Barrio Logan has a new center for the arts dedicated to students experiencing homelessness.
The Chrysalis center is an extension of the Monarch School with nearly 300 students just a few blocks away. The students attend the school for academics, social and emotional support, and life skills. Now they will have access to an art gallery, dance studio, and theater.
Elizabeth Pennington is the school’s vice president of philanthropy. She has also helped fundraise $1.5 million from private donors to pay for this center which will be available to community arts organizations and artists from marginalized communities who have already shown up to teach the students.
“Many of the professional artists are like the students. They look like them, they have had experiences like them, and so there’s a lot of growth going on. That’s why we’ve called our opening exhibition Metamorphosis,” Pennington said.
Yaretzi, 12, is one of the Monarch School’s students showing her work in the Metamorphosis exhibition. She prefers to be called Max, the artist name she gave herself.
“Sometimes I do my painting crying because I want to tell somebody but I can’t,” Max said. “This is the only way to help me and express myself, and I feel way better because I feel like I’m telling somebody.”
Max is from Mexico. She’s been in the U.S. for less than two years and has already learned English and an appreciation for art along with academics.
Her family continues to search for a secure home living environment.
Chrysalis is an intentional name for the new center because of its significance in the development of a monarch butterfly, the school’s mascot.
“It hints at the process that art requires," said Erika Malone, arts department manager. "Art requires a safe place for you to visualize and create and experiment and innovate. You can’t turn into this beautiful butterfly without that chrysalis.”
Max is well on her way. “I never thought somebody was going to like my art if I’m being honest. But, then everybody is like ‘I love your art’. I was like ‘oh thank you’ and now this is happening! Wow, I think people actually like my art,” she said.
