MAYAN ART PROGRAM Ayudame a Pintar Mi Futuro
The Guatemala Art Project funds weekly group and individual art classes for children of in
The weekly art classes take place at the art gallery of the painters and beside the lake or other sites of visual interest, and a small refreshment is provided. Every six weeks there is also a short excursion for the children. Because the families of the students are very low income, baskets of food and household items are provided about once a month to their families as well. When possible, clothing and school supplies are also distributed.
The Director of the art program is a local Tz’utujil Guatemalan, Jose Antonio Mendez Chavajay, who - assisted by his brother Henry – founded the program in 2008. Doroteia's representative on the ground in Guatemala is retired Chico psychotherapist Mira Talbott-Pope, who has been living in working in Guatemala several years, and has helped to develop this project. We also enlist the assistance of visiting artists in the classes, when they are available.
THE SETTING and the PARTICIPANTS
San Pedro la Laguna, on
But as in any community, there are some individuals who are “left behind” due to low level of literacy, inheritance, or support. Single mothers are particularly vulnerable. Ayudame a Pintar Mi Futuro was developed by two Guatemalan painters to aid these women with food and clothing for their children, and for the children to have a chance to draw and paint—thus learning to express themselves and their feelings, increase their self-esteem, and receive positive role modelling from the male teachers and their assistants.
The mothers in this program have either lost husbands due to death or divorce, or have husbands who are non-supportive for various reasons, including advanced alcoholism. All are Tz’utujil, although most speak some Spanish. Four of the mothers cannot write their names. They have an average of four children each. A few of the children are cared for by a relative or friend due to the death of the child’s parent. These are usually aunts or grandmothers who have other children still to care for, so this additional child is a financial burden. Our program is designed to address some urgent needs of this population with scant resources.
The painters began this project on their own with nine families in 2008, and maintained it from a percentage of sales of their paintings until the economic downturn in mid-2009 made this impossible. They continue to do this work-with-heart because of their personal experiences and commitment to children and single mothers.
THE STUDENTS
Fifteen children aged 7 to 13 attend classes in drawing and painting for three hours every Saturday morning. These classes provide emotional support and positive modelling for the children, as well as the potential to learn a useful skill. From this class, some children have been identified with a special talent and interest in learning to paint in the traditional Tz’utujil style, thus maintaining respect and awareness of the culture, and producing saleable paintings. (See some of the art here.) Additionally, some mothers have approached us to ask for individual classes for older siblings. These more serious students are aided to receive private classes from the painters Jose and Henry Mendez via scholarships. Works by the painters and some of our students can be seen at www.paintmyfuture.org.
DONATIONS NEEDED
You can make donations to support the program through this website. Donations are tax-deductible. General donations are used to purchase art materials and refreshments for the Saturday classes, provide food baskets to the mothers and clothing for the children, make improvements to the project office, and put on benefit events in
SPONSORING A CHILD
The consistent help of sponsorship of a child will allow us to anticipate income and thus to budget better. It also creates the potential for a rich and rewarding intercultural exchange and personal relationship between sponsor and child/family.
Assigning sponsors -- called madrinas and padrinos -- allows children to take part in the Saturday drawing and painting classes, and for the mothers to receive food, clothing and school supplies for their children. Sponsors will receive information about the family and child they are helping, along with photos of the child and his/her mother. We will share something of the child’s story with the sponsors. Sponsorship funds never go to the family directly, but only for the items mentioned above. If you would like to learn more about sponsoring a child, please email Mira.
Cost of Sponsorship
Group Classes. One child can be sponsored in this program for $20 per month, or $240 per year. We ask for a one year commitment, but donations can be submitted monthly or annually, as you prefer. Donations are paid through Doroteia Pathways Foundation, at PO Box 7514, Chico, CA 95927, or via PayPal on this website. We will not send out a bill, but Paint My Future will send out e-mail reminders.
Private Lessons. Private lessons are $40 per month for 2 hours per day, 3 days a week. Sponsoring a youth who has shown unusual talent and interest in learning to paint for individual lessons would allow these young people to pursue a dream and gain a valuable skill. They can sell their paintings in our gallery in San Pedro, and via our website, and thus learn something about marketing, as well.
Discount Card. Sponsors will also receive a 10% discount card applicable to all purchases of art and craft items at any of our benefit events.
Corresponding, sending gifts, or visiting with your sponsored child. If you are interested in sponsoring a child or youth for group or individual classes, please email Mira for more information on how your relationship with the child/family could be developed. Of course it is possible to do this anonymously, as well.