Arts-based inter ventions for change
CARROT WAY Stories and Poems by the Children of Telling It
SPRING 2015
A B O U T AVAL ON HO U SIN G AN D TELLIN G I T
Avalon Housing, a Telling It partner since 2010, believes that the most effective solution to ending homelessness is supportive housing, that housing is a basic human right, and that building community is essential to helping people achieve self-sufficiency. They believe it is vitally important to invest time, energy and resources to help children who are at-risk of becoming homeless as adults. Recognized as an exemplary community-based program designed for underserved children and youth grades K-12, Telling It employs innovative approaches to boost scholastic confidence by using the healing aspects of the arts in concert with evidenced-based educational and social work practices. Weekly afterschool programs are conducted for children and youth in Washtenaw Co.
Welcome to our Telling It celebration at Avalon Housing’s Carrot Way community! Today we are celebrating the culmination of a yearlong sculpture project led by the acclaimed artist, Val Mann. The children’s creative journey started last fall when Morgan and York’s Co-Owner, Simone Jenkins, led a two-week food sculpture workshop. In this workshop the children explored building and attaching different elements to create small food sculptures using rice krispies treats, marshmallows and icing sugar. There was much chewing over ideas and problem-solving! Over the next seven months, Val Mann taught the children the engineering and architectural knowledge required for building a large steel sculpture. Her instruction also involved the safe use of power tools. For inspiration, there were trips to the University of Michigan’s Museum of Modern Art and to Zingerman’s Bakehouse to learn how to mold and create shapes and forms. As the children’s ideas for their sculpture took shape, Val took them to Maker Works, a member-based workshop filled with state-of-the-art tools for builders, makers, and artists. There they saw the laser cutter in operation that she would use to cut the children’s steel sculpture design. Over the course of this amazing journey, the children have learned to work together, problem-solve and take responsibility. Their sculpture is a tribute to all the good things that support the positive growth of the children from Carrot Way. None of this would be possible without the brilliant leadership of Val Mann and the Telling It team. They honored the children’s creativity and design ideas. Avalon Housing and Telling It are truly grateful to Val and the Carrot Way community for allowing us to turn the children’s ideas into an art form that is a visual reminder of how a community can foster growth and healing. In the words of the children as they named their sculpture, Roots Taking Flight is their legacy to the place that was, for a time, their childhood home. With best wishes, Deb Gordon-Gurfinkel Telling It Founder & Director
ALEXIS C A R ROT WAY
TH E TH REE BO XE S P O E MS
W H AT I S T HE D OG T H I N KI NG?
2. My favorite color is not purple but cam’s is: when he saw the card say purple he was joyful and ran around in a circle and hit his head on the wall. I smell a blue sad pentagon it smells like sea.
I I I I I
see candy taste candy feel happy smell candy want love
This is heaven pet me more I wish she would get the brush I wish she would get me a biscuit too Pet me- I want to be petted! “Nice Dog”, she told me And the mail lady came and she said, “Don’t bite me, nice doggy!”
FI VE SE NSE S OF AN OB JE CT I N A BAG
I feel: in a plastic bag Something that opens and closes It will smell like plastic It is smooth It feels like sunglasses I feel circles like lenses And rougher on the glasses It is definitely glasses Its sunglasses or fancy glasses
T EL LI N G I T
I like telling it because it is awesome and great. I learned from it sometimes and I like it because I get to learn.
1. I see a box My favorite color is silver I feel annoyed
3. A super happy red triangle Have you seen a super happy red triangle? I have And it is cool
C ARROT WAY ME MO RY
When I moved to Carrot Way it was three or four years ago. We had to work all day, moving in. I moved with my mom and sisters. It was May 1st
H OT LAVA
In Texas, one day there was very scary weather! One family lived in a house exactly 5 inches away from the crack in the earth with hot lava. They ran out the back door to their family tree house. Then they all ran to the giants’ house and they let them in and protected them. The giants’ house is safe .
CAMERON S H A P E S, COL OR & EMOTION S POEM Have you seen a playful yellow octagon? I have, and it is really playful. A sad blue pentagon I smell a blue sad pentagon. It smells like the sea. It is the end. A super happy red triangle. Have you seen a super happy red triangle? I have, and it is cool. A silver annoyed square. I see a square. My favorite color is silver. I feel annoyed. A joyful purple circle. My favorite color is not purple, but Cam’s is. When he saw the card say purple, he was joyful and ran around in a circle and hit head on wall.
T Y P H OON!
There is a typhoon that is about to hit a neighborhood called Carrot Way. If I were you, I will hide if I was you. This story is about me, my friend named Keon, and also my other friend named Spencer. We were riding bikes and then all of a sudden….my cousin named Kailyn came outside and said, “Cameron, I think you should come and see this.” Me, Keon and Spencer rode our bikes really fast to my house. We took off our jackets and shoes and headed right up stairs. Kailyn said “come and look what is on the news.” We went into my room turned on the tv and went on the news. The person on the news said that a typhoon is coming near Carrot Way. We all got really, really, really scared. We were panicking because a typhoon was coming. This is only the beginning. So what I am saying is: To be continued….
T H R E E T HI NGS ABOUT MY P HOT O
1. I put stuff that were like animals 2. I put things that were not like animals 3. fun stamps 4. creative 5. awesome 6. cool 7. not slopey 8. positive things 9. poas time stamps 10. present time stamps 11. future time stamps 12. amagenashon 13. alot of time to do this 14. nice work 15. Took all the time to do this.
T H E NE W FAMI LY AT C ARROT WAY The secret family: Why they are secret? magic powers magic portal magic dog over 10,000 people in house can teleport can turn invisible from the Antarctic they drive polar bears and a magic carpet. they eat eyeballs and organs. They have a book of magic they are hiding it from the world. Hope that they will teach me magic. I want to learn all of it. How to fly. They have ∞ floors The color of the house is gray and dark. My Family
C A R ROT WAY
I love Carrot Way because it has all of my friends that care about me in and it also has family members too. If I left Carrot Way I will miss, everybody in here, even family members and friends.
MY STO RY A BO U T H ELPIN G S O ME BO D Y
Hi, my name is Cameron. I am making a story about helping a new boy that was new to our class. There was a boy named Thomas. The bullies’ names were • • • • •
Arthur London Camayah Kelsy Jada
They were making fun of him by teasing him, calling him names, and even bullying him, punching him, and also made him cry. So then I went over to them and pushed them away from him and said “leave him alone.” They ran away to tell a teacher a lie.
C ARROT WAY - MY FO O D SC ULPTU R E I see: cake and Ice cream I hear: Baby Birds Chirping and Singing I taste: Candy and lots of sweets I touch: gentle water and gentle hands I feel: happy and Excited and most of all….proud. I smell: frosting, candy, and a lot of things that smell good. I want: to add a lot more details in my sculpture to make it Better and make it Creative and Inspiring., I also want to taste it and add more and more candy onto my sculpture to tell people what I think Carrot Way is and what it means to me. And most of all, I want to tell people that Carrot Way is a lot and a lot of candy. That is what I want.
T H R E E T HI NGS ABOUT MY P I C T URE 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Trees Stamps Cool Flowers Awesome! Fun to play with It’s really awesome
C A R ROT WAY – MY F OOD S C U LPT URE
I see lots of kids having fun! I hear people having fun talking to each other. I taste SUGAR! I touch candy – the rice crispies feel sticky. I feel warm and comfortable and we have lots of people being creative. I smell dogs barking and rice crispies. I want people to have fun, even Jay.
T H E WA CK Y FA MILY MOVE T O C A RROT WAY
IN TH E MU S E U M
Couch Chairs Sculptures their faces look funny & they have 2 heads contrasting colors jingley bells people human faces colors are important (big big!) rock with lots of color paper mache over the chairs to make forms pots, pans food dishes stuff they can make out of food towers buildings scrolls I think the scrolls are used for stuff you can do or make. tea kettle shape tea pot horses paintings pictures people walking really big!
They might want to paint their house fed and blue! And some white. Veronica is the mom and David is the dad. There are 6 kids. They are from Alaska and they speak Chinese. The kids names are Anna, Belle, GOIN G H O ME Annabelle, Connor, Charlie, and To never see my face - ever. Chandler. They interesting because I will miss everyone and everything. they have magical powers like making people feel people’s eyeballs. And the WH AT I LO V E A BO U T make other people feel happy to each C ARROT WAY other! I love to see my friends I like my room B EL LS – SOUND I like birds A jar with bells or some needles that I like to see Kayln make sound. I like school The sides feel smooth, the bottom feels smooth, the lid feels smooth. SC H OOL Smells like bricks. I like to go to school Smells like someone put their hands Because on it and maybe broke some tree it is fun branches and put them inside. to me Brown or black. yes Curved sides and a flat bottom. Kind of cold on sides, warm on top.
DAVIONNA
FI VE SE NSE S OF C ARROT WAY I I I I I I I
see a spider hear talking taste candy touch adventure feel good smell nice crispy treats want to be here.
FI VE SE NSE S OF AN OBJEC T I N A BAG I I I I
feel rubber, sharp taste, it’s a little sweet smell garden or forest hear soft fur
FI VE SE NSE S OF AN OTH ER OB JE CT I N A B AG
I feel yarn, hard, warm. I smell, it’s like something on fire and it burns for a while. I taste nothing. I hear nothing except for squishing on my face. I see yarn. I knew it was yarn in the first place! This was the easiest thing in the world!
T H E NE W FA M I LY AT C ARROT WAY My best friend Darral Moon is moving here and I can’t wait to meet his family. He lives with two people, his mom and dad. They had special powers and they gave some to me. It was awesome. I had all the powers. I could fly, do a fireball, ice ball, everything. It was so awesome! He likes to play basketball and football. He is ten and has the same birthday as me. His mom is 27 and his dad is 25. He lives in Detroit and he likes video games like me. His mom’s name is Shanik and his dad’s name is dad.
WEEKEND S
On the weekend I like to play basketball. I like to sleep in. I also like to go to hotels.
MY LIF E
My life would look like me in college. Basketball. Me living in a house and driving a car. I’m gonna have a girlfriend And I’m going to be driving a Toyota Carolla. I’m going to live in a condo. I’m going to have two couches, A tv, An entertainment center, X Box1, 2 controllers, 2 kids, and 2 bedrooms. My girlfriend’s name is Indya. My two kids’ names are Devon and La’Maya. I want a boy and a girl. I would take my family to Florida for one whole week. So I would travel with my family and take them to buy clothes And shoes. And go swimming. See fish and stuff like that. I’m going to North Carolina for college And I’m going to play SG (shooting guard) And I’m going to be a starter. I’m not going to be on the bench.
DAVON E A RT HQUA KE D URIN G SURGERY!
We were doing an earthquake. We got into a car accident. The earthquake was scary. Liam was the one who had surgery. I made the car noise. I was the lead doctor. I had to fix his arm and heart. Then when I said, “He’s not going to make it,” the earthquake started. So I dropped the scalpel and needle. Everything was shaking and I could not concentrate. It was hard to pick up the things so I could not operate. I tried my best to operate. He screamed in pain so I gave up trying to operate again. I fell so I took my scalpel and started to operate on him again. I switched her heart with a robot heart. Then his brain had trouble so I switched it. He was almost dead so I put blood in him and it took a long time, like the while day. It was taking forever. The earthquake was still on and it took a long time and it was hard when the earthquake and the tsunami came later. I didn’t go to the beach. The tornado came. I was struck hard.
JUSTICE FI VE SE NSE S OF C ARROT WAY I I I I I I I
see food hear laughter feel good taste sweets touch food smell good stuff want video games
FI VE SE NSE S OF AN OBJEC T IN A BAG
It feels like metal and a little brush Sounds like metal It has a fluffy brush It feels soft IT smells icy like mint It sounds loud on one side and loud on the other side
W H AT I S T HE D OG TH IN KIN G?
A dog is excited when the kids come home from school He is full of crazy energy He loved when his family is home Here comes a stranger The dog is going to protect He is going to bite
KAYLN M Y FOOD SCUL PTURE OF C A R ROT WAY I I I I I I I
see friends. smell pizza. hear Blair talking. taste Rice Krispie treats. touch the playground. feel happy. want fun times for Carrot Way.
P I Z ZA FAMI LY
There’s an arrival from the oven! The pizza man is morning next door! He’s filled with cheese and 1,000 pepperonis. There is a pizza daughter. She is filled with cheese and pineapples. She has a baby brother that is only filled with cheese. They have pepperoni placemats on their table, pepperoni floors, and pizza walls. The walls can be eaten and when they wake up the next morning, new pizza appears. Their beds are shaped like a pizza. During the week, the pizza kids go to school and the pizza man is their teacher.
T H R E E B OX E S POEM
I feel confused. Then I put on my pink sweatshirt and I feel solid like a triangle. I feel green. I feel like a perfect ice cub with happy little bubbles.
OU R TORN AD O S TO RY
I’m hiding in the laundry room because it’s the only place with no windows. There’s a tornado outside that’s really strong. We can hear the whistling of the wind and the shattering of our windows outside. Blair and I are ducking for cover with our hands over our heads. We can’t hear the wind anymore so we sign with relief. we step outside the laundry room and see no walls left of our house with leaves and pieces of branches all over what used to be our kitchen. We call Val and Lanya for help.
F IVE SEN SE S P O E M O F A N OBJEC T IN A BA G
Feel: smooth and bumpy on bottom Smell: like candy Taste: like candy Hear: rattling, makes noise See: espresso bean container
C ARROT WAY H A P P Y MEMORY
The weather was hot and me and my sister were playing with the Frisbee. My sister’s name is Kiya. She is three. It was fun. Kiya caught the Frisbee with her hands. She had a hard time throwing it back. We played for a really long time. I smiled. We got hot. We kept playing. It felt hot. I was happy, excited, and content. When I leave CW I will miss the field and Ms. Heather.
KEON W H AT I F?
If there was a natural disaster I would gather all of my family first. After I would go get my mother’s keys and drive off to a place where no natural disasters were.
A D I F FI CULT SI T UATION
A few minutes ago there was a spoiled girl named Aria. Aria was always getting picked on. Once somebody pulled a string while she was running and she did a front flip and landed on her back and started crying. And the bullies started laughing. After all of that I told the bullies to stop because you guys wouldn’t like it if you got bullied every single school day. Once, after that, they were bullying Aria and the principal came while Aria was getting bullied and the principal said, “You guys stop now!” And the kids stopped and the principal took the bullies to the office and called their parents and they were grounded until high school. They were only in 5th grade so they have 4 years of punishment.
LABRON M Y FOOD SCUL PTURE OF C A R ROT WAY
I see big carrots I hear kids I taste candy I touch trees I feel safe I smell carrots I want candy I want a basketball court for Carrot Way
W H AT I S T HE CH ARAC TER T H I N KI NG? My dance game is strong. Please don’t bite me.
FI VE SE NSE S POEM OF AN OB JE CT I N A BAG
It feels rough like metal It feels smooth It is a tool It makes me feel like I want to use it I see a hole puncher
TH E N EW FA MI LY
They have 3 pets, 3 kids. They are the Petds. They have a dog, lion, and zombie. The mom’s name is Mrs. Petds and the dad’s name is Mr. Petds. The kids names are Lion Jr., Marshon, and Ronisha. Lion Jr. is the oldest, he is 10. Marshon is 10 and Ronisha is 9. They are in the 5th grade. They all like Ninja Turtles and they like Minecraft, Pokemon, Dragonball Z, and basketball. THey were born in 2005. THey are from Detroit and Dearborn. Ronisha skipped a grade because she was in 4th grade. They like the walking dead and they like to eat pizza, spaghetti, and steak.
LANYA
FI VE SE NSE S OF C ARROT WAY I I I I I I I
see kids hear kids playing taste carrots touch the playground feel happy smell chicken want candy for Carrot Way.
FI VE SE NSE S OF AN OTH ER OB JE CT I N A BAG
I feel furry on one side, smooth but rough at the same time. I smell stinky, smells like candy on the smooth side. I taste dirty. I hear sounds like scrubbing. I see a dry erase marker.
T H E BACON FA MILY
The Bacon family is moving in to Carrot Way. Five people are in the family. Emily Bacon and Jacob Bacon are the parents. Jessica Bacon, Emma Bacon and Talia Bacon are the kids – three sisters! Their house always smells like bacon. Some people make fun of them because their last name is bacon. They actually eat bacon all of the time, every day. I would want to eat at their house all the time. One girl is in pre-school. One of them is 13 and in 6th grade. The last girl is in 4th grade and she is 9. Emily Bacon is 32 years old and Jacob is 33. Emily stays at home and gets the kids off the bus. Jacob works at the bacon factory.
C A R ROT WAY M EMORIES
When I moved to Carrot Way it was amazing. I was so happy but also sad because I had to leave my friends.
TORN ADO
I’m walking around the house minding my business when all of a sudden the wall starts falling down! I was scared and frightened! Crack! Shhhh! Crack!!! Shhh! My furniture and stuff was flying everywhere! My dog is making funny faces as he’s swooped up by the tornado. He is swirling around and looks like he might get sick. I want to save my dog but I might get sucked into the tornado. So I wave goodbye to Smookie. The End
GROU P P O E M
I love the water! I feel so free when I’m swimming. I enjoy feeling water o my skin. I am diving. I am happy because I am going to break the rules. I hope she doesn’t dive on me. I can’t wait to be in the cool water. I’m going to win the swimming race. We are swimming. We are diving. I’m going to help people. DON’T DIVE IN THE SHALLOW END!
C OLORS , S H A P E S A N D EMOTIO N S
A cheerful red cake can be delicious. Angry oranges are as great as Happy Apples. The magenta screen horrified me. I spilled my popcorn.
C A R ROT WAY – FOOD S C U LPT URE
I See Food I Hear my mind telling me EAT! I taste stuff I touch food I feel excited to EAT! I smell DELISCIOUSNESS! I want TO EAT I want everybody-in-carrot-way-to-EAT! I’m hungry
W H AT I S T HE CH ARAC TER T H I N KI NG?
#Ireally have2usethebathroom #Don’tmesswithme! #Ihasgots2gopotty! #POBMIFudo,MDGIS (please don’t bite me! If you do, My dance game is on! #Don’tnmesswithme!! #Ihavegot2gopotty#
OB JE CT I N A BAG
It feels like something to cut with Kind of rough It has holes You can open it Some of it is metal Sharp edges I see scissors I know what is because it’s obviously a what?
A NOT HE R OB J E C T IN A BAG It feels like plastic It doesn’t smell like anything It sounds like rain There is something inside I see a box of espresso beans.
T H R E E B OX E S POEM
A Neon yellow, square sponge, is so mad, he doesn’t even want to care about stuff I was so happy, a gray, octagon shaped called the PlayboxDS, appeared right in front of me.
IF I MOVE D O U T O F C W,
I’d miss everything. Like my house, my cat, food, 6 others and everything Carrot Way has to offer, including my friends.
TH E C OS BY FA MI LY: A TRUE STO RY … ?
Caleb is a kid who’s cool, funny, and…cool. His real name is Caleb Cosby. He told me on Playstation™®3 that his father passed away. So it is just him and his mom. He is also moving with his brother. I think the reason they are moving is because Caleb’s father died. He likes to play on Playstation. Sometimes, me and Caleb play together in my world, or his world. He likes DragonballZ, and Minecraft. I discovered his father died on Saturday, November 8th, 2014 then he said, “My father has passed away. I’m gonna now build this thing in his honor.” I never knew if it was true or not. But Ms. Donelly said that he wasn’t here today because he had a family issue that his father died. Caleb was right. By the way, Caleb is 11/12 years old. What happened that was the problem, was probably that his father died. R.I.P. Father 19?? – 2014
LIAM WAT E R T SUNA M I
I wonder out in the woods and Kyogre, the legendary Pokemon of the sea appeared! I morph into to my magma suit then it said that I have to die. So then we battle to death. I unleashed my earthquake attack. Kyogre was not affected. He uses hydro pump. Luckily, I dodge it. I then use my ultimate attack, my Magma Fury. It actually creates a thunderstorm to create fires. One of the bolts hit Kyogre he was down to only 2HP left! I was ready for whatever move he could make next. Then he unleashed his Aqua Tsunami! I tried to run away, but I unfortunately was caught and started to drown. I couldn’t swim up. I thought it was the end for me. But then, my were glowing red. I started to get psychic powers. I used those powers to fly up and kick the tsunami in Kyogre’s direction. He takes 986HP damage. Kyogre has 1000. Meaning I over knocked him out, meaning that he was killed. He is actually evil to people.
MARLON T H E E ND OF T HE W ORLD
I would find shelter. I would get with a group of friends and family to survive as a pack. I would have weapons like chainsaws, swords, and guns for protection. I would get away from areas of high population; rural areas or islands to survive. Find easily defendable peace and an area to hunt and fish.
HA P P Y SQUA RE N EON BLAC K
Sleeping makes me happy in the neon black of night. Drawing squares makes me happy.
NAJEH T H E SE NSE S OF C ARROT WAY - M Y FOOD S C U LPT URE I see fun I hear people I taste Spanish food I touch love I feel wonder I smell peace I want positive feelings and positive thoughts also positive words for carrot way I love carrot way I love you all Home sweet home
F IVE SENS E S O F A N OBJEC T I N A BA G
It feels smooth and sandy It smells like metal and sweat It tastes like sand from the beach It sounds scratchy and really hard It makes me feel curious and unpredictable I see a sander
W H E N ZOMBI E S TAKE OVER TH E W ORLD !
First I would make sure to find other living people and figure out a plan. Then we would build a shelter and always leave in pairs. I would steal groceries from the store and hunt. One person would always be on guard to watch for the zombies.
T H E D AY I SAV E D LAUREN
One day I was at the center with everyone after school all of the sudden there was a big bump. We thought it was nothing but then all of a sudden another bump. We got up and looked outside and the earth was shaking. My granny’s purse went flying through the air. The windows broke everything was shaking we were shaking and the earth opened…DUN DUN DUN. Hot burning lava started coming up and lava started coming up and lava balls started going boom up in the air. We almost did splits into the lava HOT BURNING LAVA. Lauren had an awesome awesome helicopter and flew into the center, we all ran into the helicopter and it almost left Lauren behind but then me the FAB Najeh swings over like an acrobat and grabs Lauren by her hand. Suddenly Lauren let go and was swirling in the air and she was so scared and crying in the air. I grabbed her by the hair and her boots fell into the lava. Then comes the epic trick I swirl Lauren like a spinning wheel and let go of her hand and she does some somersaults in the air and I jump out of the awesome helicopter and do some amazing tricks that no one could before and go through lava hoops and grab Lauren and get back into the awesome helicopter and fly to Florida and spend the rest of our lives in Disney world. Our hotel was awesome we had a pool. We lived happily ever after
W H AT I S T HE GI RL TH IN KIN G ?
I love the water! I feel so free when I am swimming! I enjoy feeling the water on my skin. I am diving. I am happy because I am breaking the rules. I hope she doesn’t dive on me!! I can’t wait to be in the cool water. I’m going to win the swimming race Swimming, Diving I am going to help Don’t dive into the shallow end! M
C A R ROT WAY M EMORY
The first day I moved into carrot way I went to the center. I met the old Scott and he was the best. I loved everything because of him. When I left Carrot Way I missed the parks, my friends and the center a lot!
A P P RE CI AT I ON & APPLAU SE Telling It Team Members Deb Gordon-Gurfinkel, Bri Christy, Blair Sucher, Kim Creswell, Michelle Dimuzio, Cara Cannella Telling It Program Coordinator Emily Moore-Marshall Avalon Housing Staff Lauren Velez, Heather Foster, Diana Saum, Scott Maurmann, Essence Gray, Measie James, Dave Schrotenboer
S TA N D I NG OVATION F OR T H E ART I ST S Val Mann, Lead Visual Artist Simone Jenkins, Visual Artist Leisa Thompson, Photographer Alexander Lee, Graphic Design
FOR M ORE I NFO RMATION lsa.umich.edu/tellingit Deb Gordon-Gurfinkel Telling It Founder & Director (734) 649-3118 dmgordon@umich.edu
Arts-based inter ventions for change
F UN DING & S U P P O RT
Avalon Housing U-M LSA Residential College Howard S. Holmes II Charity Golf Invitational Victory Toyota Canton Martin Family Foundation Mosaic Foundation (of R. & P. Heydon) Dick & Norma Sarns Bank of Ann Arbor Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office – Jerry L. Clayton, Sheriff Con-way, Inc. Milton & Tamar Maltz Foundation Washtenaw Coordinated Funders Doug & Julie Stotlar Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation
SPEC IAL TH A N K S
Zingerman’s Bakehouse Maker Works U-M Museum of Modern Art Martin Bandyke, ann arbor’s 107one Allegra Printing