New Blog Launch with Andee Rudloff: Cake Conversation

Andee Rudloff and I are presenting at the National Art Education Association's national conference in April.

Communal Celebration: combining performance, teaching philosophy, the power of participation, and experience, we propose to conduct a collaborative art-making session for NAEA conference attendees in collaboration with young people from Baltimore and Nashville.

Along with the art-making session, we will be creating an installation/performance using costuming, video, soft sculpture, and participant artwork.

To kick off our project, we have started a new blog spotlighting projects that our students take part in and artwork that we make. Images of our process and influences can be found here.
Do you have a memory of cake in your life? How do you celebrate when you are with family and friends? Leave your thoughts on this blog and we'll incorporate this into our project!

STEW Baltimore.

My class at Wide Angle Youth Media was invited to participate in STEW Baltimore on January 22nd. STEW Baltimore is a new project spearheaded by the Baltimore Development Cooperative and Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse.

The basic idea: once a month, a dinner is hosted at 2640 featuring high-end, locally-sourced, maximally organic and expertly prepared food. The price for the multi-course dinner is $10.


Interspersed with the food courses are presentations of projects and ongoing social justice struggles—and the profits from the dinner go towards funding these initiatives. (There was an impressive voting system in place that got tallied up at the end of the night.)


Lot's of my classmates came out in full support! And not just for Wide Angle, but the various other projects being presented. Rob and Sarah (below) had a great time, and lot's of stories to tell by the end of the night!


Here's what we had for dinner . . .

First Course: Micro Greens and Apples with Peasant Bread, Baltimore Honey and Butter

Second Course: Beets, Wintered Vegetable Broth, Thyme

Third Course: Root Vegetables and Potato Dumpling

Desert: French Press Coffee and Salty Oat Cookies with Handmade Ice Cream


Wide Angle Youth Media ended up raising $255 at the end of the night--we came in at a close second!

It was a wonderful evening--my students rocked the house!

Feel free to watch videos of the evening here.

Florida = Bitterweet.

On January 1st, Dede's mother passed away. The family was called to Florida for a funeral and reception. Although this trip was not planned on a positive note, it did give our family some much-needed bonding time on the beach. I had not seen my nephews since June 2009. So, I had fun watching them learn about the beach and explore!

Please stay tuned . . .

So, it's been a while since I've posted . . . I've been a bit neglectful.

Trying to get back into the swing of things, but it's taking me longer than expected!

So much going on: January was such a busy month!

[Please] stay tuned!

And, peep this: upcoming posts to include . . .
Florida = Bittersweet
STEW Baltimore
New Blog Launch with Andee Rudloff: Cake Conversation
The East Baltimore Arts Festival
Doug's News
Back to the Grind
Costuming Katti
More Snow
A Valentine Hoot-hoot

Hear comes 2010!

What are your New Year's resolutions?!

Please post your answers. And, pass it on . . .

Picture taken on 34th street in Hampden by Laronika Thomas.

Winter-white.

Look what it was doing when I woke up this morning! I have been blessed by the snow-gods with all of this white stuff! I love it--can't get enough of it!!

What a wonderful way to ring in the New Year!!

Let's celebrate!

Fly me to the moon . . .

Lemma Blingbeil and Ling-Sing.

It's always so much fun to see my best friend, Emma. What a nut! I love her to death!

Snowshoeing . . .

My favorite part of visiting Wisconsin is the snow. I love being out in the snow. I love the woods. I love snowshoeing. The day we went for our walk in the woods, it was beautiful out: clear skies and crunchy snow! Can't wait to go again!

A night on the town, Medford-style . . .

So many trees!

I wasn't able to put up any decorations this year. I was traveling betwixt and between Nashville and Medford, so I tried to photograph all of the trees I came into contact with in both of these cities.

Coconut Cranberry Bars = YUM!!

My dad's wife, Dede, made these for us and I'll be damned if they didn't fly off the plate in a few hours!!

Coconut Cranberry Bars, makes 3 dozen

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs
.5 cups butter, melted

Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter; press into a greased 13" x 9" x 2" baking pan.

1.5 cups drid cranberries (1, 6 ounce package)
1.5 cup vanilla or white chocolate chips
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Combine the above ingredients in a bowl and mix well; gently spread over the crust.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 28 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Cool on rack.

Place in the refrigerator to chill, cut into bars.

Serve with cold milk!!

My very own Snuggie!

One of the most surprising gifts I received this year for Christmas was a Snuggie. Not just any Snuggie--mind you--but a genuine, University of Texas Snuggie. Perfect for watching the big game between Texas and Alabama. Alas, I do not watch football. But it sure is perfect for movie-watching on snowy nights in Baltimore. And, my cat Sam loves it!!

Go Horns: Texas fight!!

NAEA: Let them eat C-A-K-E!

On December 22nd, I met with my friend and collaborator Andee Rudloff in Nashville, Tennessee. We are working on a project that has recently been accepted for presentation at the National Art Education Association's national conference in April 2010. Themed in social justice, this annual conference brings thousands of educators together from all over the world.

We will collaborate in an effort to address social justice, by creating a socially just world. By bringing groups of young people together from Nashville, Tennessee and Baltimore, Maryland, we hope to combine their talents and creativity in addressing issues of social justice and sparking change. NAEA participants will be invited to take place in this art-making experience!

Follow along in our process here.

Mural Arts in Philly.

This mural was created by inmates in Philly. They worked on it while serving life terms.

Philadelphia is home to more than 3000 murals.

It never gets old!

Big fat 'flakes fell today! And it was beautiful!!


Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Miracle on 34th Street.

So happy to be in the recording studio . . .

This is James (aka Andrew Calhoun), the founder and president of Marksman Entertainment. He's the greatest! Quite possibly the next giant rap mogul . . . You see, Marksman will be huge.

Some of my students are making an album for James' label. And, I'm excited.

I can't even explain to you how thrilled I am. I have been listening to and studying rap and hip-hop since I was probably 7 years old. In Dallas. in Nashville. In Wisconsin and New Jersey. On MTV.

I pushed it: I kept listening and searching for new beats, sounds, and stories . . . Rap is an amazing medium.

And, then, somehow/some way, I met my students at Wide Angle and they wanted to make a album. A rap and hip hop album. And MICA had a recording booth and mixing room . . . We were set.

I am in absolute heaven. We are all having a great time making this happen.


(James, Will, Quindell, and Mike)


(Q, Offasho)


(Mike, Young Hype)


(Jeff, Gunna)

More to come, people. More to come.