Thursday, October 10, 2013
Delhi Hotel Commissions Christel House India Student Artists
Heather Richey
Featured in: @ChristelHouse Fall 2013
All aspiring artists hope their works will be displayed where they
can be appreciated. For
16 upper-school students from Christel House India-Bangalore, this
dream is becoming reality.
The Eaton Smart Hotel in Delhi commissioned 16 paintings to be
created by Christel House students. The works, all of which depict the sun
setting over the ocean, will be displayed in individual hotel suites.
Eaton Smart Hotels will donate more than $6,000 to Christel House
in appreciation of the students' efforts. The project took six months to
complete, and students worked both during their art classes and after school.
The works are stunning, and reflect care, precision and creativity in every
piece.
We are positive that these paintings will enrich the experience of
Eaton Smart guests. And, the Christel House artists can take much pride in
knowing that their efforts helped support the school they love.
"I
have watched the setting sun spread on its canvas beautiful colours and hues. I
tried to capture this brilliant spectacle in my small canvas. The beach and the
ocean created a feeling of calmness in me. I felt that I am part of it all." – Gopal
K., Grade 11, Christel House India - Bangalore
Labels: art, Bagalore, Christel House, Christel House India, Delhi, Eaton Smart Hotel, paintings
Friday, March 23, 2012
Sketchbook Exchange
This article is courtesy of our partners at The Perse School, an independent day school in Cambridge, UK. To see the beautiful artwork that the students are working on together, please visit their Sketchbook Exchange site.
As part of their enrichment activities, ten Perse pupils are currently working on a
Sketchbook Exchange project with students at Christel House Schools in India and South Africa. The art project was inspired by
Look at Book,
a collaborative sketchbook exchange and exhibition by four artists on
both sides of the Atlantic - Oliver and Rory Jeffers in Belfast and Mac
Premo and Duke Riley in Brooklyn, New York.
The ten students taking part in each school are given a sketchbook
and asked to work on one of four themes – Identity, Family, School or
Recreation. The students are paired with one student from each of the
other two schools and work in response to their partner's work. Once
each theme is completed, the sketchbooks are posted to the next school
in rotation. The exchange works as a visual stimulus and it is hoped
that students from all three schools will benefit from being inspired by
their partner's artwork, as well as developing an understanding of the
cultural similarities and differences.
Once the exchange has been completed, the sketchbooks will be
exhibited and the Perse pupils will publish a book to send to the
schools in India and South Africa.
Christel House schools are a foundation of six charitable
independent schools around the world located near deprived areas with
the express aim of helping children escape poverty through education.
Students are carefully chosen from the surrounding, most deprived
townships. The criteria for entry is unlike any other school : the
children must be the poorest of the poor. From these desperately poor
beginnings with children who cross the academic spectrum, the
school provides everything needed to flourish: free uniform, equipment,
food, transport and most importantly a high-class education with the
power to change their lives for ever.
The Perse has begun a long term
relationship with Christel House to support them in their work and to
benefit our students and staff with the diversity of culture,
life-experience and charitable opportunity which their schools provide.
This joint project has already involved a member of staff visiting the
Cape Town school for two weeks to review and assist with Maths and ICT.
A visit to India is planned for this summer and a student enrichment
activity planned for next academic year.
Labels: art, India, partner, Perse School, South Africa
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Local Artist helps Christel House Academy students create a work of art
Joani Rothenberg is an Indianapolis artist who helped Christel House Academy students create a mural during art camp this summer. More about the artist and her work can be found at
http://www.artbyjoani.com/ Joani writes:
After spending two weeks with the art camp at Christel House, Yael and I were left with many wonderful memories and a rekindled passion for working with children. We came to the school with paints, brushes, panels and several lesson plans. We left the hard work of content and design of the painting to the kids.
They were told about being commissioned by the Indianapolis Art Center for a large mural, and we were told that it needed to be completed in two weeks. After sharing pictures of how the children from other Christel House schools operate, they decided not only to have the mural feature all of the schools but also to join them by roads, sky and --- most importantly --- a shared passion for education.
The project opened their minds to how the WPA projects during the Great Depression are relevant to our lives today. They wanted to create a mural that brought hope and connection to their school. Every day the kids learned more and more how to work together. The first day we applied a coat of primer onto the boards. The students were well aware of how much painting time they were given.
The last day of painting I noticed that the kids learned how to respect the painting as a whole and were much more thoughtful and patient with adding their images. We were not only privileged to work with the children of the art camp but we were also honored to share the space with the art teacher, Gessica Mathis and Courtney. They were incredibly supportive of the project and helped us move quickly past the stumbling blocks and into a supportive and safe space that fostered creativity and balance throughout the entire two weeks. It was a true partnership.
During the dedication ceremony we were able to Skype with one of the schools from India. This experience allowed the children to communicate their ideas behind the mural and also state how it helped them build community and hope within the school setting. This experience reinforced the power of art to the campers as well as how appreciative the community at large is of their contribution.
Labels: Academy, art, Christel House, Indiana, Indiana artist, Joani Rothenberg, mural, summer, summer camp
Friday, March 26, 2010
Michael Dell speaks of Christel House
Michael Dell (CEO of Dell) visited India this week and spoke of Christel House when meeting with Prime Minister, Mr. Manmohan Singh.
Mr. Dell gifted "Life's Strokes", a Christel House student's painting, to the Prime Minister and briefed him on the good work that Christel House was doing in India and Dell's support of our efforts.
Meet the artist - Arun Kumar Hannumappa.
Arun has been at Christel House for the past 7 years. He finished 10th grade in 2009 and is now studying in his 1st year of the pre-university course at Christel House India. Arun’s father is a plumber by trade, but does not contribute much to the family income. He struggles with alcohol and employment. Arun’s mother does her best to keep the family together and works as domestic help in order to maintain their meager livelihood.
Arun's first love is abstract painting and he also enjoys cooking. He is also a member of the school soccer team and shares that the support and education he's received from Christel House has been a life changing experience for him. Arun wants to join the Indian Police Service after he completes his education. His priority is to look after his family and also work for the good of the community and his country.
Dell-India supports Christel House through the
Dell Youth Connect program that provides comprehensive educational opportunities to students in grades 5, 6 and 7 with specific focus on technology integration and standards-based instruction in Math and Science. Dell-UK sponsored a well equipped physics laboratory at the school and Dell-South Africa recently
transformed technology at Christel House South Africa.
Christel House and Dell are proud partners working to build a better future. To join us, visit
www.christelhouse.org.
Labels: art, Dell, India, partner
Friday, January 29, 2010
A Tour of a Lifetime
As the
Colts prepare for the upcoming Super Bowl, it was a fantastic time for a behind-the-scenes tour of
Lucas Oil Stadium.
Besides being the home of the Indianapolis Colts, the Stadium is also known for its retractable roof, grand entrance, larger-than-life hallways and...Christel House Artwork!
RCI, a new partner of the Colts, asked
Christel House Academy students to create a painting showing the benefits of a good education which incorporated Christel House, the Colts and RCI. It is now on display in the north entry ramp of the stadium.
Not only did the students get to see their painting, they also toured the
press box and suites, walked through the tunnel onto the playing field and learned about all the behind-the-scenes activity that happens on game day.
Many thanks to both RCI and the Indianapolis Colts for their support.
Last summer, our Culver Campers got to hold the last Super Bowl Trophy. Let's go get another one - Go Blue!
Labels: Academy, art, colts, field trip, Group RCI, partner
Monday, December 14, 2009
CH Mexico students take HIGH PROFILE trips!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
CH South Africa gets help from visiting Tar Heels
Greetings from the Southern Hemisphere! My name is Diana Iglesias and I am the newest intern at
Christel House South Africa. I arrived here about a month ago as a participant with the
Honors Semester Abroad in Cape Town through the
University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. If any Capetonians have been wondering about the recent Tar Heel invasion of the city, it’s due to the fact that myself and the rest of the students have been doing internships with businesses and NGOs throughout the greater metropolitan area (from the City Bowl, to Ottery, to Khayelitsha), in addition to attending class once a week at the
University of Cape Town.
Alexis Ivey, another student on the program, and I were placed at CHSA to work on projects with different departments in the school. Alexis is working with a social worker and plans to develop an anger management workshop series, while I will be partnering with the Arts and Culture teachers. Throughout the next term, I will assist with auditions and rehearsals for Annie Jr. the Musical and help begin a Drama Society at the school. Everyone is very eager about introducing creative expression into the new facilities at CHSA, through murals being painted around the school and the introduction of theatre, dance, and music clubs.
It is a very exciting time to be at Christel House – the buildings are brand-new, the campus has a gorgeous view of the surrounding mountains, and the students are brilliant! Just the other day a group of 5th and 6th graders showed me their ability to do the Macarena and told me all about the local food. I was born in Puerto Rico and spent the last two summers in Honduras, so when they proceeded to sing me a song in Spanish with impeccable pronunciation, I was floored. They are all thriving in the environment CHSA provides and never hesitate to show you just how stunningly smart they are. It is absolutely fascinating to listen as they open their minds and spirits to you. Currently, the school is on spring break (yes, it’s getting warmer here) and I can’t wait to resume working with the wonderful people I have met. Look out for photos and videos in the near future!
Labels: art, intern, language, partner, South Africa, testimonial, Volunteer
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
CH Academy Paints the Town
An empty, bare wall of a warehouse on Indianapolis' near south side is bustling with students and paint brushes.
Christel House Academy and the
Eiteljorg Museum have teamed up to paint a mural at
1201 South Meridian St. (See Google Map view)Native American photographer and instillation artist
Will Wilson (Dine) directs the project which includes tracing and organizing students and volunteers to join forces in creating the beautiful finished product. The mural celebrates the "Indians of Indiana" and is part of the multicultural education program at Christel House Academy.
The mural will be unveiled at the site this Thursday, October 15 at 2:30 p.m.
Read more from the EiteljorgA big thanks to all who volunteered their time and resources to make this project happen, including, but not limited to...
Home Depot (Southport store)
Cardwell Do-It-Best
MacAllister Rentals
PPG Porter Paints (Southport store)
PPG Porter Paints (Downtown Indianapolis store)
Lowe’s (Greenwood store)
Sherwin Williams (Greenwood store)
ICI Paints (Lafayette Road store)
MAB Paints (S. East Street store)
Paradise Café and Bakery (Greenwood)
Labels: Academy, art, event, extra curriculars, Volunteer
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Eighth Caroline Award was celebrated at Christel House Mexico
The eighth
Caroline Award was celebrated on June 26th, 2009 in the Christel House facilities. This year, the main theme of the contest was Mythology. All the students from
Christel House participated in two categories: drawing and writing.
The day started with the inauguration of the contest. Then our special judges and guests enjoyed a performance, with the Christel House Choir singing the songs "La flor de la Cantuta" and "Mariposa," and the Christel House Dance Workshop dancing alongside them. Afterwards the judges and guests went on a tour around the facilities where they had the opportunity to see the drawings and the poems by the kids. Later they watched a play called “Chin y Ben,” written by one of our second grade students, Gerardo Alvarez, and performed by the theater workshop.
To conclude this special day we had a ceremony where our judges, specialists in drawing and literature, announced the winners of the contest.
As the ending of this event, the Supervisor of the Zone, Guadalupe Gallardo Vite, recognized the efforts of the students and the teachers who coordinated this event.
Labels: art, awards, Mexico
Arun has been at Christel House for the past 7 years. He finished 10th grade in 2009 and is now studying in his 1st year of the pre-university course at Christel House India. Arun’s father is a plumber by trade, but does not contribute much to the family income. He struggles with alcohol and employment. Arun’s mother does her best to keep the family together and works as domestic help in order to maintain their meager livelihood.
The eighth Caroline Award was celebrated on June 26th, 2009 in the Christel House facilities. This year, the main theme of the contest was Mythology. All the students from Christel House participated in two categories: drawing and writing.
