The mission of JustArt is to provide the Loyola Community with opportunities to reflect on issues of social justice and faith through artistic expression. Four Artist's Journey to Housing This month’s exhibit includes artwork from four individuals who are residents of Home Connections, a program run by St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore. Each artist has submitted artwork to illustrate how their creativity has strengthened and motivated them during periods in their lives when they have experienced homelessness. The four artists are Donna Napora, Rickey Strong, Richard Reinhardt, and Kwesi Mensa-Wilmot. Ms. Napora’s puzzle of a cat was inspired by her desire to care for another being and the despair homelessness cause when it prevented her wish. Mr. Strong has submitted a sketch of a house which shows how, by drawing these houses, he kept his goal alive of one day securing a home. Mr. Reinhardt is displaying his model train set which he has carried with him throughout experience with homelessness. Mr. Mensa-Wilmot’s oil paintings express his concerns about the human condition and social injustice. All these artists have lived through experiences that the majority of us have not encountered, and their artwork profoundly reflects their deep knowledge about life’s journey down the rougher paths. Stations of the Cross "Art of Angels: St. Peter's Adult Learning Center" St. Peter's Adult Learning Center is a licensed site provider by the State of Maryland and the Developmental Disabilities Administration for adults 21 years of age and older who have been identified as having an intellectual disability. This program provides services that include work projects, recreational activities, personal development, and community integration. For this JustArt exhibit, members of St. Peter's Adult Learning center made abstract acrylic paintings using cooked spaghetti, as well as masks molded from their own faces. "B-More Hope: The Club at Collington Square" The Club at Collington Square is an after school art program for at risk-youth ages 5-14 located in the East Baltimore Neighborhood of Collington Square. Through a partnership with the Maryland Institute College of Art and the Community Art Corps program, Club students learn to use art as a tool for critical thinking, communication, and self-expression. Hope
The enormous impact of the historic election of President Barack Obama was felt deeply throughout the city of Baltimore. Club students followed the election closely creating election signs and writing essays on the current events that were so quickly unfolding. For the first time, our students saw themselves reflected in the face of our President. In response to Shepard Fairey’s iconic “HOPE” poster, students created self-portraits and chose words reflecting their own values and dreams.
Studying the ancient art and design of African mask making, students created their own masks molding plaster to reflect their own unique contours and facial features.
The Club encourages students to see themselves as agents of change with in their community and created 12 collaborative paintings recreating their neighborhoods in bold positive color.
Welcome to the Loyola University JustArt Gallery. This month’s exhibit features inspirational artwork created by students through the Mother Seton Academy/Loyola University mentoring partnership. As you take a look around, you will find an array of diverse, creative and talented pieces of artwork made during mentoring sessions throughout the year and during the art classes. An old Chinese proverb says, “One picture is worth ten thousand words” The message of this proverb fits our theme well. For this gallery, the MSA students and mentors were asked to discuss what they thought were the greatest injustices happening in our world today. Then, collages were created from newspapers and magazines to portray today’s injustices from the point of view of children—powerful messages conveyed through pictures. “When we were children, we used to think that when we were grown-up we would no longer be vulnerable. But to grow up is to accept vulnerability… to be alive is to be vulnerable,” says Madeleine L’Engle. In an era of market crashes, unemployment, poverty, hunger and homelessness that affect so many people, one may wonder about the source of our hope. Hope is always in the future, and the future lies in our children. Using this gallery as a medium, these young students have truly shown us their maturity, spirit and life by accepting the vulnerabilities of today’s world and still facing each day with hopeful dreams. Thanks to their parents and guardians, they are able to cultivate their talents at Mother Seton Academy and, despite facing a challenging environment, they continuously succeed. Special thanks to Ayla Badell, Patrick DePuydt, and Sr. Karen Pourby, OSF for helping to make this gallery possible. Visual images can be very powerful tools for change, awareness, and education. Artists throughout history have affected society with their images of social justice, including war, poverty, homelessness, hunger, and the human condition.
The exhibit, featuring photographs taken by past participants of the CCSJ immersion program Encounter El Salvador as well as those students who studied abroad in the country, seeks to inspire viewers to new perspectives on this Latin American country. Revisit memories of your own experiences in El Salvador or explore different aspects of the country, including its economy, politics, environment, faith and children. | 
