#2 Kids Art Workshop @ Rohi’s Readery
The second Trojan Rocking Horse art workshop for children was hosted in Rohi’s Readery - a social justice driven children's bookstore and learning center dedicated to critical literacy that promotes inclusivity and diversity. The creative thinkers for this workshop were the 4th graders from West Palm Beach’s Greene School.
Finnish architect Marco Casagrande started the workshop by introducing to the children the 3000-year-old Greek myth of the Trojan Rocking horse, providing a framework for the creative work to follow. Children were asked to create their own horse and fill it with their dreams using the legend as a base.
In the process co-facilitated by Mary Glazier, a local collage artist and founder of Gurferlady, a female-led surf school, children used re-purposed materials as art supplies and collaged their own Trojan Rocking Horses. The material was sourced from Resource Depot which has been rescuing unwanted and excess materials for over two decades and turning them into a creative resource.
We asked Pranoo Kumar, the founder of Rohi’s Readery, why she decided to join the project:
// It was an honor to participate in this experience and I'm so grateful. The ability to share in the process of building your dreams and sharing it with the world resonates so much with the mission of the Readery. "We read something, we learn something, we share it with the world." The students did just that. They took time to listen as Marco honored the art of storytelling, and then take what they had learned and share their vision for a better world. It was pure joy to also see creativity and building inclusion of learning styles through art. I decided to participate because Sherryl Muriente, the DDA and I have such a shared commitment to community voice and building accessibility to the arts. I loved every minute of the workshop and left feeling such gratitude. Marco and the entire team were so kind and supportive of meeting everyone right where they were in the learning and execution. //
The Greene School was founded in 2016 with a clear mission to embrace and support bright, curious, and joyful learners to navigate a dynamic world. It is dedicated to cultivating each student's unique nature and potential and creating a trusting and safe atmosphere for students to explore, question, practice, make mistakes, create, and imagine. The Greene School instructional model allows their students to be successful and overcome academic and social challenges. Their engaging, balanced, and creative curriculum elevates the learning experiences of its students, ignites their passions and interests, and fosters a culture of compassion.
The workshop took place on Tuesday, January 17 2023 at Rohi’s Readery in West Palm Beach
Big THANK YOU to all of the organizers and participants!