Jennie Kiessling “Being Shambhala”.

jennie

“Being Shambhala” Interview by Pam Turner.

To visit Jennie’s blogs for more information: www.outofthestudio.wordpress.com        http://nopictureshere.wordpress.com

The  Front Range Community College http://www.frontrange.edu/ (FRCC), Community Studio is a program of the Creative Arts, Design and Humanities Department (CADhu) of Front Range Community College (FRCC) (Larimer Campus). Community Studio projects are tailored to various locations throughout Fort Collins and have included a Young Curators program at TPAAK Elementary, Free Public Art Classes at the Fort Collins Museum of Art and most recently an exciting partnership with The Murphy Center for Hope http://murphycenterforhope.org/.

The Murphy Center offers ARTSPEAK, under the Direction of Barbara Jensen, in collaboration with FRCC. ARTSPEAK meets every Thursday morning at the Center for all clients who wish to participate. Classes have included matting and presentation, sponsored by Jerry’s Artmania, for an exhibition that was held inNovember of 2012 titled Endless Struggle. Classes continue in painting drawing and sculpture – the artists have just opened a new show at the Center Keep a Weather Eye:Sleeping in Storms which continues through November 26th. All participating faculty are artists, teachers and students of the FRCC Community.

The Community Studio was started by Jennie Kiessling who is practicing artist and Lead faculty for the Visual and Media Arts area of CADHu – she and Karl Dukstein, Chair of CADHu both have backgrounds in community based art education. Jennies work originated in Chicago in the late 1980’s, where she created community based art programs for The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, administrating for the public as well as teaching degree classes through the Department of Art Education and Art Therapy for degree seeking students that discussed the ethical and educational issues surrounding community art programming.  Currently,through FRCC, Jennie creates programs with community organizations. All programs have been funded through private generous donations from local community members who support community based art education as a way to enhance community life awareness.