A Proposed Project

Hello Ann /Brian,

My name is Shayna Cohen. I spoke with you /left a message for you last Friday about the possibility of conducting a workshop in conjunction with The Ogden Museum's Education Program / TheNew Orleans Center for Creative Arts . I am a practicing artist working in collaboration with another artist and friend, Rachel Mason.

Below is a breif description of our proposed project. We are not from the New Orleans area but are hoping to find an organization that can help us accomplish our goals. Please let me know if you think this is a right fit. Or, if not, maybe you have some ideas of people or places we can contact for assistance.

We are interested in conducting a short series of drawing workshops in the New Orleans area: at arts organizations, community centers, schools, or possibly shelters. Working with elementary school students, we will facilitate self-expression through art making, addressing the effects of Hurricane Katrina. We want to hear what children have to say about their experience of the disaster and, as outsiders to the New Orleans community, we are interested in deepening our understanding of Katrina's impact. We will use the images created at the workshops to make an editioned artist-book. The creation of the artist-book will allow the children's voices to be heard on a larger scale and present an alternative to the media's representation of the disaster. Proceeds from the book will go towards your museum and art education for children. If you decide to partner with us on this project, we only need your help finding an appropriate venue and children to participate in the project. We will not need your financial support.

Rachel and I both have experience working in a classroom setting and with children and youth of all age groups. We use artist-books as a means of artistic expression. You can find examples of our work and experience on our websites:
www.miss-shayna.com
www.eaten-alive.com

We are both extremely excited about making this project a reality and deeply appreciate any input or assistance you or your organization can provide.

Thank you so much for your time.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Shayna Cohen
and
Rachel Mason