Athentikos, Art and the Presence of Jesus

Athentikos, Art and the Presence of Jesus

For most of my life, I have underestimated the power of the arts. I have had the privilege of taking colors, music, and words for granted. I have been ignorant to the influence they have had on me and the influence they have throughout all of humanity. However, one of the things that Athentikos has offered me is a renewed understanding of art. The deeper I dive into myself, the more I understand the profundity of art (and I have Athentikos to thank for nudging me in this direction).

The better I know myseIf, the more I understand how much I owe to writing. I have experienced so much growth and peace through my journals. In fact, I would even say that they have been a catalyst in my relationship with Christ. It’s helped me understand God, myself, and my place within His movement. It’s shown me another side to Him, for I now understand how much God cares about beauty. Why else would there be so many different kinds of flowers? Or change of color in the sky? Art is a way we can embody Him, and art is one step further into the presence of Jesus.

Not only has Athentikos exemplified the power of art to me, but they have also given me a chance to put this revelation into practice: as an Artist in Residence, I have an opportunity to share this beauty and transformation with others. As an Artist in Residence, I am hosting weekly art clubs (with the help of Kathlyn) for various groups from January-May 2020. How lucky am I??? I hope to accompany others in their relationship with Jesus through the arts. I hope to make His love known through His beauty. It is such a privilege to be able to praise Him with colors! 

– Elianah, ART TERM Intern

The Heart of Fundraising

I (Scott Moore) founded the nonprofit, Athentikos with my wife Amelia in 2008 after adopting our two sons from Guatemala and seeing the overwhelming needs in the country.

Athentikos has accomplished a lot since 2008, but we’re still a “nano-nonprofit”. People often think that Athentikos is a large, funded organization. But we’re not directly connected to or sponsored by a major church, denomination, or other organization, and we don’t have a lot of resources.

We’re dependent on tax-deductible donations given by and through people like you. We have a vision to heal through creative arts all over the world, and you are a part of that vision …

Your fundraising multiplies the Athentikos mission.

For those of you  fundraising for your trip, the fee covers hard costs associated with your trip in addition to admin and supporting Guatemalan artist involvement, . But, we’d like to encourage you to think about it in a different way. Your fundraising helps grow I AM ART to heal around the world.

We encourage you to think of fundraising for your trip similar to a 10k for Breast Cancer Awareness, and challenge yourself to raise beyond the minimum goal. Together, we can impact the world through healing creative arts!

In addition to I AM ART, we produced two films which highlight the incredible needs in Guatemala, as well as people who are responding to those needs.

We encourage you to use Reparando and/or Becoming Fools  in your fundraising. Show our films to your family and friends, and discuss I AM ART as a way to inspire them to support you and the Athentikos mission.

Thank you for your continued support. If you have any questions, please let us know.

“I Am Art”

"I Am Art"

Three small words that make such a huge impact. As children of God, each one of us is a unique and beautiful creation, a work of art by the Father’s hand. But sometimes that work of art gets damaged by cruel and careless people, and that’s where art therapy comes in. If you’ve ever deeply desired to make a difference in the world, or felt like you had more to offer but weren’t sure where to offer it, Athentikos is a great place to start. Having just finished my third I am Art camp, I can honestly tell you that I feel like I gain far more than I give on these trips. To be a part of something bigger than yourself is such an uplifting experience, and I find new friends, form precious memories, and gather new art techniques with each trip. Even if you don’t speak the language, when you’re creating a piece of art together there’s a special bond that forms which doesn’t require words. To sit next to a girl who has been through so much trauma, and is still so open and loving that she reaches over and holds your hand during a prayer…that kind of vulnerability will change the world and I’m honored to play a small part in it. If you love to craft and create, and long to serve others with your talents, your creativity is welcomed and needed here! Whether you’ve been through deep trauma like these kids, or you just want to give back so others can find their way to healing, there’s a place for you on the I am Art team. Counseling is therapy for the brain, but art is therapy for the soul; and we need both to be able to fully heal and be the masterpiece God created us to be. I promise you, it will change your life for the better.

– Carla 

Black Paper Project

Black Paper Workshop Project

Leader: Dawn Elsenbroek
Opal House 2019
Photography By Bev Abma

This workshop used colors and found objects to make their own paper.

First, the group painted homes, using colors which represented parts of their personality and who you are.  ie: artistic, athletic, tall, short, big family, small family, introverted, extroverted, etc. 

On day three, we added our sketches and black paper to the pulp blender. The black paper symbolized how yucky stuff happens in our lives and messes things up.  

BUT on day four, we made something beautiful out of this yucky stuff……just like God will make something beautiful out of our bad circumstances… On the dried black handmade paper, we drew plants using oil pastels to make beautiful pictures. The color showed up really nicely on the black paper!

Finally, we create a village out of our houses and pictures and built a community tree in the middle of our village which show how the community can come together and help each other. We can look around and see the houses (people) in our community and how we might relate or help each other in our  struggles. Some beautiful things can be created through the process.  

I think if kids can understand the concept of God taking a bad situation and making something beautiful out of it, that would be a huge source of hope and motivation. 

All Plant Paper Project

T-Shirt Design Contest

I AM ART DESIGN CONTEST!

Who wants a reason to be creative!? I DO! We thought we’d put together a friendly contest to get our creative juices flowing for 2020! Are you ready!?

We want to see your design for our 2020 SOY ARTE/ I AM ART shirt design! Anyone is welcome to enter the contest.

Vision Board:
This is for inspiration don’t feel like you need to copy anything here.

Deadlines:

Feb 15  – Submission due to ameliajmoore@athentikos.com
Feb 18 – Online voting begins! 
March 1 – Announce the winner

We can’t wait to see what our creative community comes up with. Thank you for joining this fun contest to showcase the amazing talent in our community. The final design will be printed early March and proudly worn by all our 2020 teams! We will feature the winning designer on our social media all year!

Design Away!!

Here are the details:

COPY:
SOY ARTE  / I AM ART
athentikos.com

Athentikos Logo: download below

Design Notes:
Yes, we want to Incorporate both “Soy Arte” and “I Am Art” in the design! This can be done any way, but if you need a starting place, perhaps think of a negative/ positive space design. Since our mission is healing through creative arts, here are possible themes: art tools, brokenness, community, cultural exploration, self discovery, art in process. The design can be visual or typography driven… words can be big or small…

Specs:
Max dimensions: 16” wide x 20” wide (this is the max; it doesn’t need to be this large)
One color printing: White, Black

We will accept digital designs and sketches.

Shirt Color Options:
Pick from one of these colors:

LOGO:
Athentikos Logo 

I Am Grateful

I AM GRATEFUL - GRACIAS SELF PORTRAITS

By: Amelia Moore // Photography By: Emily Foss, Bev Abma & Kathlyn Chan

The I AM ART projects are intentionally planned to help participants discover more about themselves and explore the world around them while developing creative and mental skills, strengthen their faith and develop personal identity. While each camp offers different workshops, we facilitate one project that all the kids create during the year. Here’s a little highlight of this Self-Portrait project which over 350 youth created in 2019.

One of the main themes of the I AM ART camp is understanding that we are each unique. During this self portrait project, students create an art piece that was inspired by the book cover, Wonder.  The main theme of the movie is a middle school boy who looks different from everyone else. People are always aware of his differences. Although Aggie’s differences are obvious, the movie unveils in subtle ways that we are all different. While differences can make us self-conscious, with a new perspective, differences can strengthen us. 

Throughout the week at I AM ART camp, students are encouraged to express themselves through art and learn new things about themselves. Part of the creative exploration process is to experience brokenness or pain through the art process; but then to celebrate restoration and our differences. During this self portrait project, the students end their self-portraits with only one eye. While the project is complete, it also symbolizes that we are all in process. God is creating a piece of art work within all of us. 

When you look at this project, perhaps you feel uncomfortable that an eye is missing. However, after sitting with the pieces, reading the student responses and then looking at them collectively, you’ll notice a profound shift in how you feel about the project. You’ll notice the subtle beauty of the color; the beautiful shape of the eyes and hair; the sweet words written by kids who have experienced intense trauma. What else are you drawn too?

After creating the self portrait, the students were encouraged to write about themselves around the face, what they are thankful for and what they learned during the week of I AM ART. Many expressed gratitude to the volunteers for the I AM ART week… and we want to extend that gratitude towards our donors as well.

Because of your contribution, youth were able to participate in art projects like this that taught them of their value and helped them think critically. 

GRACIAS!!

Soar with Athentikos in 2020!

Soar with Athentikos in 2020!

In 2020, Athentikos will equip artists to serve nearly 1,000 youth and adults to restore holistic well-being through creative arts in Guatemalan communities that have been traumatized by poverty, abuse and gang violence. 

We have a unique opportunity for you to do MORE THAN JUST GIVE: create a unique feather to be part of a collaborative art installation at each I AM ART camp! The project will be a reminder to all participants to SOAR – To face everything with confidence and rise. Each participant will also create a feather and have their photo taken with the wings. 

Therefore, would you join us to make an impact in 2020 with a donation of $50 or more and submitting a feather? Your gift will allow participants to grow in mental and spiritual health through the power of art AND you’ll get to be part of an amazing art project!

Here’s how:

To give:

https://athentikos.kindful.com/ 

To submit a feather:

1) Print out this feather on an 8.5×11 sheet of paper. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YpuTM3GsSmxHNyrB8jLTf2pI8xspwVmr/view?usp=sharing

2) Add your own design, color it and/or add some words of encouragement. You and your family can color and submit as many feathers as you’d like!

3) Take a photo of it and email us a large version of your art piece! (info@athentikos.com)

4) Cut out the feather and hang it on your fridge as a reminder to pray for the participants in the I AM ART camps.

Serving My Little Heroes!

Serving My Little Heroes!

I enjoyed the Casa Bernabe Camp as much as my first camp, I like to meet new people because you never know how amazing people are in this world. I learned so many things from this camp. An important thing I have learned is how important it is to help others. This was something that surprised me in the camp because everybody in the team wanted to help you somehow and they did not accept “no” as an answer (I love that). The other thing I learned was there are always people who are stronger than you, other people who have lived through difficult issues in their lives; when you compare your story with theirs you are surprised by how strong they are; even if the little person is five or six years old! Then you realize that you are sharing with incredible people and they become your little heroes! You end thinking that you can continue even when you think you don’t have a solution, you understand and accept: God has control about everything and everything happens for a reason.

¡Sirviendo a mis pequeños héroes!

 
Disfruté del campamento Casa Bernabé tanto como mi primer campamento. Me gusta mucho conocer gente nueva porque nunca se sabe lo increíble que es la gente en este mundo. Aprendí muchas cosas en este campamento. Una cosa importante que he aprendido es lo importante que es ayudar a los demás. Esto fue algo que me sorprendió en el campamento porque todos en el equipo querían ayudarte de alguna manera y no aceptaban un “NO” como respuesta (me encanta eso). La otra cosa que aprendí fue que siempre hay personas que son más fuertes que tú, otras personas que han vivido problemas difíciles en sus vidas; cuando comparas tu historia con la de ellos te sorprendes de lo fuertes que son; ¡incluso si la pequeña persona tiene cinco o seis años! ¡Entonces te das cuenta de que estás compartiendo con personas increíbles y se convierten en tus pequeños héroes! Terminas pensando que puedes continuar, incluso cuando crees que no tienes una solución a alguna situación que pasas, entiendes y aceptas que: Dios tiene control sobre todo y todo sucede por alguna razón.

SPOILER WARNING

SPOILER WARNING

Greetings from my first week back in Guatemala! This is my fifth visit to the country within the past four years and every time I come back, I am always surprised by the same things upon my arrival. Soon, I will get used to this way of living again, but first I wanted to articulate these cultural differences now that they are fresh in my field of experience. Obviously, how cultural differences are felt depends a lot on each person’s own cultural background. Mine would briefly be something like this: I’m a 36 year old well-travelled white female artist from the North of Europe. 

In case you have been to Guatemala before, or if you possibly live here, this might be an amusing list for you to read. In case you consider traveling to Guatemala for the first time, and want to experience all the richness of the culture, this might be a spoiler warning, so you better stop reading here. Or – maybe it will be a fun checklist for you, so you can see which ones you will experience once you come!

So – for those of you who are interested – here’s my little sum-up:

THINGS I AM SURPRISED BY IN GUATEMALA OVER AND OVER AGAIN

  • It’s considered strange (or impolite or funny) to yawn having your mouth wide open and not hiding it with a hand for example. My first encounter with this happened just after boarding the airplane in Mexico City, taking off to Guatemala City. I had barely found my seat (and indeed was tired after 20 hours of traveling already) when an old man walks past me and teasingly puts his finger into my yawning mouth (yes, literally).
  • How funny and humorous people are! Talking to others passing by and making contact with strangers is normal. I love it! (Yes, even if it means having a stranger’s finger in my mouth once in a while.) In my culture everyone minds one’s own business.
  • “Buen provecho” which translates as “enjoy your meal” or “bon apetit” is said after (or while passing other people) eating, not before. Apparently it’s actually considered rude not to wish this to other people when they are eating and you pass them by.
  • Toilet paper cannot be washed down the toilet but needs to be put in a trash can. Otherwise it will block the pipe system.
  • The way people are direct. I met someone new this week, and within the first two minutes they would have asked me a) how old I was b) if I had a boyfriend.
  • The way people are indirect! Apparently it’s impolite to say “no”, “I don’t know” nor to express direct wishes. So, for me it’s been challenging and sometimes even frustrating to know what a Guatemalan person really thinks or means. For example: A person asks me what time would I like to eat lunch. I answer: Anytime that suits you is fine. A person: It depends what time is good for you. Me: Ok, how about… 2 pm, could that work? A person: Yes that’s fine, 11 or 11:30 works.
  • That particular sound of clapping is the sound of (hand)making tortillas. Three times a day.
  • How amazingly delicious pineapples are here. Omg.
  • And mangos. …
  • What the mannequins look like. You will notice a difference.
  • It takes approximately three phone calls to arrange a meeting. As an example, let’s say that the context is that two friends have agreed to meet at a certain place and at a certain time. Typically it goes something like this: First call – hey how are you, how about meeting in an hour. Second call (after an hour): hey how is it going? yes I’m ready, cool, yes see you soon. Third call (after half an hour): hey how are you, nice, yes I’m here now, ok see you soon bye.
  • When it comes to taking a taxi, each part of the country, city and village has a different recommendation whether it’s safe or not. Negotiate with your local.
  • Street-smartness is necessary at all times. It is possible to get robbed anywhere.
  • The way people show hospitality. Like there is no limit to it!
  • The length of each trip/journey depends hugely on the traffic – depende el trafíco – as they say. First I thought this was an arrogant joke, but now I’ve realized how true this is. Any route can easily take double or triple the time with traffic than without traffic.
  • The roads are bumpy and curvy and I always get motion sickness here! I keep forgetting this each year and never prepare well for the following trip. However due to these experiences I’m happy to tell you that they always have plastic bags in the busses and some wonderful magic pills (it’s called “noseal”) can be found at any kiosk (those are called “tiendas”). They also sell all other kinds of medicine there, very effective and cheap, so you should be fine to leave your own drugstore at home.
  • This last one is rather personal and slightly uncomfortable to share: I tend to have curiosity towards the cultural differences that are mainly connected to poverty. For example: Yesterday as I was visiting the sea I wanted to capture a photo of those cute old rotten fishing boats there. I was ready with my camera as we were sailing through the channel where I had seen them. But this time only a fancy sailing boat was passing by and I caught myself feeling disappointed and not wanting to take a picture of that. Isn’t that interesting? Yes, and dangerous. Even if I’m obviously wanting to be making a difference for progress and equality here, not for maintaining the existing images of people trapped in poverty, with the history of exploitation towards this nation, I need to stay alert. By choosing what I document, I choose a reflection of how I want to remember things being here. But also – for me the remaining key question is why would I want to remember things here being a certain way – and not the other. My prayer is that becoming more aware of these tendencies is becoming more conscious and respectful on these matters. 

Kati

Ps. In that split of a second I fought my tendencies and actually did take a picture of that sailing boat passing by! This incident became such an eye opener for me so I know I will remember those cute old rotten fishing boats forever.

Your Problem is Boredom

Your Problem is Boredom

Athentikos team member Kati Korosuo asks herself some of the hard questions that traveling, volunteering, and mission work can bring up, and identifies Athentikos’ efforts to exist as an ethical organization in this sector. Kati is a dancer, choreographer, and artistic director from Finland, Europe.

I ended up going to Guatemala for the first time after a friend of mine had pushed me to go for about 13 years. It was June 2016 and I had just performed an astounding contemporary dance piece at the New York Live Art. I flew from having a drink at Manhattan to the biggest slum in Central America – the notorious La Limonada. Now when looking back I realize that trip became a turning point in my life. Probably that moment when our car left the slum for the last time and my fellow volunteer worker, a 60-year old Mr. Mural, asked me whether I plan on coming back. My answer came with heartache and tears: I don’t know.

 I’ve travelled to about 30 different countries and surely seen plenty of things. Going to Guatemala was, however, the first time I was working with people who lived in such challenging circumstances. The ghetto of La Limonada is divided into different regions that are ruled by gangs. In these streets there are shootings weekly and funerals often. They say that the police don’t intervene because the gangs are better-armed. There are also lots of kids in La Limonada. That’s why Athentikos was hosting an I Am Art camp there. The kids came to the camp from different areas of the slum – from each other’s enemy territories. One of our goals was to enable the kids from rival territories to form friendships, thus stimulating change in the communities on a grass-root level, so that the violence in the area could diminish.

When it comes to my experiences working as a dance artist, teaching dance, and living as a human being, my time working in La Limonada has been one of the most meaningful experiences I’ve ever had. And that feeling, it’s a hooking feeling…. When returning to Finland, the culture shock hit strong. It felt difficult to get interested in things that we at western welfare states are privileged with, and can afford to get interested in. My culture shock didn’t settle until I booked a flight to go back to Guatemala.

During my second trip, the culture shock hit strong on the latin end. Things change constantly, and the difficulty and uncertainty about everything challenged my pedant character big time. I was trying to plan and execute an Artist-in-Residence pilot program for Athentikos, but nothing seemed to work. Finally, all I wanted was to go to the airport and wait for my return flight. I felt I couldn’t handle any more unpleasant surprises.

Back in Finland I appreciated the dullness of a gray November for a little while. However I soon felt that this was inevitable: Guatemala would become a part of my life. For my third trip in the fall of 2017, I knew what to expect, both good and bad… and that trip become the finest one so far: As I’m writing this, I’m in Guatemala yet again. It feels difficult to imagine a life without this work: these communities, people and experiences of meaningfulness.

This writing could well end here, but this is only the beginning. Make yourself comfortable. 
 
This Guatemala-case coming into my life has led me into some serious contradictions, and each time I face more and more complicated questions. These questions deal obviously about flying, ecology and climate change and less obviously with post-colonialism and exoticism. I realized that many of the things that I perceived as beautiful or exotic in Guatemala were actually due to poverty. I became aware, or maybe just confused about, my motives to document life around me: how people lived, what they ate, and how they would dress themselves. Poverty tourism, exploitation – I became cautious.
Athentikos and its partners in Guatemala have some strategies to prevent exploitation. For example, taking pictures or video is prohibited both in the slums of La Limonada, and at Oasis, a center for sexually-abused girls. Athentikos’ protocols are there to eliminate misuse and maintain safety. In La Limonada it’s about my own safety: Having a camera visible there could soon make me person with no camera. In Oasis it’s about the girls’ safety: The center doesn’t want to risk revealing a young victim’s location to her abuser, for example through social media.While at Oasis, the girls’ legal processes are still unfinished and the criminals are still on free-foot. In some cases there criminals are their family members, some cases members of gangs, and some cases both.

I read a thesis by political science student Suvi Aarnio that say “Volunteer tourism is a growing sector in the tourist industry”. This news made me very excited, until I read a little further; “International volunteering can be seen as a negative, imperialistic, and paternalistic charity, which serves the prowess of the career and personal development of the Westerner” (Aarnio). These words really challenged me, especially in the midst of writing this article…Aarnio continues to explain the complications of volunteer tourism:

 

“There are not many better ways to thrust your own social status than to participate in volunteering in the global south. There are a lot of personal consumer goods on the market where consumers can express themselves, but few are so powerful to show the buyer’s generosity, world citizenship and adaptability, than volunteerism…A journey that has a good purpose invokes a Western post-materialist, guilty, and ethical consumer….”  (Aarnio).

The critics of poverty tourism focus mainly on two aspects, according to Aarnio, those are “the voyeurism of the poor” and the “post-colonialist, selfish motives”.

So what about my motives then? Selfless motives could be seen in a willingness to help and do good. Selfish motives can be categorized by a willingness to learn and grow as a human being. I get caught here- I want to continue my work in Guatemala because it feels so meaningful to me. So what are the effects of the work, which I do through the medium of dance, for the Guatemalans?

 

I’ve worked here mainly with a dance technique called Dances to a Beat (DTB) which, next to its aesthetic and artistic contents, deals very directly with self esteem, body image and collectivity. This work feels important everywhere I teach it. And then – it has felt meaningful in a very specific way to teach at Oasis, where the girls would tell me that they had never thought anything good about their bodies before my workshop. That is quite astounding to hear. I can help in Finland as well, and there are many people who need this kind of help. Besides, I don’t even speak fluent Spanish. Surprisingly though, I’ve noticed a kind of ‘nobody is a prophet in their own land’ phenomenon. Some of the doors that I’ve been knocking in Finland for years opened to me in Guatemala very easily. But I can do volunteer work in Finland too: One of my recent favorites has been working as the artistic director of a contemporary dance festival of instant choreography.

Did I mention the adventure yet? It would be ridiculous to say that I don’t think it’s interesting to travel to Guatemala because it’s so, well, EXOTIC. These challenging places are also the most beautiful ones I’ve ever been to. Divine Volcanoes, delicious mangos, blossoming flowers, green valley, bright sunshine….

And yes, I caught myself from many cliches, too. For example, a feeling of superiority- that I would know better than the people in these places, like how they should practice religion, or how they should recycle. However, my global worries and conscious remarks don’t mean a lot here. What matters is how much patience I would have for a disruptive kid, or if I was being fair when we played soccer. The conservative religiousness that is mainly history in Finland is starting to feel natural here. In Guatemala, I realized that this is the context that I have to respect. For example, in Guatemala I’m not a vegetarian like I usually am at home; In Guatemala I eat what is offered to me. These things are not black and white, they are not easy, they are in constant dialogue and change.

After each of my trips to Guatemala, I didn’t know if I’d ever come back again. So what is the point of traveling to the other side of the world to connect with people, many of which I would never see again? Do these kids need another adult that will abandon them? Naturally so, every time I go, my time there makes more sense. Also, I remember many of my own meaningful teachers from early dance camps, whose impact to my life has been indelible – even if I never did see them again. I was reading Teemu Mäki’s (a Finnish author and theatre director) thesis “Darkness Visible” on these trips and I remember reading something like: “The biggest problem and threat for a western person is to get bored.” And that, as a matter of fact, is a severe threat. In Guatemala I feel that this threat does not reach me, since life is so present in every moment here.

That moment in the car, which I wrote in the beginning of this article, felt like a moment where everything in my life could change. At that moment however, I was rationalizing: It’s ok, I will return back to Finland where I can continue my comfortable life, and nothing needs to change. A realistic Kati, however, was talking to her heart: most likely some things will change, but a little. That little expresses itself slowly in practice, but most likely my heart has been changed due to these experiences in a way where there’s no way back.

 

Kati is currently preparing to make her fifth trip to Guatemala this fall to complete more I Am Art camps. There are still spots available for anyone who wants to join Athentikos in its mission to instill creativity as healing! Click here for registration information. If you cannot attend an I Am Art camp, please consider supporting Athentikos through a donation to help pay for camp supplies and operational costs.