Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
WTVR CBS 6
Artists from around the world are making an impact on Richmond students
By Maggi Marshall, WTVR CBS 6 Web Staff,
14 hours ago
RICHMOND, Va. -- A group of Richmond Public Schools students had the opportunity to be paid and mentored by artists from around the world this summer. This experience was part of ART 180’s summer Artist Residency program designed to break barriers and address mental health challenges for Richmond’s youth.
"My found object was paper clips and soda tabs," Richmond Public Schools student Divine Miller said about her newest creation. "I used them to depict Black Americans not being able to break their chains in the past."
Miller added that she was not only proud of the piece but that it also held a deeper meaning for her.
WTVR Divine Miller
“We are able to break our metaphorical chains and do things that people may not expect us to be able to do," she said.
Miller has spent her summer working to break her own chains.
“I can do anything that people may not tell me I can do,” she said. “No matter who you are, you should be able to fight back against what society may view you as and express yourself as you are."
WTVR
Miller's renaissance occurred during her time with the nonprofit ART 180’s summer Artist Residency, a paid program where local and international artists mentor ten Richmond-area students.
The students receive more than 100 hours of mentorship, are taken on trips, and are provided with a stipend, studio space, and art materials.
WTVR Xolani Sivunda
"These young students from diverse backgrounds don’t have the money to buy these expensive art supplies," teaching artist Xolani Sivunda said.
The South African artist taught students how to create art using materials around them and emphasized the importance of using art to express life's challenges.
"Art is very healing," Sivunda said. "Remember, some of these students come from different backgrounds. We don’t know what is happening in their homes daily, so some days they come here feeling broken. But when they create art and use colors, they get to heal."
WTVR
Miller said the artwork has helped her build confidence in both art and life.
She believes that the lessons she's learned and the confidence she's gained will remain with her forever.
"To be able to have your work displayed in an art studio was very special to me," she said.
Do you know about a good news story happening in your community? Click here to email WTVR.com and the CBS 6 News team.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Comments / 0