CAT workshop!
Whew, what a busy week! Leslie Holt came in town for the Neuro Bloom installation and Bo and I were able to help her hang Neuro Booms all up and down Cherokee St.! We sure got lots of steps in and were able to meet many wonderful people along the way!!
We also got to help with three different workshops to create pieces for another installation that we got to help install at Red Chair Studios! It turned out amazing, but more on that in next week’s blog!
One of the workshops that we got to help with was with alumni from the Community Arts Training (CAT) Institute. I was not previously aware of this organization and was excited to have the opportunity to learn more about it and work alongside many talented and enthusiastic members of it. I figured I would use this space today to highlight more about the organization in case others were also unaware of this cool program!
The CAT program is based here in St. Louis, MO and implemented under the Regional Arts Commission (RAC). Members of the program go through an application and selection process before joining a cohort of fellows that will then engage in curriculum surrounding art, activism, and social justice together. The “with-not for” approach is a hallmark value that is taught and carried out among the CATs. The idea is that the communities that are being served are central to the process and are actively involved in informing what is done. According to their website, “For 25 years, the Community Arts Training Institute (CAT) has successfully worked to develop a robust regional network of people trained to use the arts as a tool for positive social change. To date, more than 350 social workers, educators, community activists, policymakers, and artists of all disciplines have completed this cross-sector training and are using their knowledge in communities around the world” (Regional Art Commission of St. Louis, 2022). They also have a strong alumni program that allows you to maintain connections with past and current CAT fellows! The opportunities for collaboration are endless! It was great to be in a space of so many like-minded people sharing a love for social justice and art! I knew that I was among my kind of people when we were caught up in conversation around collecting weird trash and doo-dads to repurpose as treasured art!
You can find more information on the organization here: https://racstl.org/programs/community-arts-training-cat-institute/
References
“Community Arts Training (CAT) Institute.” Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis, 8 Mar. 2022, https://racstl.org/programs/community-arts-training-cat-institute/.