Southside Occupational: Mindfulness & Art

Residency • Visual Arts

At Southside Occupational, teaching artist Jesse Avina’s partnership with classroom art teacher Ms. Radomski allowed high school students with special needs to encounter the mindfulness that accompanies art-making. Over the course of several years, Jesse and his students planned and built a mosaic mural in the school’s main hallway that communicates a message of welcome for all community members; they created their own color wheel to hang in Ms. Radomski’s room; they crafted artworks from relief printed bandanas to Jacobs ladders; and they discovered the happy focus of zeroing in on creativity. Jesse’s long-term residency at Southside Occupational left a lasting impression on students and on the school community.

Check out more photos & info about this program on our blog. Thanks to photographer Alayna Kudalis for many of these awesome shots!