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>>> THE AFRICAN AMERICAN ATELIER IS A NONPROFIT ART ORGANIZATION
IN GREENSBORO DEDICATED TO PROMOTING AWARENESS AND
APPRECIATION OF THE VISUAL ARTS AND CULTURE OF AFRICAN
AMERICANS.
PRODUCER DEREK LONG WENT TO GREENSBORO TO FIND OUT MORE.
>> THE AFRICAN AMERICAN ATELIER IN GREENSBORO WAS COFOUNDED IN
1990 BY EVA HAMLIN AND ALMA ADAMS.
>> WE BELIEVED THAT THERE WAS A VOID IN THE COMMUNITY AS IT
RELATED TO A PLACE WHERE AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTISTS COULD EXHIBIT
AND SHOWCASE THEIR WORKS.
AND SO TO FILL THAT VOID, WE COFOUNDED THE AFRICAN AMERICAN
ATELIER.
WE ARE AN ART GALLERY ORGANIZATION, SO WE -- OUR
PRIMARY PURPOSE IS TO SHOWCASE THE WORKS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN
ART AND ARTISTS AND ARTISTS OF OTHER ETHNIC GROUPS.
FOR ALL THE WORKS OF ART THAT WE SHOWCASE HERE AT THE ATELIER ARE
ORIGINAL WORKS.
NATIONAL ARTISTS AND INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS, BUT MORE
RECENTLY WE ARE FOCUSING ON SHOWCASING MANY OF OUR EMERGING
ARTISTS, MANY OF OUR EVEN ARTISTS WHO'VE BEEN PRACTICING
FOR A WHILE, BUT HAVE NOT HAD A CHANCE TO REALLY SHOWCASE THEIR
WORKS.
WE HAVE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE OVER THESE PAST 22 YEARS TO, WE
THINK, NOT ONLY FILL A VOID IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT TO BE ABLE TO
REALLY BRING THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY TOGETHER.
IT GIVES THE COMMUNITY AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME HERE AND TO
LEARN, TO PARTICIPATE IN WORKSHOPS.
WE HAVE WORKSHOPS VERY OFTEN.
THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING GOING ON AT THE ATELIER THAT PEOPLE
CAN COME AND PARTICIPATE IN AND ENJOY.
>> PARTICIPATION IS A VITAL COMPONENT OF THE ATELIER'S
MISSION TO FOSTER COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN THE ARTS, BOTH
INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE STUDIO.
>> I DON'T THINK YOU CAN GO ANYWHERE, DO ANYTHING, AND NOT
BE IMPACTED BY THE ARTS.
THE ARTS IMPACT US FULLY.
EVERYBODY HAS THAT NEED TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES, WHETHER
YOU'RE DOING IT VISUALLY, BY MAKING ART, WHETHER YOU'RE
DANCING, WHETHER YOU'RE SINGING, WHETHER YOU'RE PLAYING AN
INSTRUMENT.
THAT HELPS, I THINK, US TO REALLY BRING A SENSE OF
WHOLENESS TO OUR LIVES.
>> THE ATELIER'S YOUTH PROGRAMS ARE INTENDED TO HELP NURTURE THE
VALUE OF ART IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
>> WE HAVE THREE PROGRAMS.
WE HAVE ART AFTER SCHOOL.
WE HAVE SATURDAY ENRICHMENT WORKSHOPS, AND WE HAVE A SUMMER
CAMP CALLED MURALS, MINDS & COMMUNITIES.
EVERYTHING WE OFFER IS FREE OF COST TO THE COMMUNITY.
>> BECAUSE MANY OF THE CHILDREN THAT WE WORK WITH CAN'T AFFORD
IT.
THEIR PARENTS CAN'T AFFORD IT.
AND SO WE DON'T WANT MONEY TO BE A BARRIER TO KEEP CHILDREN
FROM -- FROM HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE THE ARTS,
TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES FULLY.
>> I WOULD LIKE FOR THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW THAT WE ARE
NOT JUST ABOUT PROVIDING KIDS WITH ARTS AND CRAFTS.
WE'RE ABOUT THE VISUAL FINE ARTS.
SO NOT ONLY DO WE WANT TO ENRICH YOUR CHILD'S MIND AND TEACH THEM
MORE ABOUT ART, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO HELP THEM IMPACT THEIR
COMMUNITY AND HELP THEM LEARN HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS.
>> THE MURALS, MINDS & COMMUNITIES SUMMER CAMPS ENABLES
STUDENTS TO IMPACT THEIR COMMUNITY BY CONTRIBUTING TO
GREENSBORO'S RICH COLLECTION OF PUBLIC ART.
>> WE HAD OUR 17th MURAL DONE THIS SUMMER AT VANCE CHAVIS
LIBRARY.
BEFORE THAT WE WERE AT THE INTERNATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS
CENTER AND MUSEUM.
WE ALSO HAVE A FOUR-STORY MURAL IN THE CHURCH STREET PARKING
DECK.
>> THIS MURAL WAS DONE IN CONJUNCTION WITH STUDENTS FROM
UNC-G TO HELP RAISE AWARENESS TO HEALTHY LIFESTYLES.
>> BY TEACHING THEM DIFFERENT WAYS TO REACH OUT TO THE
COMMUNITY, IT HELPS THEM THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX, AND THEN FOR
THEM TO COMPLETE SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE WILL PASS BY EVERY SINGLE
DAY THAT THEY CAN EVEN SHOW THEIR CHILDREN TO MAKES THEM
FEEL VERY IMPORTANT, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LIKE
TO ESTABLISH HERE IN OUR YOUTH PROGRAM IS A HIGH, YOU KNOW,
SELF-AWARENESS AND SELF-ESTEEM.
>> FOR ALL AGE GROUPS, THE ATELIER AIMS TO BE AN INTEGRAL
PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
>> BECAUSE WE'RE BUILT BY THE COMMUNITY.
WE'RE BUILT FOR THE COMMUNITY.
SO WHEN YOU COME TO US, IT ISN'T A COOKIE-CUTTER PROGRAM WHERE
IT'S LIKE THIS IS WHAT WE OFFER AND THIS IS IT.
WE WILL CUSTOMIZE PROGRAMS.
SO YOU CAN CALL AHEAD AND NOT ONLY GET A TOUR, BUT ALSO GET AN
ACTIVITY WITH YOUR TOUR.
WE'RE NOT JUST WHAT'S IN OUR BROCHURE.
>> THIS IS DEREK LONG FOR "NORTH CAROLINA WEEKEND."