Students at the Cook Library Center were joined yesterday by a panel of professionals from the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for GAAH's first Career Day. Each guest spoke about their career, their education, and steps students should take to pursue their own educational and career goals. Students had the opportunity to share their career goals with the speakers, and ask questions about their experiences. Speakers stressed the importance of higher education, and of being bilingual.
Career Day guest speakers l-r: Juan Carlos Munoz, Rosie del Valle, Jorge Gonzalez, Rene Rodriguez, and Mike Gardiner
PNC Assistant Vice President and Branch Sales Manager, Wyoming Branch, Juan Carlos Munoz speaks to the students.
GAAH Board Member Jorge Gonzalez, of Macatawa Bank, addresses the group.
Radio personality Rosie del Valle addresses the importance of being bilingual.
Photographer and graphic designer Rene Rodriguez speaks to the students.
Career Day was a wonderful event, and GAAH's thanks go out to Jorge Gonzalez, GAAH board member and chamber member who coordinated the panel. Special thanks also to all of our guest speakers: Ande Roeser, Ramon Bolanga, Juan Carlos Munoz, Rosie del Valle, Mike Gardner, Teresa Hendricks and Rene Rodriguez. We really appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedules to talk to our students.
SAVE THE DATE for Grandville Avenue Arts & Humanities' annual fundraising event Dia del Sol, which supports the programs of the Cook Arts Center and the Cook Library Center.
The event will take place on Thursday June 18 from 5-7:30pm at the Cook Arts Center and will feature delicious hors d'oeuvres prepared by chef Tommy Fitzgerald, Latin music, and a silent auction with a wide array of unique items.
Auction items will include artwork by esteemed local artists, some of whom are contract artists with the Cook Arts Center, experience packages and vacations in Michigan and beyond, and collaborative art pieces created by students and staff of our two facilities. Students at the library are shown below working with volunteer Patti Johnson to create a quilt to be auctioned.
Tickets are $40.00 a person, and sponsorship opportunities are available as well. Please contact Development & Communications Director Joanne Roehm at (616) 742-0692 or jroehm@gaah.org for ticket and sponsorship details.
Please join us for this wonderful event to show your support for the programs and facilities of Grandville Avenue Arts & Humanities. SEE YOU THERE!
Specials thanks to the folks at Amway for joining us for this month's Tolly Time storytime program at the Cook Library Center! The students had a great time participating in the storytelling and making a birthday candle craft. The students even presented our readers with a birthday card to celebrate Amway's 50th birthday! After the program, the students enjoyed a popsicle, and received a free book to take home and keep.
Last week the kids in the Drop-In-Art class explored the idea of time capsules. We began by talking about what the past looked like. The kids had some great opinions about the past; with comments ranging from “there were no cars” to “it was really dirty.”
We then talked about what it would be like to find a time capsule from the past. What would you find? How would your thoughts about the past change? Do you think there would be any similarities between you and the person?
We then discussed making our own time capsules. What do we want people to know about us today that maybe the history books won’t catch?This was a tough question for them, and probably for all of us. How do we want to be remembered? The textbooks will remember the economy crisis, the first African American president…but what about you and me?
While this idea could have been explored for hours, at this point the kids were anxious to get started on their own time capsules. We decided to stick with the idea of showing who we are as individuals: what we like, what we look like, how tall we are, etc. The students began working diligently on their time capsules.
I had a bag full of empty pop or juice bottles to use as the actual time capsules. After filling out the worksheets entitled “Welcome to My Time Capsule” and “My Favorites” and“This is What I Look Like,” the kids rolled them up and slid them into their bottle. They then added to their time capsules a string that indicated how tall they are.
After we put all the details in, we filled the bottles with feathers and sealed them up. We wrapped the bottles in foil and decorated them on the outside too. They then took them home in order to hide them away so someday someone will find their time capsule and know what a six or seven year old was like back in 2009.
** Shelly is a senior at Calvin College majoring in English and Studio Art. She shares her experiences interning at the Cook Arts Center on this blog once a week. **
Arts Director Amy Brower and Director of Development & Communications Joanne Roehm accompanied the Arts Centers' Teen Girls Group to the Grand Rapids Art Museum on Friday. The group met up with Cook Arts Center contract artist Sue Remes for a tour, then posed for some pictures outside. What a great trip!
This Thursday evening, the Grand Valley State University Latin dance crew and fastest growing Latino based organization on campus "Sabrosisimo" is holding their first annual "Baila Conmigo" event featuring performances by a variety of GVSU dance groups.
The event begins at 8:00pm, admission is FREE, and is suitable for all ages.
There will be a book drive benefitting the Cook Library Center at the door. Thanks to Sabrosisimo and GVSU for supporting GAAH and the Cook Library Center!
For more information, please contact Derek Duzan at derekduzan@gmail.com.
Thanks to everyone who came out, and/or made a donation, in support of the GAAH and the Cook Library Center at One Trick Pony last night. The concert kicked off WYCE's Hat Trick series and raised over $600 for our library!
One of the great things about the Cook Arts Center is the abundance of people willing to give their time to help wherever they can. While new people constantly seem to be appearing, sometimes the familiar faces have to go. Unfortunately this week, we had to say good-bye to two of our favorite high school interns at the Cook Arts Center.
Having been placed at the Arts Center nearly six months ago through the UICA’s Artworks program, Rachel and Megan agree that the fit was better than they ever could have expected. While at first they were unsure about working with kids, they soon grew to love the constant energy, handholds and smiles.
Whether they were helping in a classroom, leading an activity, or even cleaning up, they always had a positive attitude…and usually at least one child hanging on them.
When asked what her favorite part was, Rachel immediately said, “Developing lifelong relationships with the kids and the people working here.” And that is exactly what she and Megan did.
To end this post, I’ll leave you all with some great pictures of Rachel and Megan at work, surrounded by children, of course. We’ll miss you two!
Shelly
** Shelly is a senior at Calvin College majoring in English and Studio Art. She shares her experiences interning at the Cook Arts Center on this blog once a week. **
Career Day guest speakers l-r: Juan Carlos Munoz, Rosie del Valle, Jorge Gonzalez, Rene Rodriguez, and Mike Gardiner
PNC Assistant Vice President and Branch Sales Manager, Wyoming Branch, Juan Carlos Munoz speaks to the students.
GAAH Board Member Jorge Gonzalez, of Macatawa Bank, addresses the group.
Radio personality Rosie del Valle addresses the importance of being bilingual.
Photographer and graphic designer Rene Rodriguez speaks to the students.
Tickets are $40.00 a person, and sponsorship opportunities are available as well. Please contact Development & Communications Director Joanne Roehm at (616) 742-0692 or jroehm@gaah.org for ticket and sponsorship details.
One of the great things about the Cook Arts Center is the abundance of people willing to give their time to help wherever they can. While new people constantly seem to be appearing, sometimes the familiar faces have to go. Unfortunately this week, we had to say good-bye to two of our favorite high school interns at the Cook Arts Center.
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