Please vote daily and get the word out! The full instructions are listed in the images below, but here is the basic information:

IKEA will be giving $10,000 to one of two organizations: either ArtBridge or Trees for Houston. IKEA is holding a public vote to see who will get the money.

To vote for ArtBridge, use your cell phone to text LIFE112 to the 5 digit phone number 62345. You can vote once a day from January 6th through January 20th.

For more information, click the images below to enlarge them.

Thank you so much for your support!

ArtBridge celebrated with local artist Caroline Schiller at her art opening entitled “Art Is Real,” which benefited ArtBridge: An Arts Program for Homeless Children.  Caroline volunteers with ArtBridge each week to make art with children at several of our shelters. The exhibition took place at Salon Ceron and featured her paintings along with the photography of Carmen Reed.  A big thanks to Caroline for supporting ArtBridge! Congratulations on a beautiful art opening!

The ArtBridge crew arrives every Thursday at HCPC, where the adolescents are awaiting a new art project. By showing up weekly for the sessions, ArtBridge creates a form of consistency and gives the group something fun to look forward to each week. During the art making process, facilitators and volunteers create a non-judgmental environment where healthy relationships are formed. ArtBridge strives to build self-esteem and empower these adolescents to see their potential.

ArtBridge’s backpack project is one example of how we provide resources for our children. Most adolescents living at this facility enjoy making art each week but have no supplies after they move. At last week’s ArtBridge session, each student received a brand new L.L.Bean backpack in the color of their choice. Inside the backpacks were art materials to continue the joy of art making.

They were excited to have a nice bag of their own filled with art supplies. Many made comments about how they finally had a real backpack to take to school. Others planned out the order in which they would use the art materials including watercolors, a drawing pad, and crayons. The group thanked ArtBridge for their gifts as we left, showing their appreciation for our work and excitement to continue making art.

A special thanks to the Frees Foundation for making the ArtBridge Backpack Project possible. We look forward to delivering backpacks are our other shelter soon!

While the step-by-step movie development took four weeks, the children’s excitement built immediately. They started this project by watching short videos by famous directors such as Michel Gondry that involved a low-budget with few props and costume. From this, the youngsters learned that making a movie could be very simple and inexpensive.

The film was titled “The Princesses and the Monster” and the children had a blast making the costumes with the help of ArtBridge. They enjoyed getting to develop the story and play an active role in filming. The whole experience was new to these children, and they couldn’t believe how exciting movie making was.

The final project concluded with the movie premier at A Friendly Haven. Everyone gathered to enjoy the film. At the end of the entertaining movie, the children applauded and requested to watch it again… and again… and again. Each viewing led to more laughter and a sense of pride for their movie. After seeing the short film over five times, it was clear that the children had loved every aspect of this undertaking. The overall goal of the project was to give children a chance to have fun and use their imaginations through a different art form.

The ArtBridge team transformed the classrooms into a holiday party before the youngsters arrived. We covered the tables with festival wrapping paper and dispersed candy canes and decorative ornaments. The children got excited as soon as they saw the holiday decorations.

ArtBridge facilitators explained our project prior to passing out materials. The holiday season is a great time to remember that giving is as important as receiving. Each child could decorate two cookies – one to eat and the other to give to as a gift.

The fun began as everyone got so excited about decorating these sweet treats. They made detailed designs with sprinkles, and the cookies soon became snowman and holiday tree masterpieces. Many children proudly showed off the artwork to their teachers and ArtBridge volunteers.

Many took extra time making sure their cookie looked perfect, saying it was a surprise gift for their mom or dad. Most of these children have no way of getting presents for their parents, so the cookie gift was very special to them. This project was a great way to celebrate the children and their families in the spirit of giving.

Happy Holidays!

The ArtBridge team is constantly brainstorming new projects that will benefit our children.  When talking about Thanksgiving, most children tell stories of mass-produced meals at their respective shelters.  This idea, which compounded with our recent addition of culinary arts, led to hosting a Thanksgiving dinner for one shelter this November.

The week prior, the ArtBridge session was spent making Thanksgiving placemats.  The children were also a big part of menu planning.  When told they needed to include a green vegetable, they cheered for broccoli.

Each ArtBridge children brought his or her parents to enjoy the meal together.  Everything served was home-made meal with fresh, organic ingredients, so that the children and their families could have a tasty Thanksgiving dinner.

The aroma of the dishes got everyone’s appetites excited as they entered the dining room.  From a home-baked turkey to home-made pumpkin pie (made with skim milk), every dish was prepared in a healthy manner.   One child became a big fan of sweet potatoes after expressing he had never tasted them before.  Another child pointed to the cranberry sauce and asked what it was.  ArtBridge emphasized the importance of healthy eating when explaining the different dishes.

We worked to make the evening as personal as possible by decorating the community center.  Festive bows hung on the walls.  The tables were covered with table cloths and embellished with ribbons and gourds.  Photographs from ArtBridge sessions and field trips were displayed on the tables, which the children enjoyed greatly.  They moved from picture to picture to find the ones that featured themselves and fun memories.  The children took the photos home after the meal as a keepsake.

When asked about the outcome, the Programming Director spoke his praises.  “We can’t say thank you enough. I really, really, really thank you from the bottom of my heart for bringing the children and their families a real, home-cooked Thanksgiving dinner!”

Here at ArtBridge we’ve been getting our hands dirty with a fall project: paper mache masks. Our weekly sessions at Star of Hope Transitional Living, Corder Place Apartments, and Harris County Psychiatric Center focused on mask-making this September and October. Art therapist Diana Sanchez along with our dedicated volunteers have been empowering each child to create a mask that represents themselves in some way.

The process began by cutting posterboard into mask-like shapes and adding extra features with thick paper. Some children choose to add a giant bow or large ears to make their masks distinctive.

The following weeks were spent paper macheing the creation. After several coats of newspaper with glue/water mixture, the masks were left to dry. Painting began and each mask, which had formally been a white 3D formation, took on a life of its own.

The final step in this project involved adding sequins, feathers, and other garnishments. The finish products were all different and special in their own way. By emphasizing uniqueness and self-worth throughout our projects, ArtBridge instills children with a sense of belonging. As they continue play with their masks in their own space, each child is reminded of their own individuality and fun of ArtBridge!

Autumn has arrived in Houston, and ArtBridge took advantage of the temperature change by organizing a field trip to the Urban Harvest Farmers Market. The children of the Corder Place Apartments gathered on a Saturday in early October to learn about nutrition and healthy eating.

The day began with an overview of the differences between shopping at a farmers market as opposed to a grocery store. The staff of Urban Harvest explained the benefits of local food options and what makes something organic. As the children looked around, they saw local produce and products from pumpkins to free eggs. They began to understand that everything at the farmers market was freshly delivered from the Houston area as opposed to transported far away.

Then the children began a food focused scavenger hunt. From searching for a fall vegetable to looking for a dairy product, they learned about fresh produce and local goods. The local vendors were especially generous to offer many children samples of honey, pork, and fresh vegetables, and everyone enjoyed tasting them.

The day ended with a lunch outing at Beck’s Prime in Memorial Park. ArtBridge leads trips that allow the children to see new and exciting parts of Houston that they otherwise don’t visit. In addition to the fun of going to a restaurant, the children learned appropriate behaviors for social setting. Overall the farmers market field trip was a great success!