The second youth conference, just like the first one, was hosted in partnership with amazing youth leaders and a coalition of  community-based organizations called the Oakland Frontline Healers (OFH). 
The objective of this conference was to highlight the challenges students have had with distance learning, isolation and mental health.  
Students expressed themselves creatively through art, poetry and the spoken word, communicating challenges such as: 

• A lack of social interaction (friends, classmates) due to being inside all day, 
• Anxiety and stress due to the uncertainty of the pandemic and the unknown outcome 
• ​Dealing with procrastination and sleep deprivation
• Zoom fatigue from staring into a computer screen all day

Diana Garcia created a short and fun animation video for this conference that shows how student leaders voiced their needs and coping strategies. It is worth checking out HERE. 

​However, our next generation does not stop with obstacles. They look for solutions, offer innovative ideas and effective coping mechanisms to not only get through these tough times, but also to improve our lives overall. Nikko Cabrera, a student at Oakland Tech speaks about how being part of the Attitudinal Healing Connection, a West Oakland non-profit focused on art and creativity as a means of healing, has helped build valuable life skills. AHC operates by 12 principles that serve as a guide for maintaining wellness in our daily lives. Nikko shared principle #8 with the conference attendees because he considers it extremely relevant and helpful for the current situation of isolation and uncertainty. 
All principles play an important role in Nikko’s life and contribute to his sense of emotional well-being. Other activities that he finds important and engages in regularly are meditation and breathing methods, which is fascinating as it is something many adults struggle finding time and focus for. I was particularly impressed and touched by this young man’s insight on the different effects of the pandemic, depending on whether one is an introvert or an extrovert. Nikko, an introvert, shares a touching example where he almost lost a friend, who, as an extrovert, needed more of Nikko’s attention and time than Nikko needed from him. He also shares some of his art work which played an important part in his healing journey from some personal difficulties. 

Art is a powerful tool for our young to cope with challenging times, and the adults should take note. Griffen Castillo, another voice for the youth, uses art in the form of the spoken word to express his thoughts:

The adults speaking at the end of the conference, Mr. Michael Scott, Principal of Castlemont High School, Ms. Lisa Carlisle, Director for Children and Young Adult System of Care for Alameda County, Mr. Matin Abdel-Qawi, Superintendent for all OUSD high school principals, applauded the students on their creativity, relevancy and the importance of the information they presented. They acknowledge the need to pause and listen to young people because they can clearly articulate what is needed. This second conference sends a strong message to all of us: Academics are not everything. In a critical time as we are living though now, the social and emotional needs of the students also need to be considered. And this may require more than just a laptop and a functioning Internet connection. Our youth need a lot more personal attention and care so they can thrive.

​By Janine Grossmann @ Quest For You ​

Last week our partners Attitudinal Healing Connection (AHC) launched their stunning online exhibition "Planting the Seeds of Change," featuring artwork from Oakland youth and families.

Vision Quilt collaborated with ArtEsteem and the Khadafy Washington Foundation on two of the exhibition's gallery rooms.

It is powerful to see Oakland youth depicting themselves as Super Heroes; Black families honoring loved ones lost to gun violence; and West Oakland Middle School youth responding to gun violence in their communities.

Included in AHC's online exhibition "Planting the Seeds of Change" is the ArtEsteem Vision Quilt Gallery, online now through July 13th.

The ArtEsteem Vision Quilt room also features a video introduction from Kenneth Johnson, a co-teacher in the ArtEsteem Vision Quilt program. "I hope," Kenneth says to viewers, "you will be moved, transformed, and motivated as you feel the spirit of these Oakland youth. "

Double-click on videos to view their contents. The virtual exhibition is best viewed on a computer or laptop. For further instructions on viewing, click here.

The work in the second Vision Quilt Gallery was facilitated by Marilyn Washington Harris and the Khadafy Washington Foundation.

Vision Quilt and the Khadafay Washington Foundation received grants from Oakland Unite and the Akonadi Foundation to work with gun violence survivors in West Oakland and beyond. 

Although our original plans were changed due to COVID-19, Marilyn Washington Harris was able to host a panel making workshop for twelve families who had lost their sons and daughters to gun violence.

We are honored to work with Marilyn Washington Harris. After losing her own son, Khadafy Washington, Mrs. Marilyn dedicated her life to supporting families who had lost a loved one to gun violence.

“At the time of Khadafy’s death, I realized that the city of Oakland was missing something — because I was missing something," explains Mrs. Marilyn.

"Not only was I missing my son, I was missing the fact that nobody came to my rescue... So I began to do for mothers and fathers what no one had done for me. I began to reach out to help them.”

At a time when our country is crying out for Black Lives, the Khadafy Gallery honors these families and their stories.

"Planting the Seeds of Change" exemplifies the creativity, resilience, and heartbreak that runs through Oakland. We urge you to visit the exhibition, and share it with your friends.

Vision Quilt is honored by our partnerships with AHC, the Khadafy Washington Foundation, and the youth and families creating art and telling their stories. We are grateful to our volunteers and staff supporting this work.

After the conclusion of the exhibition, Vision Quilt will continue to display the panels in workshops, galleries, exhibition spaces, and through our online Virtual Quilt. Share this newsletter with friends and make a donation to support our work. As described by Andrew Vega, one of the Youth Ambassador curating the exhibition, the gallery “showcases textile art pieces created by students that express the awareness, loss, and passion that surrounds the issue of gun violence in their homes, families, and communities.

In these uncertain times, we hope you are taking care of yourself and your communities. As we struggle to find balance and keep our work moving in a positive and creative direction, the need calls for all of us to work together. Attitudinal Healing Connection (AHC), Museum of Children's Art (MOCHA), Vision Quilt (VQ), and Junior Center of Art and Science (JCAS) are teaming up to show LOVE and to inspire learning through creativity.

Since students will not return to their schools until fall, we have identified unique ways to provide alternative options for children to access arts instruction. Our students represent the most vulnerable populations. AHC, MOCHA, VQ and JCAS understand that arts equity is an essential component to belonging, developing and thriving.

We are doing an art kit drive to deliver supplies to the youth in our communities. We hope you will support our efforts.

For only $20 you can give a child art supplies to help their creativity thrive. Accompanied by instructional guides and free videos, the kits will be sent to the students we serve.

By April 30, 2020, we aim to partner with more arts organizations and give out 2,500 kits to children and youth at partnering schools.
Select schools and survivor families will be asked to create artwork to be launched on a national stage advocating against gun violence through Vision Quilt. Students will also have the option to submit their artwork to MOCHA for a video exhibition to thank our healthcare and emergency service providers.


We know these are difficult times, and we are grateful for your donation. Please be generous – no amount is too small! Every donation is tax deductible, and deeply appreciated.

You can also send checks to this address: Vision Quilt P.O. #3192 Ashland, OR 97520.

THANK YOU for helping Vision Quilt continue to strengthen communities, empower youth, and prevent gun violence!

In Community,
Dr. Cathy DeForest
Vision Quilt Executive Director

Amana Harris
AHC Executive Director

 
Nina Woodruff-Walker
MOCHA Executive Director
 
Dominique Enriquez 
Junior Center of Art and Science Executive Director

This fall has been a busy time for Vision Quilt. In addition to continuing our 2020-2021 programming with Lighthouse Charter School, we launched a new partnership with Attitudinal Healing Connection (AHC) in Oakland, California. AHC is a kindred organization doing remarkable work; their inspiring community murals, found through the Oakland, celebrate the vibrancy and resiliency of Oakland and its residents.

Together with AHC's ArtEsteem program, we launched a new project working with students at West Oakland Middle School. As described by Nan Eastep of AHC:

Vision Quilt and ArtEsteem have come together because they believe that through the act of art-making and public expression Oakland youth can both heal from the trauma of gun violence and contribute to its prevention. Daytime art sessions are taught by seasoned artists with the aid of circles, talking pieces and the Principles of Attitudinal Healing. We have chosen the collaborative quilt as the form to follow, for its association with family, comfort, community, nurture, protection and recovery.

The ArtEsteem/Vision Quilt project, which is supported by the City of Oakland's Art-In-The-Schools program, runs throughout the fall and spring terms at West Oakland Middle School and Fricke Impact Academy. To learn more about this work, check out this blog post on the AHC website.

Vision Quilt is proud to be included in Guns: Loaded Conversations, the three-year traveling exhibition from Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA).

The intention of Guns: Loaded Conversations is to spark conversation and make bridges across an often polarized conversation. “Artists have been a catalyst for difficult societal conversations throughout history,” says the exhibition website. “Guns: Loaded Conversations seeks to engage viewers of differing opinions to listen to each other and to encourage community initiatives that may inspire action in seeking solutions.”

The newest dates for the exhibition include:

• University Art Gallery, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan: January 15 - February 8, 2020
• Festival of Quilts, Birmingham, England, UK: July 30, 2010 – August 2, 2020

Vision Quilt’s short film focused on our work at Lighthouse Community Charter School  is included in the exhibition. If you are in the area, check out this incredible show!