Add your story and artwork to "Art From The Heart: An American Tapestry"

Join the thousands of Americans who are sharing their stories about how their lives have changed as a result of events that began with the 9/11 attacks. We want you to share your FEELINGS about the changes that are occurring in your life as the various aspects of the War on Terrorism unfold.

If you are a teacher, art or poetry therapist, or a community-group leader and would like to facilitate a creative Telling Stories Through Visuals workshop with your groups, please contact us (305) 534-8807 or send email to cfcamurals@aol.com. CFCA facilitators will arrange a comprehensive "train the trainers" workshop in your city.

If you would like to participate and do not belong to an organized group, please follow these guidelines.

Writing Your Narrative

1. Take a quiet moment and think about your life now, and the changes that have occurred since the 9/11 attacks. (For examples, do you look up when a plane flies by? Have you lost your job as a result of the 9/11 attacks? Have you experienced additional or new security measures at public buildings or airports? Are you more alert to unusual things in your surroundings?) Close your eyes and see these changes. Describe your FEELINGS based on your experiencing these changes.
2. Write a short, concise narrative (no more than 150 words) explaining these changes and your feelings. Before you start, please print your NAME AND AGE at the top of your narrative. If you would like to remain anonymous, you may use your initials or an alias. It is more important that your story be honest and you share your feelings about what you are experiencing. Make sure that your narrative has a beginning, middle and end. It should make a point. Your narrative can be hand printed, typed or computer generated. If computer generated, please use Ariel font size 22. Your story should be no longer than one side of an 11" x 8½" piece of paper - printed out in the landscape position (horizontal), using one inch margins all around.
3. After your narrative is completed, read it to yourself. As you are reading it, descriptive images will come to mind. Again, allow yourself the time to see the images. Think of it as looking at a movie. Where does it take place? Be very specific. If it is indoors, in what room? Visualize the room - the walls, the furniture, the other people, what they are wearing, etc. If it is outdoors, is it sunny or dark? Are there cars in the background? After you have the image clearly in your mind remember how you felt at that moment.

Creating Your Artwork

1. Whatever you see in your mind should be in your picture (the images described above), including the colors as you see them. Feel free to use whatever colors or images you like (this is called "artistic license.")
2. On a piece of paper or canvas cut to size, 11" x 8½", in the landscape (horizontal) position, first draw a ¼" border. (This will allow us room to sew it to the Tapestry without obscuring your drawing.) Then draw a picture of your visualization. This picture can be very simplistic. If you can't draw well, don't worry about it. Your art can be "representational." By this we mean you may use stick figures or little signs to identify your images (the same can be done to identify furniture, buildings, or anything you might have difficulty drawing). You may do your picture in comic strip form using dialogue or pop-ups in the drawing to emphasize your point. One thing that is VERY IMPORTANT: The picture MUST be vibrantly colored in — NO WHITE SPACE. Feel free to use colored markers, colored pencils, crayons or paints. Make sure your images stand out — outline everything with a black sharpie marker — for contrast. Please sign your artwork within the picture and put your age near your name. (Use the same name and age as on your narrative).

Sending It In

After your artwork and your story are completed, you can send it to us by the following methods:

• If you have a computer and on-line service, e-mail them to us.
  • Scan or take a digital photo of your artwork. Save the file in JPEG format with a resolution of 150-dots-per-inch to ensure a high qualitly print-out.
  • Write an email in which you provide the information listed below.
  • E-mail your story, your picture, your information and the release to cfcamurals@aol.com.
• To mail your artwork and story in, send it to:

Center for Folk and Community Art
1800 Michigan Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33139

When we receive your materials, we will print them out on special ink-jet canvas (thanks to the generosity of Tara Materials, Inc.) and sew them to a Tapestry panel.