Shannon Harvey, RUAP Community Liaison,
interviewed Mike Chavez:
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SH: Why is the work you do with
the youth at Fenix or the Watsonville Community School important to you,
and why did you choose to do it?
MC: "Because I see myself in a lot of these kids, and a lot
of these kids are lost. A lot of them are trying to find dreams or they
gave up on those dreams already. They think theyre destined to go
to jail or die young. You talk to each one of them and you see that theyre
losing their dreams, theyre losing their hope. And thats exactly
the way I felt when I was growing up and its not that way. And thats
why I try to direct them and give them that hope so that they can believe
that they can do it." |
SH: Could you say something about
the process you observed the youth going through during this project and
in what ways has it affected them? |
MC: "I think the most important
thing is that it makes them realize they better keep their eyes and ears
open because opportunity could pass them by that quick. The kids come
over here and see the digital pictures and you cant believe the
look in their eyes. And when they go back and tell the other kids all
of them want to come. They want to come but sometimes young kids get so
sidetracked. |
"I've
been involved in a lot of different projects and RUAP's the best one I've
seen.
"RUAP always says 'what do you have to say? What do you want to do?
What do you want?' |
Like one girl who was supposed
to come today instead went off with her boyfriend. But when she sees these
(posters) shes going to say I should have went. And Dennis,
thats one kid you cant even keep in the classroom, hes
always wandering. And if you go over there today to where theyre
working on the digital posters youll see how focused he is." |
SH: What would you have
changed within that process if you could have?
MC: "I think if a person wanted to they could
always find something to change but I really wouldnt want to mess
with it because thats what came out of their minds. Thats
what they had to say, thats their message." |
SH: How do you imagine
that these posters might transform that space, that hallway in the Watsonville
Community School?
MC: "Its going to bring life, life and
reality. I think its going to offer them hope and its going
to make them take life more seriously. Theyll see that this is what
they created, and they did it in collaboration with other people who care.
It shows the kids how to solve problems in a concrete, really positive
way. Especially when they see work that they made themselves. I think
art is a really strong way of healing people and kids. It helps them to
get a lot of their anger out, their hurt, and their pain. To be able to
put it on paper or put it into a mural is powerful. To see it appear on
paper is kind of magical."
SH: Could you say something about
the collaboration that took place between your students and the students
at the university? What did your students learn from this encounter? What
do you think they taught the university students?
MC: "I think theyve learned from each
other. I think WCS students have learned things about trust. Usually when
people come to the WCS the kids dont know whether to trust them.
Ive seen people come in and do murals in the buildings. They usually
get a grant from the city; then, once the projects over, we dont
see them anymore. But here at the University theyve been coming
back. When the University came in they came in smiling, they came in inquiring
they came in there with questions. And they asked them all with respect
and thats the main thing that you come in with, respect. You treated
them with honor. If you know the kids real well you see them and you see
that theres respect there. And they relate to that. Its hard
because there are a lot of downs that you see happen at the school and
sometimes you dont get to see the highs. When the digital class
here held the images up in the hallways, I saw how it stayed in their
eyes, theyre proud. Even I get excited when I see those images;
it really picks me up." |
SH: What kinds of projects would you
like to see happening in the future with RUAP?
MC: "I just want to keep working in the community
and working with kids. Ive never considered myself an artist. But
Im realizing that I can go to other places and I can pick things
up and say, "hey you know what that doesnt look hard at all".
Im in my forties and its opened my mind up to art in a new
way. I love art and I always did but I was scared of it because I didnt
think I could do it. So I want to continue doing stuff like that and working
with youth and speaking out for them. I want to continue to be their voice
or teach them to be their own voice because they are the future.
"Ive been involved in a lot of different
projects and RUAPs the best one Ive seen. RUAP always says
what do you have to say? What do you want to do? What do you want? Ive
never even been to too many places and right after we started a relationship
with RUAP I got a chance to go to New Orleans. That just blew me away.
Instead of going to different areas I used to read about them in books.
Going to some of the old neighborhoods like the African American neighborhood
just blew me away. You go to my office and theres a lot of strong
color in there, there are a lot of different images and a lot of stuff
I had in my mind but I didnt know how to bring it out. I buy little
one-dollar shelves at garage sales and give them some paint and they really
stand out. Those are things I learned around here. Work with what youve
got.
"I really feel comfortable when I come here
to the University. People really care, you can feel that. Its important
for me because its hard for me to just blend in anywhere. There
are places I can be where I grew up and I still feel that, that theres
this wall." |
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