Mural Mosaic

Sharon M. working on the mosaic.

Darren P. enjoying the view.

Fred M. showing hands on artistry.

Darren P. Fred M. and Sharon M. all very proud of their work.

Entrance way mural in progress at Integrity House.

Earlier in this blog we showed you photos of the mural going in at Integrity House in Santa Ana California.  Well, work has not stopped on this amazing project.  Now the students have finished the painting phase and have moved on to the mosaic addition.  All of the artwork used in the mural was student and Integrity House consumer generated.  This has been a wonderful collaboration of efforts from both facilities as well as countless volunteer hours.  Here are two blog posts, one showing the mural's painting phase and the other is of only some of the volunteers who have given so much of their time in this project.  We are hoping to have the mural completed by the summer of 2011.  There will be a grand unveiling and reception to honor this artistic achievement. 
The students are so excited about the mural, seeing their artwork on this large of a scale is so validating.

Beau Monde Float Fotos

Our last performance of Beau Monde Float was amazing and beautiful.  Here we have a few photos from that performance.  You see Karen as 'Eternity' meeting the Robot.  Her costume was created by the students and staff from paper sculpture, crochet, yarn and painted tubes.  Karen looks so serene as she holds the Earth in her arms and meets the Robot face to face.
We also have a wonderful photo of the stage with the Hand Bell Choir playing.  The students of Hope University practice twice a week to perfect their hand bell techniques.  It can be quite magical to hear them play.
'Everybody is a Parade' was punctuated by over sized paper sculptures, created by the students, like this one of a butterfly.  Richard, Mikki, Cathy and Tom sing the accompanying song as Frank, Rene and Karen bring in the parade.

Three Day Weekend!

This coming weekend is a holiday, we are off on Monday for Columbus Day. The Hope U students are excited to have an extra day to do with as they please. Here we have some students having fun on field trips, to the mall and the Orange County Fair. Margaret on a swing ride, Cathy and Paul at the mall, Lori, Michelle and Tom waving at the camera outside the mall in Santa Ana California, lastly several students on a rocket at the Orange County fair this summer.
If you are looking forward to a long weekend and need some ideas, the Hope U students have these suggestions:

"Work on an art project."
Darren Petersen

"Rest and take it easy."
Howard Miller

"Have a barbecue."
Karen Leeb

"Go to Disneyland!"
Cathy Acton

"Visit with neighbors and practice basketball."
Chris Friedman

"Sleep in and watch cartoons."
Rene Smith

We hope everyone has a terrific weekend, long or not.

Beau Monde Float, A Beatiful Success!

All of the hard work and day long rehearsals certainly paid off for the students of Hope University, Saturday, September 25th at the Plummer Auditorium in Fullerton California.
The show was amazing, the students were all shining stars on the stage.
Here are two photos of the students rehearsing dances with guest artist Marco Schindelmann.
Here is what some of the Hope University students said about the show:
"I liked my costume because it hung down my back like a tail."
Karen Leeb
"I liked aria that I sang in."
Cathy Acton
"The drum circle outside of the theater before the show, I liked drumming."
Christopher Friedman
"Playing the bells was my favorite."
Margaret Kelley
"I liked dancing on stage, throwing paper airplanes into the audience and holding up a doily."
Rene Smith
"I got to hold up one of the big fish and make it go across the stage, I liked doing that."
Dolores (Shadow) Franks
"Using the rope to dance with Marco."
Jennifer Doyle
"I really liked moving my arms in the solo dance."
Crystal Serna
Congratulations to all of the students in the show, it was an amazing performance by a group of amazing people.

Students Rehearse for Beau Monde Float

Beau Monde Float is coming up fast! The staff and students of Hope U are rehearsing dances, arranging music and making sets and costumes. Here we have Marvin Castillo playing a traditional Djembe drum, which is used in the opening drum circle pictured. Next are staff, guest artists and students working together on the electronic sound effects. This performance has complex sound and visual components coordinated through laptop computers. The music is evocative and haunting. The visuals are a compilation of student artwork, movement and sounds. An origional score was created by the guest artists from MLuM. The sets were designed, knitted, painted and sculpted by the students at Hope University. The performace is interactive and audience participatory. A wonder to behold! We hope that you will join us for this one of a kind show that will delight your eyes and your heart.

One Night Only Beau Monde Float!

Beau Monde Float is back for one night only! If you missed this amazing performance last year you will not want to miss it this month. Have you ever wondered about 'beauty'? What does it mean? Who is beautiful? What is beautiful? How is it different for different people? How about people with different abilities? What does it look like? How does it sound?
Beau Monde Float, Thirteen Six Views of Sound Beauty may just answer some of these questions and possibly raise several more! This performance is a poignant and passionate celebration of the vitality of the human spirit and the beauty in us all.
Developed through a collaboration between Hope University and the artist group MLuM, Beau Monde Float, Thirteen Six views of Sound Beauty is a profoundly moving experience that takes audiences on a journey exploring the nature of Beauty.
About this original sound and performance art production, Director Marco Schindelmann says, "It doesn't have a narrative. It does not have to be understood, but should simply be experienced. In our culture, people frequently expect to be instructed by 'a greater will' as to what to think, what to buy, what to expect, how to live, etc. Beau Monde Float is about making connections that are personal and not based on outside expectations. Beau Monde Float hopes to present a world in which people create their own personal mythologies and entertainments. It is a dream parade, an aesthetic circus, mystical vaudeville or whatever else the spectator-auditor imagines it to be"
This piece is truly an experience and the Hope University students have created a dream world of beauty to be enjoyed by all. We hope you can attend this performance of Beau Monde Float as it is a celebration which shows us that beauty is and is not always in the eyes of the beholder.
Here we have Tina Gopinath painting set pieces, Lori Slikker knitting part of the stage set and a close up photo from the costume of Karen Leeb who portrays 'Eternity' in Beau Monde Float.
Beauty is Eternal.
Please see the 'Upcoming Events' section at the right of this page for location, times and ticket information.

CORE 6 : Defining Ourselves

CORE 6 is a juried art exhibit by artists with disabilities.
The 6th annual CORE exhibit is sponsored by Arts and Services for Disabled, Inc. and the National Arts and Disability Center of UCLA. In it's 6th year, CORE continues to extend its reach to artists nationally and worldwide. The exhibit showcases artwork, literature, and performances by artists with disabilities with the purpose of providing a space for artists, community members, and arts and disability advocates to build common bonds and promote visibility through a diverse art forum. See our 'upcoming events' box on the right for dates, times and venue.
Several Hope University students will be having their work showcased at CORE 6. We are happy to see literature included in this years CORE exhibit. Here we have three Hope University student poems composed in poetry class.


Cleaning Up The Drive Thru At Taco Bell
by Darren Petersen

There is a trash can out there
a big brown trash can
that people put trash in
and a patch of grass
I find things in the grass
cigarette butts
straw wrappers
beer bottles and paper cups.
I feel kind of grungy
picking up gum that is chewed
and just lying on the ground
hot sauce packets
that have been run over or stepped on
the hot sauce squirts out but doesn't go far
pennies and dimes (I have to give them back).
One time I had to help push a car
out of the drive thru.


At Henry's
by Chih Tseng

Saturday is haircut day
He cuts it straight
Henry does
I look in the mirror
to see Henry
Using his scissors
and me
Eating red vine licorice.


My Favorite Shirt
by Tanette Tuttle

Is white
like clouds on a sunny summer day
and Shamu's tummy when he does a flip in the air
like milk in the morning
bunny's teeth chewing a carrot
cold winter snow
My mom's eyes
Clean smelling clothes, out of the dryer
Socks, thick and tall
Delicious vanilla ice cream
Frosting on a strawberry cake
Dalmatians without spots
Tissues that I cry on.

Beau Monde Float Preparations

Hundreds of colored tubes, miles and miles of yarn and much concentration are going into the sets for our performance piece Beau Monde Float. The students of Hope University and MLuM together created a one of a kind art performance of music, dance and sculpture. We performed it on September 19th, 2009. The positive response was overwhelming so we will be having an encore performance September 25th, 2010 at the Plummer Auditorium located at 201 E. Chapman Ave, Fullerton CA, 92832. Free parking is available in the parking structure diectly across the street form the theater. We are all very excited about this opportunity to showcase the diverse talents of the students of Hope University and we hope that you can attend! General admission is $15/disabled and children under 12 are $10. Tickets will be available at the door. This project has been supported bin part by: The California Arts Council and the Department of Justice. You can call Hope University to purchase advance tickets or for more information (714)-778-4440.
In the photos you can see some of the sets being created. Lori Reyes, a woman with
Williams Syndrome, is painting a set piece.

You Are Invited To A CD Release Party!

You won't want to miss this event. We are hosting a CD Release Party at Steamers Jazz Cafe in Fullerton California to celebrate the completion of the newest Hi Hopes CD. This CD features Paul Kuehn a lead singer in the band. Paul is a musical savant, he is blind and developmentally disabled. Paul was selected for feature on this CD, not only because of his vocal talents, but because he is the reason the band was formed and the Hi Hopes program was developed. This year the band celebrates it's 36th anniversary.
You are invited to attend this exciting event on Saturday, August 16th, at 2:00pm. You will hear Paul and the Hi Hopes perform music from their new CD. Copies of the CD will be for sale, along with other Hi Hopes merchandise. Admission is $5.00 at the door. Funds raised at this event will go to support Hope University.
Steamers Jazz Cafe is located at:
138 W. Commonwealth in Fullerton CA. www.steamersjazz.com
You can contact Hope University for more information (714) 778-4440

Music and Learning

On Tuesday, March 4th, we had a visit from Terrance Laine of Creative Percussion from the Orange County Performing Arts Center. Terrance has many different percussion instruments, several are from around the world and many he has made himself. As he played them he showed us how to make different sounds with each one and gave us fun ideas for making our own percussion instruments. He surprised us with the objects he used to make music, such as an animal jaw bone and a dogs water dish! Several of the students were able to participate on stage and try their hand at creating music through percussion. We learned a lot from Terrance, you can see Cindy H. and Jason R. on stage with him using an interesting instrument made from a gardening tine. Ron L's face says it all as he joins in with his special Alaskan drum.

Art!

Here is an example of one of our students art work. April R. loves color and uses them in this acrylic on canvas to express her vibrant nature. Also we have another student, Ben S. working on a piece in colored pencil. He just could not hold back that smile. All of the students are looking forward to the Valentine's Day party and dance tomorrow.

Hope U Talent Showcased

In September Hope University had a fall Talent Showcase. There were singers and dancers, guitar and violin players, we had a fashion show, a drama skit and so much more. Here we can see Mikki, Lori, Cindy and Cathy performing a drama piece. Our drama teacher Shelley RuggThorp has been helping the students with improvisation and projection.
Next is a sampling of items from our Hope U boutique. You can see cards with original student
artwork, colorful hand sewn pincushions both made in teacher Michele Vavonese's art classes and hand knitted items from teacher Sandra D. Carter's knitting classes all for sale. Also in the Talent Showcase we had a fashion show to showcase some of the hand made items available in our boutique. You can see Cindy wearing a hat that she knitted herself and a scarf knitted by another student. Karen is wearing a matching T-shirt and tote decorated with our students original hand carved linoleum block prints. The show as a great success!

Student Artwork Chosen

Here is Hope University student Jim Lin next to his linoleum block print entitled 'Lanterns of the Moon'. Jim's piece was chosen for the CORE 3: Defining Ourselves exhibit at the 2nd City Council Gallery and Performance Space in Long Beach, California. Jim created this work in one of Hope University's studio art classes taught by Shelley RuggThorp.

Something Fishey for Hope University

Frank L. and Michael M. wave to us from inside the walk-through fish tank at the Cabrillo Beach Aquarium. We went there on a field trip Tuesday, August 14th. There was so much to see we all wished that we had more time to visit the fish. There were picnic tables at the beach so we had our lunch right by the water. It was so beautiful there. Cindy H. was sea-ing stars! She could not believe how colorful they are. A whale skeleton impressed Isela E. The Cabrillo Museum is located at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro California. We had fun there and hope to go back.

Getting to the Getty

We had a wonderful time visiting the Getty museum in Los Angeles on July 26th. A big tour bus picked us up and drove us to the museum. From the parking lot we rode on a tram up the hill to the museum. There were trees and you could see the city down the hill. Here is Karen L. at the Getty with the view behind her. The students favorite thing at the Getty was the giant 'Uberorgan' by Tim Hawkinson that hangs in the main hall. It makes music/noise at the hour. It sounds like a sqeaky organ or even a bagpipe!
Marvin C., Maria D., and Cindy H. are all listening to the Uberorgan. Jim L. is happy to
have his photo taken below it.
It is a very nice place with many things to see. We wished that we had more time to spend there looking at all of the art.

Cowabunga! At The Orange County Fair

Tuesday, July 17th was 'Friends of the Fair' day. We had such a great time. Here are some Hope U students at the Orange County Fair, Chris F., Lori S., Maria D. and Ben S.
We saw animals in pens and vegetables growing, we saw performers and clowns. Our very own musical performing group, 'The Hi-Hopes' played for the crowds

Art And Fun At The Mall

The Very Special Arts Gallery Show in the Santa Ana Main Place Mall. Hope University has several students showing their work. We also had two pieces chosen for the traveling show. Here we can see student Chih T.'s piece titled 'Flowers'. Jenny D. and Rosie S. both posed in front of the Hope University display. Ben S. is very happy to be in the food court for lunch time. All of the students were able to take a field trip to the mall to see their own and their fellow students work in display.

Hope U Performs at Main Place Mall!

On Saturday, April 21st a selection of Hope University students performed for Very Special Arts at the Santa Ana Main Place Mall. Our beautiful bell choir played, several of our students sang and the Hope U dance department performed a wonderful dance to the music, 'Claire de Lune' which was played on the piano by Hope U student Howard Miller. Here are some photos of the students dancing. Christie Cook, Jason Rosales, Isela Elias-Calles and Marvin Castillo among others were stars for the day. We are very proud of all the performers on Saturday. It is amazing what these developmentally disabled adults can do!