http://www.detnews.com/2005/wayne/0.../B02-315497.htm

Thursday, September 15, 2005


Art school may offer Indians options

Lincoln Park agency hopes to help American Indian teens tap into their creative abilities if they drop out.

By Karen Bouffard / The Detroit News




LINCOLN PARK -- Terry Snathers is keenly aware that as American Indians, her two teenage children stand a greater-than-average risk of dropping out of high school.

But she's glad that a project is under way in Lincoln Park to provide second chances for young American Indians, while tapping into their artistic talents.

American Indian Services Inc., a Lincoln Park-based social services agency, the city of Lincoln Park and other community partners have an ambitious plan to build an art school and artists cooperative in three buildings, including the long-vacant Mellus Newspapers building on Fort Street, between Arlington and O'Connor.

The Winding Waters Art School would employ master artists and craftsmen to teach young people traditional American Indian arts such as silversmithing, pottery, basket weaving and painting.

Planners hope to establish an artists' cooperative next door to the school, to market the artworks to museums, casinos and galleries across the United States.

"If something happens and they do drop out of high school, this is an alternative, like a backup," said Snathers, She's the mother of 13-year-old David, an eighth-grader at Lincoln Park Middle School, and Shelly, 16, a sophomore at Lincoln Park High.

"They're very artistic, both of them -- in writing, in poems, in drawing. They have great imaginations," Terry Snathers said. "Art plays a very big role in our lives. It's part of who we are.

"We all have art in us. There should be places that give the child opportunities to bring that out."

About 75 percent of American Indians never get a high school diploma, said Faye Givens, executive director of American Indian Services.

It's a statistic of particular concern in Wayne County, which has about 600,000 American Indians, the largest American Indian population in the state, she said.

"We're very worried and concerned that our children are dropping out of school," Givens said. "We do best when we solve our own problems, and this is a way for us to do that.

"We have got to offer something that will educate these kids and provide them a skill that will make them a living. A high percentage of them are natural artists to begin with; this is something to give them enthusiasm."

According to Givens, the 12,000-square-foot complex will cost about $3.2 million, beginning with acquisition of the three buildings on Fort Street.

Givens and the other planners are investigating federal grants and loans, tax credits and every other possible source of funding, Givens said.

"We're hoping to get all these pieces together. We're shooting for a February start date," Givens said. "We have some pretty solid leads on it."

The art school would be the first leg of an expansive effort, called the Fort-Visger Revitalization Initiative, to renew Lincoln Park, Ecorse, River Rouge and the Oakwood Heights subdivision at Fort and Schaeffer in southwest Detroit.

Winding Waters received a $200,000 grant from the Detroit Local Initiatives Support Corp, a nonprofit that finds and awards funding to community development initiatives. About $25,000 will go to the art school, and the rest will be used for the planning of other Fort-Visger revitalization projects.

Long term, the project is designed to be self-sustaining while providing the skills students need to build lifelong careers.

The art school will train about 100 students per year.

"We don't have just a school," Givens said. "When they graduate, they will be eligible to have an artists' cooperative and retail center right next door to the school so they will have a place to sell their wares as long as they live."

You can reach Karen Bouffard at (734) 462-2206 or .

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Robbie (09-15-05), MINDVTR (09-15-05), Mayday (09-15-05), planner (09-15-05), Veritas Scriptor (09-15-05)

Awesome!!!!!!!!!

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Arctic Cat Thundercat Test Pilot

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I find this to be a Cracker Jack idea. In fact it is an A-1 Cracker Jack idea.

Along with the brewery, I see this as the building blocks to truely revitalizing the downtown area. This school will hopefully overcome the negative impact the 13 Condos will have (if they ever get built)

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Congratulations Councilman Mario DiSanto. The Dean of the LP Council

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Leslie (09-15-05)

Faye is a very sweet lady. She is one of my clients. She is always such a sweetheart to talk to. Good Luck to her.

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I think this is definetly a positive buisness for lincoln park.

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It is a very nice photo of Fay and our Fort Street landscaping too.

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Council must now concentrate on getting more appropriate businesses into the area.

When council voted approval of the condo's, I just shook my head. I figured they had given up on a downtown and decided to make it residential.

But things changed. First the brewery, now the art school. But that is only TWO building blocks. The council and DDA have to get cracking and find other appropriate building blocks or things will come to a standstill.

I keep hearing the business at the brewery is slow. This is a shame. Something must be done to get foot traffic into the area, or I see the brewery closing their doors.

One would think being in the North End that the brewery would be doing boxoffice buisness. The North End is well known for their hard-drinkers, but I think they are also very "brand-loyal" and have a hard time drinking the beer brewed on the premises. And the construction on Fort is not helping matters.

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Bud Light or is that too expensive? Maybe Goebel?

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Schlitz Light

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I hope this works out for her...and for the city. This could be a really great thing.

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