This spring, FYC introduced a cooking program where students not only learn about healthy eating habits but learn to cook healthy meals from a variety of cultures. To supplement the learning from the cooking program, I have integrated the theme of culture into this semester’s art projects. We started with a quilting project inspired by the technique of applique, story-telling and quilting found in African tribes and early American traditions. With the help of CAP interns Julia DiBussolo and Whitney Frazier, a large group of youth were able to participate in the project.

The starting point for the project was a discussion of self-portraiture and symbol. A variety of media and techniques were available for experimentation– fabric, needles and thread, glue, paint, buttons, beads and markers. Each youth created a quilt square describing some aspect of themselves. The assortment of media used by the middle schoolers made for an excited and somewhat chaotic afternoon of creating. The process was a bit more refined a few days later when we worked with the elementary grades.

In the photo, second grader Dashia Pennington proudly poses with one of her finished quilt squares – a self-portrait in fabric and glue. Dashia used paint and sewed on other fabric pieces with her first square. She enjoyed the process so much, she came another day to try a new technique.

Over the next few weeks, the quilt will be sewn together by a combination of CAP interns, myself and the youth. By the end of the semester, we will have a story quilt about the youth at FYC.