Saturday, January 23, 2010

Arts-Photography “Children's therapy art a focus of Sunday exhibit - Sun Journal” plus 3 more

Arts-Photography “Children's therapy art a focus of Sunday exhibit - Sun Journal” plus 3 more

Children's therapy art a focus of Sunday exhibit - Sun Journal

Posted: 22 Jan 2010 05:18 PM PST

Nancy Happ sees art as a non-threatening outlet of expression for children. Art is also a tool she uses to help children who have autism, attention deficit disorder or a developmental disability work on fine motor skills and build self-esteem.

Happ, a former art teacher, is the executive director of Focus Therapy, a business that works with children and young adults through occupational, speech, music and art therapy. The business has offices in New Bern and Bayboro.

For the first time, artwork made by Focus Therapy's clients will be exhibited as part of the Oriental Women's Club Art Festival Open House in Oriental on Sunday.

The work will be shown along with the art, poetry and short stories of students from Pamlico County High School, Pamlico County Middle School, Arapahoe Charter School and the Caswell Center, according to a news release.

The women's club members' needlework, crafts, quilts, baskets, visual arts, photography and literature will also be on display, said Connie Wilkinson, past club president and chairwoman for the Art Fest.

The children from Focus Therapy submitted three-dimensional projects shaped like hearts, bells or stars for the open house, said Beth Gosnell, Focus Therapy art assistant. The projects were decorated with personal pictures or magazine cutouts to go along with the themes of life, liberty and happiness.

Gosnell said the project was designed to help children with their fine motor skills, spatial orientation and to get over their fear or distaste for dirtying their hands.

Kenny Taylor, 14, chose to decorate a bell because the shape represents liberty. He collaged the shape with photographs from home and pictures of ninjas.

"I liked it because I got to express myself," he said of the project. "I got to let people know about what I am interested in."

Sean Reid, 7, chose the theme "life" for his project. He decorated his work with as many cutout kitten pictures as he could possibly paste onto the project because he loves cats.

"It was really fun, and I picked that because it's really important," Sean said, explaining why he chose the theme "circle of life" for his project. "If there was no life, we wouldn't be here."

Sean said he also swings on the suspended swing in Focus Therapy's gymnasium and learns to ride his bicycle without training wheels.

"I like it because it's really fun," he said.

The children in the program can also participate in the SocialU group that meets once a week to work on social skills and safety, or the program's "kitchen connoisseurs" class that helps decrease a child's fear of trying new foods, Happ said.

The students at Focus Therapy can do art on an individual basis, or through the "Art in Focus" classes that are held on the first Saturdays of each month in New Bern and the second Saturday of each month in Bayboro, Gosnell said.

"They can express themselves through art in a non-threatening kind of way, in a fun kind of way," Happ said, explaining the value of art therapy. "They just can just as well work on eye-hand coordination in a regular typical class, where you want to just work on drawing or writing, but (art) is just a lot more fun for the kids."

For more information about the Art in Focus classes at Focus Therapy, call 252-672-8678.

Laura Oleniacz can be reached at 252-635-5675 or at loleniacz@freedomenc.com.

Want to go?

n Who: Oriental Women's Club.

n What: Arts festival open house exhibition and reception.

n When: noon to 3 p.m. Sunday.

n Where: Oriental Women's Club, 1007 Gilgo Drive, Oriental.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Concord resident named phototography nonprofit's director - Concord Journal

Posted: 22 Jan 2010 01:58 PM PST

The Board of Directors of the Photographic Resource Center has voted to appoint Glenn Ruga of Concord to be its new executive director. Ruga comes from a diverse background in photography, graphic design, nonprofit management and international development.

The PRC will look to Ruga to continue the current schedule of exhibitions and public educational programs but also draw on his background to expand the focus of PRC by bridging the gap between documentary and fine art photography.

"I am honored by this appointment," said Ruga. "Building on the 30-year success of the PRC as a renowned fine arts photography institution, I hope to draw on my background in documentary to bring a broader public interest to the organization, and to fine art photography, by recognizing the seismic shift in the medium since the advent of digital technology," said Ruga.

Ruga is the founder of www.socialdocumentary.net, a Web site and organization that he started in 2008 devoted to documentary photography. Today this Web site has more than 200 online documentary exhibits featuring diverse themes from around the world. For the last 25 years, Ruga was owner and creative director of Visual Communications, a Lowell-based graphic design studio serving public service and corporate clients, including the U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines, Harvard Medical School, and Health Effects Institute.

From 1993 to 2006, Ruga founded and directed the Center for Balkan Development, an NGO advocating for justice in the Balkans and providing humanitarian and reconstruction assistance for victims of genocide. During his volunteer work with the Center, Ruga traveled to the region regularly to direct humanitarian and development projects and produced two traveling photographic exhibitions on war and peace in the region that traveled to locations throughout the United States and Europe.

"We are thrilled to welcome Glenn to the PRC," said Board President Cathy England. "He brings with him passion and energy and a commitment to continuing the PRC's preeminent role in the photographic community and the world at large."

Ruga's first day will be Feb. 22. He will join Jason Landry and Caleb Cole to round out a dedicated and creative team of PRC staff and interns.

 

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

ANC-WR Welcomes New Government Relations Director And Special Projects ... - Asbarez News

Posted: 22 Jan 2010 01:36 PM PST

ANC-WR Government Relations Lerna Kayserian Shirinian

GLENDALE,CA-The Armenian National Committee-Western Region (ANC-WR) is pleased to welcome long-time community activists Tamar Yardemian Baboujian and Lerna Kayserian Shirinian to the ANC- WR team as they gear up to meet the challenges of 2010 and beyond.

"The ANC is thrilled to have Lerna and Tamar join the ANC team as full time staff," stated ANC-WR Chairman Vicken Sonentz-Papazian, "Our latest additions bring an impressive resume of dedication, skill and service in advancing the interests of the Armenian American community and the Armenian Cause.

As the new Special Projects Coordinator, Mrs. Baboujian brings with her nearly two decades of community activism. A member of the Armenian Youth Federation – Western Region since the age of 8, she served on numerous Central Committees as well as Executive member of the San Fernando Valley Sardarabad Chapter. Mrs. Baboujian has also attended AYF Summer Camp for 15 years, both as camper and counselor.

Mrs. Baboujian is a graduate of the University of California – Irvine with a degree in Studio Arts, Photography. Following the completion of her undergraduate education, she received her master's in Public Policy from the University of Southern California, with an emphasis in nonprofit management and leadership.

ANC-WR Special Projects Coordinator Tamar Yardemian Baboujian

"I am excited to continue building on past accomplishments of the ANC-WR and working hard to advance the interests of the Armenian American community," said Baboujian.

As the new Government Relations Director, Mrs. Shirinian brings many years of hands-on experience in community and political activism. She has been involved with the ANC-WR for nearly a decade, serving both on the ANC Professional Network Executive Committee and the ANC-WR Board of Directors. Mrs. Shirinian also served as a Field Deputy for State Assemblymember Anthony Portantino (D-44), where she advised the Member on immigration, child care and foster care issues and was the point of contact for outreach to the Armenian American community.

A graduate of the University of Southern California, Mrs. Shirinian received her degree in Political Science, with an emphasis on Peace and Conflict Studies. During her undergraduate years, she served as an intern at Human Rights Watch in Los Angeles and in Armenia at the Armenian Center for National and International Studies.

"I look forward to taking my activism to the next level as Government Relations Director," said Mrs. Shirinian. "I am proud to serve in this position and look forward to working with our elected officials to advance our community's Hai Tahd agenda."

The Armenian National Committee – Western Region is the largest Armenian American grassroots community organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANC-WR works to promote understanding regarding issues of concern to the Armenian American community.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Documentary featuring local voices debuts - Gulf Coast Newspapers

Posted: 22 Jan 2010 01:58 PM PST

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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