana, Alvarado has taken charge of youth outreach programs at the Indianapolis Art Center.
And two former elementary school teachers, Ruth Dwyer and Sabra Logan, risked leaving the security of their jobs to reach out to young people in non-profit arts groups.
Dwyer, the director of education and associate director of the Indianapolis Children's Choir, has been with the internationally known choral group for 20 years. Logan, the founder of Iibada Dance Company, which teaches African and modern dance to minority youth, will celebrate her company's 20th anniversary next year.
Here's a look at their work:
Laura Alvarado: Director of outreach, Indianapolis Art Center
Back in college, Laura Alvarado couldn't foresee how her interests in painting and psychology might work together.
But for the past decade, the St. Louis native has used visual arts in Arizona and Central Indiana as an outreach tool in a variety of jobs.
"My first job was working with girls who were physically and sexually abused. They were in the foster care system," said Alvarado, who has been the Indianapolis Art Center's director of outreach since 2004.
"We did use art, but it was more (a combination of) art lessons and life lessons. We had to teach these very young girls what life lessons they needed, because they were on their own."
Later, Alvarado worked with Alzheimer's patients and young adults with brain injuries.
"By then, I figured out what I wanted to do," she said, "which was to make an impact through the visual arts with a population that is underserved."
At the Art Center, Alvarado has charge of five outreach programs, mainly targeted toward students ages 5 to 18. Many live in poor neighborhoods.
Those programs include Beyond Perceptions, in which high school students create art based on perceptions of homelessness before and after meeting homeless men; SMART, involving a partnership with Big Brothers and Big Sisters; ArtVan, a summer traveling art class; and ArtReach, a neighborhood-based arts education program.
"The kids we work with face multiple challenges in their lives," Alvarado said. "That can mean that they live in areas where maybe there's a lot of violence and crime. We want kids to be able to see that the arts are out there and can make a difference in the world."
In her jobs, Laura Alvarado has tried to "make an impact through the visual arts with a population that is underserved." (Michelle Pemberton / The Star)
Alvarado, 32, has been with the Art Center since 2004. Here, she checks out Leandre Kayzer's work during a SMART (Supportive Mentoring Through Art) class. (Michelle Pemberton/The Star)
ernizing the ancient. For so many years they were only allowed to wear drab colors, so today color is extremely important. I think of Chinese Chic as being comfortable and elegant at the same time. When I was in China, I admired how the Chinese women held themselves with such dignity. The Chinese seem to be much more creative and artistic, especially the women in their dress.
