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Indybay Feature

Claim the Block: A WritersCorps Literary Series

4311943067_6d79436812.jpg
Date:
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Time:
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Event Type:
Other
Organizer/Author:
Melissa Hung
Location Details:
Museum of the African Diaspora
685 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94105

WritersCorps, the youth writing program, joins forces with four museums this spring to present Claim the Block, readings by young writers who are connecting to their city and its art. The readings take place in various cultural venues in one city block. Most of the events are free and open to the public.

The series runs from February 13 to April 23 and takes place at the Museum of African Diaspora (MoAD), Contemporary Jewish Museum, Zeum: San Francisco’s Children Museum, and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA). Each reading features WritersCorps students from public middle and high schools, paired with local writers who serve as WritersCorps teachers. Through poetry and prose, the students will relate to the art in the museums, tackle issues of adolescence, and claim their place in their neighborhoods and communities in San Francisco. The events also feature artwork and performance by youth groups from the museums.

WritersCorps, a project of the San Francisco Arts Commission and the San Francisco Public Library, is a 16-year-old literary arts organization that places professional writers in community settings to teach creative writing to youth. Since its inception in 1994, the program has helped more than 15,320 youth improve their literacy and increase their desire to learn. It is a recipient of a National Endowment of the Arts grant through the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009. “WritersCorps exemplifies the best in arts as a public service,” says Luis R. Cancel, the city’s director of cultural affairs. “These readings represent the efforts of young people who have overcome challenges to express themselves in a positive and meaningful manner.”

Calendar Listing
Claim the Block: A WritersCorps Reading Series
WritersCorps joins forces with 4 museums to present Claim the Block, readings by young writers who are connecting to their city and its art.

February 13, 4:30-5:30 pm
Museum of African Diaspora
685 Mission St / $2
Featuring Myron Michael Hardy and Neela Banerjee
With students from Downtown High School and Ida B. Wells High School

March 11, 7-8 pm
Contemporary Jewish Museum
736 Mission St / Free
Featuring Carrie Leilam Love and Cindy Je
With students from Mission High School, Hilltop High School and the San Francisco Main Public Library

April 10, 6:30-7:30 pm
Zeum
221 4th St / Free
Featuring Aracely Gonzalez and Rick D’Elia
With students from International Studies Academy and Aptos Middle School

April 23, 7:30-8:30 pm
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
701 Mission St / Free (RSVP required)
Featuring Milta Ortiz
With students from the WritersCorps Apprentice Program

For more information: 415-252-4655, writerscorps.org

About WritersCorps

WritersCorps, a joint project of the San Francisco Arts Commission and San Francisco Public Library, places professional writers in community settings to teach creative writing to youth. Since its inception in 1994, the program has helped more than 15,320 youth improve their literacy and increase their desire to learn. WritersCorps publishes award-winning publications and produces local and national events featuring young people. With sites in San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and the Bronx, WritersCorps’ vision is to transform and strengthen individuals and communities using the written word.

About the San Francisco Arts Commission

The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) is the City agency that champions the arts in San Francisco. We believe that a creative cultural environment is essential to the City’s well-being. Established by charter in 1932, SFAC programs integrate the arts into all aspects of City life. Programs include: Civic Art Collection, Civic Design Review, Community Arts & Education, Cultural Equity Grants, Public Art, SFAC Gallery, Street Artists Licensing, and the Summer in the City Concert Series. The agency’s core values are committed to the principle that all residents have equal access to arts experiences in all disciplines, that programs are provided comprehensively and evenly throughout the City, and that they are innovative and of the highest quality.

Added to the calendar on Tue, Feb 2, 2010 12:29PM
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