2016 Art in Nature™ Artists Teaching Children to Raise a Village
Funding will help artists be available to teach children to be build a village.
Why This is ImportantIn gratitude for your (potential) contribution, we would like to explain what this means to our mission and our culture, which in turn enriches the understanding of all who are touched by our programs.
We seek to create a conscious awareness of the importance of the Virginia Indians, past and present. The legacy of this body of people is present with us today on many levels. This legacy that has passed to us offers an example of a system of living in harmony with nature along with a lifestyle imbued with the values of family, community, and connection to the Earth. As an extension of our living history, we believe in and recognize the importance of nature in art. The arts so poignantly and powerfully reflect the connection of all people to the land. This is especially critical in the education of youth as it allows them to participate, and continue in, the tradition of appreciating nature (enough to one day save its future). It enables future generations of all backgrounds to connect to the living land they live and grow on. Exposure to nature through art is like a magical lens through which people of all ages and especially youth may see the fabric that binds us all together as we live as one human race on the one home we call the Earth. |
Knowing the value of nature helps to further the appreciation for the indigenous people who served to protect and watch over it. This cultivates a positive awareness of the depth of indigenous culture. That is why our support to teachers is so important and can make such a great difference to the children they teach.
At this time more than ever, we are at risk of losing the understanding of indigenous ways of life and what they stand for. The impact of funding cannot be over-stressed in its ability to help. It provides to us the support necessary to enable the educational development for both teachers and students. It provides the means of preserving a heritage valuable to all. |