Artist's Statement

Volunteering at a new place is always a bit scary at first, especially when you aren’t familiar with the neighborhood or speak the language well. But, working at Escuela Vieau made me feel as though I was part of a large, accepting family that was there to teach and guide me as much as I was there to help them. I worked with Ms. Rodriguez and her daughter, Jasmine, doing arts and crafts with the first-fourth graders in the after school program. Over the past few weeks, we have worked on several projects and gotten to know each other well. Ms. Rodriguez doesn’t speak perfect English, and I certainly don’t speak Spanish well, so this sometimes becomes a challenge for us when we’re trying to explain something to each other, but Jasmine is always willing to help translate or interpret our body language when we try to communicate. This feeling of willing and excited exchange is the same when I work with the children. The first and second graders are usually screaming and hitting each other when they come into the room, and Jasmine and I try to quiet them down and focus their attention on the task at hand. Most of the students are bilingual or are learning English quickly, and I noticed right away that they easily slip in and out of both languages while talking, sometimes without realizing it. Once in a while, some of the kids also try to whisper swear words in Spanish to each other, but I often catch them and give them a look (because I know enough Spanish to know that’s not allowed in school), so they usually giggle and keep doing their work. The children also try to teach me words in Spanish and ask me to tell them how to say something in English if I can remember what the translation is. Working with the kids made me think of the phrase “show, don’t tell,” which often happens when we use our hands or re-describe something while communicating with each other. When I started bringing my camera with me, I began photographing the outside of the building, projects from other classes, and signs in the workroom. As I started to get to know the kids better, they began asking me to photograph their projects, take pictures with them, and let them take pictures with my camera. This added another dimension to our communication because we now had a new language of images through which to communicate. The camera let me see a new side of the students and capture moments I had shared with them. Volunteering in a new community and thinking of my camera as a new language immersed me in another culture, and I can’t wait to continue on my growing journey with the students and staff of Escuela Vieau.