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Art+Outreach

Building community

Hongyun Art students are taught from a very young age to engage civic activities such as festival volunteering, mural painting, teaching art in senior communities, and more!

Dear Hongyun Art Studio,

Thank you so much for your support in providing the paper, canvases, and paint for “Wave 2” of our Make an Hour art workshop series!

This summer, Isabel and I (Iris) had the opportunity to extend our partnership with Hope Horizon-- organization serving kids in the East Palo Alto region-- from the school year into their summer camp program. Over the course of three weeks, we led six art workshops for their elementary school students. Through three smaller projects and one culminating collaborative piece, we introduced a range of art concepts and mediums to help the kids explore their creativity and develop their technical skills.

Below is a brief recap of the sessions we hosted!

Workshop 1 — 6/24

Setting the tone for the summer workshops was a colored pencil drawing of a beach- viewed from a bird’s-eye perspective. As a warm-up, students created name cards, using creative decorations to express their personalities and give us a glimpse of who they are!

Workshop 2 — 6/26

This session introduced the basics of academic drawing through a still-life drawing focused on practicing simple 3D shapes. The kids took on the challenge with focus and care, producing thoughtful and detailed work!

Workshop 3 — 7/1

For this session, we shifted to acrylic painting with a jellyfish-themed piece. It served as a fun introduction to painting before the final project. Many felt more comfortable to experiment and personalized their work, taking ownership of their creations!

Workshops 4-6 — 7/3, 7/8, 7/10

Our final project was a 4x5 ft. collaborative mural centered on the theme: “What represents Hope Horizon to you?” Each student designed their own square, from initial concept sketches to final paint. Over the next three sessions, they worked diligently, navigating color mixing, the messiness of paint, and the challenges of collaboration, growing both their inner artist and role as a team player.

The result is a vibrant quilt of colors and symbols representing Hope Horizon, pieced together by the kids themselves.

Over these sessions, we’ve been proud not only by the finished artwork, but by the growth we’ve seen in the children’s confidence, creativity, and self-expression. Every time, it’s inspiring to watch them bring their ideas to life– often in just an hour!

Thank you Hongyun Art Studio for providing us not only with materials, but leadership and art skills that we've developed from being TAs and camp leads, and students at HYA. You are a big reason why Make and Hour is possible! 

Sincerely,

Iris & Isabel Z.

Make An Hour

 

What a fun mural! The City of Cupertino needed help with a way to liven up the library and celebrate their expansion project. Our students jumped at the opportunity to create an original artwork that celebrates the power of stories and the knowledge they contain.

Mural Design: Indira A.

Color Design: Victoria D.

Dragon Design: Arianna T.

Janet Liu

Janet Liu

Patrick Zhu

Patrick Zhu