SIPArt!

Shelter-in-Place Art (SIPArt)

by Karen Richards, Associate Principal

On March 13, our school closed at noon and our family entered California's shelter-in-place order. We struggled with balancing full-time work, full-time homeschool, full-time parents, and full-time companionship. One outlet that has brought an escape to our family is doing art together. When we thought the SIP would only last three weeks, we focued on sidewalk chalk. Sevan (5th grade), Oliver (kindergarten) and I made a world of mythic creatures and a scene from Plants vs Zombies.

Once we realized we were in for the long haul (and were tired of cleaning the chlk that tracked through the house), I got out my art supplies buried deep in the basement with price tags dating back as far as 1995. We embarked on a weekly family art class. Our amazing Kensington Elementary School art teacher, Winoka Turin, provided weekly videos of mixed media art projects that all ages and experience levels could do.

As we transitioned to summer camp mode, we kept the tradition alive with projects sleuthed out from YouTube.

Last month we felt compelled to return to sidewalk chalk and a history lesson on Juneteenth.

There is a calm of togetherness that we have found from these art projects in the middle of the mess and chaos of the times that make me happy to SIP with these amazing people.



POSTSCRIPT

Life in a Quaranteam

video by Michaelle Stikich McGaraghan

Joining with two other families in our neighborhood, we formed our own Quaranteam. We restricted physical contact with people outside of our group. We shared resources, shopping and childcare so that we could all continue working. Here is a link to a video made by Michaelle Stikich McGaraghan over the course of several weeks.