“It appears that cultural organizations, in comparison with other agencies, might be uniquely positioned to act as catalysts for community involvement and as agents for capacity building. Cultural initiatives are inclusive, and have an unsurpassed capacity to open dialogue between people and engage their enthusiasm and commitment to a shared redevelopment process.” -Richard Sandell
On my second day as a Brown School social work practicum student at the Pulitzer, I found myself in the art room at Cole Elementary working with fourth- and fifth-graders to create a light installation piece. This was a decidedly atypical social work task, but I was excited to learn things that I couldn’t necessarily glean from textbooks.
The Cole students were instructed to pour paint in glass ornament balls and swirl the paint around to create marbled patterns. The ornaments were to fill a 6-foot tall clear tube to be displayed in Grand Center. We quickly realized that we’d have to ban the glitter and strongly encourage the “less is more” approach to painting so that the balls would dry in time.
I gave the students small beads to roll around in their ornament to create patterns, but several of the children shook the beads in the ornaments so vigorously that the ornaments cracked. Although perhaps a bit chaotic at first, this project turned into my favorite column on display for the Community Light Project public art piece. More importantly, the children gained a greater appreciation for art and felt pride in themselves for creating a piece that all of the community could appreciate.
Fast forward 8 months to my last week at the Pulitzer, when I was again working with Cole Elementary students but in a very different context. The Let’s Look intergenerational art history program paired Cole students with adults with Alzheimer’s. The kids spent four class periods discussing Old Master paintings and making collages, acting out scenes and gestures depicted in art, and getting to know their adult buddies.
It was truly amazing to watch these students transform throughout the year as a result of the opportunities gained through the Pulitzer programs. From excitedly dumping glitter to thoughtfully discussing the composition of The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian with adults who have Alzheimer’s, the depth of their involvement was unique and meaningful, much like my experience at the Pulitzer.
I had the opportunity to be involved in a wide spectrum of areas, learn a great deal, meet wonderful people, and discover the power of art to transform people and communities. And like the Cole students, I hope my involvement with the Pulitzer doesn’t end here.
As I reflect on my 700-hour social work practicum, I feel extremely fortunate to have been involved with such deeply impacting and successful efforts to engage community through art. I look forward to following the institution as it continues to do wonderful things for St. Louis. My work at the Pulitzer has allowed me to appreciate the value of innovative programming, but also to see the benefits of sustained involvement with organizations and groups.
Claire Wolff now has her master’s degree in Social Work from Washington University George Brown School of Social Work and is Project Manager for the Urban Studio, which was recently featured in a Saint Louis Beacon article.