Ars longa, vita brevis. Photo by Jon Eckard
Art is long, life is short. Hello. My name is Molly Rice and I’m the Director/Educator at the Tractor Shed Theatre at St. Stephens High School in Hickory, NC. We are an award-winning program who loves to collaborate within our school and community.
In 2010, we devised a very special project for women and children in crisis called “Reach Out.” The Reach Out project led students into the community where they chose a local charity to help raise awareness and/or funds. The students wrote original plays based on information the organizations supplied them with - usually real statistics and true life stories of abuse and domestic violence that is happening here on our own doorstep. The Reach Out project raised over $1000 cash and stuffed animals, blankets, and personal products for women in need. We were blessed to work with The Women's Resource Center, Safe Harbor Rescue Mission, Family Guidance Center, and The Children's Advocacy Center. Our work was done in the name of Zahra Baker. This year I hand-picked actors, musicians, poets and writers to go back out in our community and do an intergenerational project with a local program called "PACE@Home.” PACE@Home is a Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly that allows individuals in need of skilled nursing home care to remain in their home or community setting. Art Instructor Sue Hardy and her art classes joined us in capturing stories and portraits for artistic interpretation in visual art, storytelling, poetry, spoken word, rap, music, and theatre. Our aim was to “torch-bear.” Torch bearing is carrying the story and memories of those who have gone before us with a goal to keep them alive through the arts. We have adopted the title “Ars Longa, Vita Brevis” which, translated from the Latin, means “Art is long, life is short.” The Project included two visits to PACE@Home; original art work – portraits of the elders; full-color reproduction book of art, poetry, stories, lyrics, and oral histories; Musical CD including original music, poetry, spoken word, and oral histories; DVD documenting the project; and two performances – one at the facility and one at school.
1