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April
21, 2010
KSU
students use art to serve local community
Artist's book project designed to
raise awareness
By Scott
Singleton
Earlier
this spring, Assistant Professor of Art Natasha
Lovelace Habers received a Creative Activities and Research
Experiences for Teams grant from the Kennesaw State University
Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. The grant was
for the development of an interdisciplinary artist's book
proposal. With a team of four KSU students, Lovelace Habers has
joined forces with a local non-profit agency, The
Center Helping Obesity in Children End Successfully (C.H.O.I.C.E.S.),
to aid in the development of the book.
On March 27, the
center held its 5th Annual Children’s Nutrition Education and
Physical Activity Expo at the Adamsville Recreation Center in
Atlanta. The expo, with more than 2,000 parents and youth
participating, included fitness activities, free health
screenings, cooking demonstrations and nutrition exhibitions.
For the expo,
Lovelace Habers and visual art students April Marten, Deanna
Roland, Kristel Nubla and exercise and health science student
Jordan Rice developed a promotional poster for the upcoming
artist's book that will feature the center's animated character,
Zoey. During the event, they received ideas and input from expo
participants for the book.
Roland says,
“Working on this project fulfills several of my long-term
goals, one of which is to use art as an agent for change, which
Zoey’s first book certainly will do. It also provides an
opportunity to work with the community on an individual
level.”
Marten also commented on the
benefits of the project. “Not only are we creating interesting
illustrations and a fun and exciting storyline, we are also
researching nutrition and fitness topics that relate to
children.” The expo also allows the KSU students to apply the
many skills they are developing at the university. Marten says,
“Using my book arts skills, learned at KSU, to a help a
non-profit organization is very rewarding.”
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(From left) Natasha Lovelace
Habers, Jordan Rice, Deanna Roland,
Kristel Nubla and April
Marten at the C.H.O.I.C.E.S. expo
Local students participate in art activities at the expo
Photos
courtesy of Kristel Nubla
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