A recent collaborative project with all six Pasadena Independent School District High Schools is typical of the work Vickie McMillan-Hayes does with all types of organizations. Under Vickie's guidance, teams of students each designed and produced a mural that reflected their schools’ spirit, history, and community in a project called Changing Minds: One Painting at A Time.
Vickie, who has organized collaborative projects for a wide range of adult and student groups ranging from six to 3,000 people, explained that this project was designed to expose students to much more than art supplies and techniques. They also learned about speaking in public, communicating with clients, creating public installations, and working in a collaborative setting with numerous timelines and stakeholders. Problem-solving was a top priority objective of the project, and students also learned about time management.
Students divided into groups to brainstorm and develop their concepts, gather materials, and finally to execute their designs. Throughout the duration of the project, each student team was required to document its process and progress through writing, photography, and video.
Pasadena ISD Fine Arts Coordinator Shannon Raygoza said the collaboration gave students a real-life perspective on the art industry after high school. “There is a whole world of possibilities out there in the Art field,” stated Raygoza. “This type of experience lets them know people can make a living creating Art in so many different forms.”
This project was supported by a number of grants that enabled Vickie to share her expertise in building an art-based business, which includes showing and selling fine art paintings, providing workshops, publishing in well-known books and magazines, and earning reviews both domestically and abroad. The artist also encouraged students to use recycled materials.
The collaboration included a partnership with Pasadena ISD, the City of Pasadena, the Pasadena ISD Education Foundation, and Young Audiences of Houston and Texas Commission on the Arts. In-kind support was provided by the Macroplaza Mall, where the large murals were exhibited before each was installed at its respective school.
