Our town is lucky to have an organization like Van Go. Here is a snippet from their website that will explain them better than I can:
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE KIDS.
Our Mission
Our Mission: To improve the lives of high-needs youth using art as the vehicle for self-expression, self-confidence, and hope for the future.
Van Go is an arts-based, social service agency that employs at-risk youth ages 14-24, to make public works of art that are sold in the community. It’s holistic, year-round programming uses the ARTS to deliver in-depth mental health support, job training, health nutrition education, and life skills lessons. Van Go’s nationally recognized programming gives troubled teens a job, real world skills and opportunity to succeed.
Our KiKi is a talented artist and she was one of the kids hired for the summer to paint a bench. The unveiling was last week, and it was a moving ceremony with heart felt speeches that showed just how much a program like this can mean for people.
There were 20 benches debuted that day, to the sound of drum rolls and lots of oohs and ahhs.
Her client/sponsor was the Lawrence Buskerfest, which was right up her alley, since she is a participant in that event too. She did a beautiful job encorporating portraits of some of the performers with Kansas sunflowers and the skyline of downtown Lawrence. I thought it was well planned and had a dynamic design.
I'm very proud of this little grandfairy!
So much talent in your family! Kiki’s bench is amazing!
I’m really impressed with Kia, Terri! The design is so cool, from cutting the shape to fit the figures arms, to the fire wrapping the strongman. Wow!