Art of Relief
DECEMBER 2019 / WITH HELEN KWAK AND EMMA POMPEII
How might we alleviate the emotional effects on families after natural disasters?
After learning about the future of our climate and the effects on urban environments, our research led us to natural disasters and the effects they have on a community. We partnered up with the Rockaway Waterfront Alliance, Wojciech Gilewicz, did field research, and spoke with survivors of Hurricane Sandy in The Far Rockaways.
The feedback we got was that while most people weren’t prepared, there isn’t much you can do to be prepared for a natural disaster. Food and water will get to you eventually, but you are left with the lasting emotional effects. As artists, we can offer relief from art therapy through coloring and collaging to elicit the same mindset as meditating. We planned and branded post-disaster art therapy collaging events for anyone experiencing after effects.
Unfortunately, in the midst of our project, the wildfires hit in California. We decided to base our art therapy event around the recent natural disaster. We partnered up with Dylan Gauthier and The Sunview Luncheonette in Greenpoint to fundraise for the California Wildfire Relief Fund. We held our art therapy collaging brunch and prepared screen printed apparel to raise over $300 for the fund.
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