"Express Yourself"
by Ryla Scull from Homeless Network News: Focus on the Kids October 2001
"Time for Popsicles!", exclaimed JoAnn before we head out to our first shelter. Trish Robbins and JoAnn Williams have made it a ritual to enjoy their pops before embarking on their daily art-therapy workshops. The reason being is that their therapeutic sessions are conducted for children, those that inhabit the homeless shelters throughout Houston. The pops help them remember how important it is to enjoy the simple things, to see more, to imagine more like children do.
ArtBridge is the name of their program and their mission is to "provide art programs for homeless children in the Houston area within a supportive environment that encourages creativity." Ultimately, ArtBridge/Houston strives to "combat the despair of homelessness by nurturing hope and self-esteem through art expression." JoAnn and Trish are certified art therapists who previously worked with adolescents and children in psychiatric hospitals. The hospital atmosphere was limiting to the therapists and they were seeking ways to expand their work. It wasn't until Trish stumbled upon an article written in a family magazine that they discovered a new way to communicate through art. DrawBridge was featured and described as an art therapy program dedicated to working with children in homeless shelters. DrawBridge was founded thirteen years ago in San Francisco, California by Executive Director Gloria Simoneaux. After making contact, Trish and JoAnn participated in the first training that DrawBridge had ever held, and eventually received their initial seed money from DrawBridge to form their own program, Art Bridge.
Homeless shelters are filled with children that have nowhere to go and a lot of empty time on their hands. Art therapy sessions enable the children to express their thoughts through art projects and get their minds off of the far more serious issues they battle on a daily basis. The first shelter we walked into JoAnn and Trish were instantly greeted with enthusiastic hugs and children's smiling faces. It seemed homelessness was the last thing on their minds. The weekly sessions are a highlight to the children's days because JoAnn and Trish bring such interesting art supplies, one on one instruction and their familiar faces. We all gathered in the little cube shaped library lined with books that was today magically transformed into an artist's studio. Each child began making a nametag for themselves. The room is filled with laughter and child squeals of delight as the children discover that the paper they are working with reveals hidden patterns of color in interesting designs. JoAnn and Trish provide helping hands to each child and words of support and approval. The therapy is simply a way for each child to create art in contemporary forms and as a result, are able to express thoughts and feelings through their creations. The consistent visits by the two therapists help create a sense of stability and new trusting relationships for each child. These relationships are the core of the ArtBridge program. There are obvious mutual benefits experienced by both the therapists and the children that keep the program alive and growing every year.
JoAnn and Trish have established a regular schedule, holding 8 weekly groups in 7 different shelters around Houston. The program is sponsored by the C.G. Jung Center and is kept alive by donations and grants. Their latest project includes an ArtBridge Cow (featured on front cover), which is a life-sized cow collaged with photocopies of homeless children's art work from their sessions. Now it stands housed by a custom made barn built by another sponsor, Millennium Patio Homes. Their next project will be an ArtBridge car that displays the children's artwork and will be showcased in the spring car show in Houston. There are many opportunities for the children's work to be displayed to raise awareness of the growing population of children in homeless shelters.
The number of homeless children is staggering and the story of these children can be heartbreaking but it's comforting to see people, such as Trish and JoAnn, dedicate their time and passions to lighten the load of worries on the children's minds and faces. Words are a difficult medium for children everywhere to express hardships that they may face. ArtBridge allows children to express their emotions, in a non-threatening, safe and secure environment. The universal language of art, stimulated by ArtBridge and DrawBridge, is a powerful way to give homeless children a sense of their own community, even if it does not exist in the form of a home. |
