It is always a good day at Patchwork when we can join together with our Arts & Smarts families to celebrate their children and their children’s accomplishments.
We had one such opportunity last night at our annual End of the School Year Celebration. Patchwork’s main room was filled with our participants and their families. We played games, admired artwork, ate pizza, watched recaps of the year, sang songs, and won door prizes.
Much of the artwork on display tied into our study of this semester’s spotlight artist: Faith Ringgold. Ringgold’s art references traditional folk art as it tells stories about place and her lived experience. Using Ringgold’s art as inspiration led to the creation of our own city and a story about the inhabitants of that city. It also led to fabric art depicting noteworthy and memorable moments in each of our participants’ lives.
One of the songs that we sang last night was “I Am a Promise,” led by Grandpa Gary. The song’s lyrics include the lines, “I am a promise. I am a possibility. I am a promise with a capital P. I am a great big bundle of potentiality.” We’ve been singing this song around Patchwork for over a quarter century, and among the singers last night was a parent who was, herself, one of the original I Am a Promise Singers all those years ago.
Last night was a lovely evening to reflect on how much we’ve created, learned, and grown together. It was also a reminder of the promise held within each and every one of our participants.