Art in Action

August 1, 2018

Gr 4-7-In 2016, Chavez set up a table and chairs in a New York City subway station, and encouraged people to share their thoughts, hopes, and fears on sticky notes, which he posted on the wall of the station. This became "Subway Therapy," an interactive art installation that the artist used to help people connect, especially during times of national tragedy and division. This book provides kids with ideas and suggestions on how to create their own world-changing art. Projects are organized by location: crafts that can be done with family, at school, and in the community. The suggested activities include interviewing family members, handing out appreciation tokens to friends and classmates, taking photographs of community members at a local coffee shop, and more. Each project emphasizes the importance of having a dialogue with others. Difficulty rankings from one to five and sidebars accompany each prompt. VERDICT A timely addition to crafting and bibliotherapy collections for middle grade readers.-Ashley Larsen, Pacifica Libraries, CA

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2018
A children's guide to doing projects with a purpose in the home, school, or community.Author Chavez, the creator of Subway Therapy, offers a guide for kids who want to make art with purpose, to make a statement, or to start change. Writing conversationally, he begins with his own story of Subway Therapy and his motivation for making a difference. He puts into perspective what it means to be an artist and what art is. Encouraging readers to think about who they are as artists in new ways--maybe they'd rather think of themselves as scientists, creators, or change-makers--he gives tips and advice on creativity, passions, and discovering a cause. In the following chapters, he describes examples of different projects and how they can be executed in homes, schools, and neighborhoods. The projects range from talking to family members and making a family tree to going out into the community and setting up a photo booth to capture portraits of people. Chavez gives tips on how to reach strangers and share projects online safely. Specific projects are laid out in numbered steps with lists of necessary materials and/or equipment along with abundant encouragement to experiment and have fun. Sometimes the language used feels dated, and the chapters on projects at home are not inclusive of those who may not have a family or steady home life.A change in perspective about what art can be and an exhortation to undertake projects with a purpose. (Nonfiction. 9-13)

COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2018
Grades 4-7 This accessible manual encourages kids to create public art?always legally, always in safe surroundings. Art is broadly defined as social media and refers to just about anything that gets readers' creative juices flowing and inspires actions that provoke interest and audience feedback. Begin small, at home: write or draw secret notes and hide them for family members. Progress to school: create a Thought Mosaic where classmates can respond to open-ended questions (with permission from school authorities, of course). Projects are broken into manageable tasks, beginning with identifying efforts that are meaningful and personal, and then step-by-step directions (easily adaptable) cover what, where, why, and how. By the time readers get to the penultimate chapter on community projects, they should be inspired and aware of the potential impact of public statements. Safety is always stressed, as are the possibilities of rejection, indifference, or inappropriate responses. This is a compact, slim little book, but it will speak volumes to creative individuals yearning for wider audiences.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2019
The creator of Subway Art, a community art project in Manhattan, writes in a slangy first-person voice about art projects for home, school, and community, ranging in difficulty from easy to somewhat challenging. The volume also includes information on marketing one's artistic brand online and IRL. The empowering tone of the text leans toward cheesy, but readers interested in "social practice" (a.k.a. community art) will be inspired.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)