Coming Up In Palo Alto: 'Youth Speaks Out' 2015 - A Call to Art

From Carolyn Digovich, Executive Director, Youth Speaks Out:

For the fourth year, Palo Alto high school students in a variety of art classes share the experience of being young in our community, through the direct artistic expression of painting, photography, poetry and creative writing, ceramics and sculpture.

All semester, over one hundred fifty students worked with dedicated art instructors: Gunn High School; Deanna Messinger ( painting and drawing), Tarn Wilson ( creative writing and poetry);

Jordan King ( ceramics, sculpture); PALY, Margo Wixsom ( photography); Letitia Burton, Reading 180 and writing. This stunning artwork results reflects a multiplicity of youth perspectives on life in our town. from a diversity of participating students. YSO reached over 400 students in workshops and talks, as well as the scheduled art classes.

Writing students collaborated with a young talented visiting artist and TED speaker, Marshall Davis Jones, a young, professional spoken word poet. Students will perform music, poetry, and dance at the opening. The visiting poet was invited to speak about the artistic process and life in English, FOS, classes and spoke at length in several special education classes.

YSO instructors create a safe classroom environment, enabling the safe, creative sharing of sensitive content. Students’ work on layers of complex personal reflections of what it’s like to be them and in our town. Gunn painting and drawing instructor, Deanna Messinger, co-founded YSO with Carolyn Digovich, and developed the curriculum for the project in 2011.

The artistic focus is centered on creating non-conventional self portraiture, and reflecting as class sessions evolved, on the results. As students feel safe discussing and re-defining their realities through various media, they were empowered to catch the unfolding process in clay, with words, photos and on canvas. These are not final self portraits, but a moment in the ongoing process.

The work spans the breadth of self awareness; from the keenly observant to the plaintive; and from the somber, to the uplifted and joyous. Each is accompanied by a short narrative, and all artwork is anonymous.

The grand opening reception is Friday March 20, at the Palo Alto Art Center, 5-8pm.

Student musicians, poets and dancers will perform. Superintendent Max McGee and other advocates will speak.

This project originated as a result of the 2011 Palo Alto Youth Collaborative (Youth Forum).

Oversight is provided by Acknowledge Alliance Counseling Services, with the support of Palo Alto Unified School District, Palo Alto PTA, Palo Alto Art Center, the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, The Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund, The Palo Alto Daily, Ken De Leon Realty, Howie’s Artisan Pizza, Midtown Realty, and other local sponsors.

“ This challenging year, the YSO students stunned adults engaged with them with their openness, clarity of voice and vulnerability - inspiring us to do the same. We are truly honored to work alongside these creative and resilient students.”

“ The business of all great art is about coming alive.”

“Youth Speaks Out is about experiencing fierce excellence in life – not success.”