LSA is thrilled to partner with the Church of the Heavenly Rest for an afternoon of Art and Conversation around the immigrant experience and our shared human journey.

A Stranger and You Welcomed Me – Art Reception by LSA Family Health Service in partnership with the Church of Heavenly Rest

Sunday, February 4th, 3-5 PM Church of Heavenly Rest – Undercroft Gallery 1085 5th Avenue

Contribute as inspired

Art and asylum intersect at this event, elevating immigrant struggles to find safety and home. Centering on the Exhibition of Icons by Kelly Latimore, the works mix classic orthodox iconographic imagery with figures representing the marginalized and the oppressed among us here and now.

Featured is a new icon for the exhibition titled La Sagrada Familia NYC, and it is of a Latin American family living in a nearby shelter and receiving support services from LSA Family Health Service.

RSVP by January 29th to tgough@lsafhs.org

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The yarn paintings are inspired by the visionary art of the Wixarika (Huichol) people native to the Mexican states of Durango, Jalisco, Nayarit and Zacatecas. Using multicolored yarns, each participant created a unique artwork based in traditional designs.

Our art therapy workshops target mothers in the community.  They offer the women who participate an important opportunity to connect with each  other and with their own thoughts and emotions through the vehicle of self expression.

Mano a Mano: Mexican Culture Without Borders is a New York-based non-profit organization  dedicated to celebrating Mexican culture and promoting the understanding of Mexican traditions.   Mexico in New York is a program designed to bring Mexican art and culture to classrooms and community groups. All activities include a lecture on the history of the tradition followed by a workshop or live music and dance performances.

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Brandon and Arisdelcy were in elementary and middle school, respectively, when they participated in the 2005 Free Arts workshop that resulted in the work on display.  Arisdelcy, now a Head Start teacher, described the process, saying that the children were given fluorescent lights and asked to move them around.  The exposed light created striking abstract photographic images which portrayed the students’ movement.  The artwork, which is entitled “Urban Energy,” and spans the first and second floors of the Hecksher Foundation headquarters.

Brandon, a Dreamer and a senior at Hunter College, spoke passionately about the way his involvement with LSA and Free Arts broadened his horizons:

“Little Sisters opened up a sense of diversity in terms of what it really means to have an education. When we were kids, there was a lot of funding for math and science, but there wasn’t really a huge amount of funding for the arts. It was through [LSA] that I really got to do a lot of art, and it helped a lot with forming who I was. That would not be possible had my mom not found her way to Little Sisters of the Assumption.”

Free Arts empowers underserved youth through art and mentoring programs to develop their creativity, confidence, and skills to succeed. For many years it was an important part of the after school programming at LSA.

Other artwork on display included photographs selected through the 2017 Heckscher Foundation for Children Art Competition. Learn more about the artwork here.

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For several sessions, mothers have had the opportunity to learn SAORI weaving techniques from Yukako Satone, founder of Loop of the Loom weaving studio and a SAORI certified instructor.  With guidance from LSA’s art therapist and mental health counselor, Monica Sanchez, members of the group have used the weaving process to work through their own personal stories.

SAORI is a form of free-style weaving. It brings the joy of creative expression and individual sense of accomplishment to each of our participants and builds a sense of community among them.

The Building Bridges Art Therapy Group is fortunate to have formed a partnership with SAORI Arts NYC (SANYC), a non-profit organization that brings this healing art to people suffering from complex trauma as well as people with developmental, physical and emotional challenges.

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Building Bridges of Hope is a support group with the goal of empowering women, helping them increase self-esteem, build confidence, and find a way out of fear and isolation.  Art activities become the tools to facilitate self-expression, reduce feelings of shame and guilt, and develop coping skills to deal with anxiety and depression.

Below are highlights from the exhibit.

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