12/09/2007 17:26:27

I spent my elementary years in Windsor, Ontario.  I grew up watching the Detroit riots take place and watched Detroit burn while I lived "across the river".  My America-  I was so saddened by it all, and I will never forget it.  Canada was hard on me in ways I won't go into right now-just anti-American.  So, when we moved back to MN-I headed straight to the art room in school where I used to hide myself and get lost in the crowd..Everyone knew I was from "Canada", but what they didn't realize was that I was an America citizen just like them.  Taunting and teasing became an everyday occurance. So I painted in a small art room next to the art classroom where I found the peace and serenity that I longed for.  My high school art teacher was the best, and I am very thankful for the things he taught me. He gave me the encouragement to go into art for art's sake.

12/08/2007 08:08:28

I, too, used art as a refuge in high school.  Back then, there was ordered bussing; an attempt at forced intregration. I lived in an inner city black neighbor and had to go to an upper middle class school transported on a bus with the black kids from my neighborhood. I was no more accepted than my black neighbors so I sought out the art classrooms and spent every extra minute in there.