Acadiana Art Closet
Project Description
It is widely known that the process of making art is beneficial for children and adults alike, with research going back decades supporting its use for personal healing and growth, reducing stress, decreasing anxiety and depression, and to process grief (Bhattacharyya et al., 2023). Art is a means of practicing and feeling empathy, which can lead to prosocial behavior change. Additionally, there is ample research linking participation in the arts to improved cognitive development through the fostering of abstract thinking and right-brain/left-brain integration (Boaz & Bat-Or, 2022). Data also supports that art making increases general well-being in diverse populations (Rosa, 2021). Lastly, and as if we needed research to tell us this, making art feels good (Moon, 2016).
Lafayette has a rich art culture that beckons community members to engage in their own self-expression–we want to aid in that endeavor by putting supplies into the hands of folks who may not otherwise have the time, money or opportunity to do so. We believe all members of our community deserve the chance to express themselves artistically. This project is for artists, by artists. Lafayette is an art desert when it comes to art supplies. If a community member wishes to engage in any art they are relegated to shopping at Michaels, Hobby Lobby, or JoAnns which are coincidentally located within a block of one another off of Ambassador Caffery. Because Lafayette is not a walkable city, folks who do not live in close proximity to these stores are unable to access supplies necessary for creative hobbies.
We would like to solve this issue by creating mini art libraries that offer supplies to people interested in getting artsy. We consider this mutual art aid—anyone who has an overabundance of art supplies would be invited and encouraged to share said supplies they are no longer using or may have purchased in bulk and have used what they need for their own crafts. People who have moved on from one artistic hobby to another could donate tools they are no longer using or have lost interest in (e.g., paint brushes, knitting needles, etc). The art closet would be a low-risk, high-reward opportunity for folks who have toyed around with an artistic style but felt overwhelmed at the prospect of purchasing all the supplies necessary.
Project Details
Team Leader: Whitney Storey
Funded Date: November 11, 2023
Amount: $2,000
Location: Lafayette, LA
Progress
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Dear Community Letters
Project Updates
Acadiana Art Closet Update #3
Dear Community - What a whirlwind the past few months have been - and not necessarily in a good way, unfortunately. As a group, we have really been learning about what it is to lead community work that gets people excited but it is hard to find folks offering a real...
Acadiana Art Closet Update #2
Dear Community - Who knew that doing a project like this was going to be so people and relationship-centered? (Everyone but us probably knew it, but we finally caught up - ha!). Since we last wrote, we have been doing a lot people-ing. We had a great Build Bash with...
Acadiana Art Closet Update #1
Dear Community - Wow, wow, wow - we just keep saying it and I don’t think we’ll stop saying it for a long time. We are so thankful for this experience so far and so looking forward to what is to come. From the very first idea exchange, it has been invigorating to see...