Celebrate Earth Day with Recycled Art!

Recently our intern, Becky Jacobson, set out to create a piece of art from recycled materials in honor of Earth Day. Below you will find her simple instructions for
creating a journal out of found objects. 

Materials:

1. Cardboard (2 same size pieces) from old note books, pads of paper, thin boxes or packaging
2. Scrap paper from the computer or anything lying around the house
3. Magazines, wrapping paper, old calendars or photographs
4. Scissors
5. Glue
6. Metal fasteners
7. Hole punch

Step 1

Cover both pieces of cardboard with magazines, calendars, etc. - whatever design you like!

Step 2

Put scrap paper in between the two pieces of cardboard.

Step 3

Punch 3 holes in cardboard and paper - make sure the holes line up!

Step 4

Put metal fasteners through the holes and bend to secure.

Finished! 

These journals can be used as sketchbooks, diaries, notebooks, scrapbooks, photo albums, and more! Once you have filled all of your pages you can simply add more paper, creating a brand new journal and continuing the recycling process. 

Happy Earth Day! 

CREATE Arts Center & Liberty’s Promise

Recently, our Volunteer Coordinator, Jamillah Abdullah, visited John F. Kennedy HS to speak to a group of teens as part of Liberty’s Promise community outreach program.

“Liberty’s Promise supports young immigrants in need while encouraging them to be active and conscientious American citizens. Our programs aim to make the immigrant experience an affirmative one for young newcomers while instilling in them a sense of pride and support for American ideals of democracy and freedom.” (Libertyspromise.org)

Many of the students were preparing to graduate and already had college degrees in mind. Jamillah shared with them how art could still be a part of their lives, no matter which career path they chose. 

“Being an artist doesn’t limit you to painting pictures”, she says. 

At CREATE Arts Center, our volunteers, interns and counselors-in-training learn there is a world of opportunity out there for anyone with a spark of creativity.

Here are just a few art-related jobs:

• Art Teacher
• Art Therapist
• Child Life Specialist
• Art Dealer
• Art Historian 
• Gallery Director
• Museum Studies
• Floral Designer
• Cake Decorator
• Event Planner & Decorator
• Interior Design
• Architecture, Design & Drafting
• Jewelry Designer 
• Product Design
• Video Game Design & Development
• Graphic Designer
• Web Design 
• Cards & Stationary Design

• Public Arts Development 
• Performing Arts & TheaterS
• Stage Design
• Costume Design

How to Save Your Clay

Recently, our Family Pottery teacher, Shelly Sarin, asked our volunteers to rejuvenate the dry, hardened clay which her students were unable to use. We decided to document the process, and found it to be pretty easy after all!

Step 1

Break the clay into small pieces, if you can, and place it in a shallow container. Fill about halfway with water and cover overnight. 

Step 2

Clay is porous, so it will absorb most of the water. Once it has softened, it will be too wet to store right away. Spread the clay over a plaster slab to absorb any extra fluid. Press out any lumps.

Step 3

After about five minutes, the clay will easily peel from the surface of the slab. 

Step 4

Roll the clay back and forth and form into a ball. Make sure to clear the slab completely.

Step 5

Wedge the clay on a board for several minutes. Similar to kneading dough, wedging will remove any air pockets. 

Step 6

If you don’t plan on using the clay right away, wrap it in a moistened cloth. Avoid using paper towels, because they stick to the clay and can grow mold.

Step 7

Store your clay in a tightly sealed plastic bag.