This portfolio contains summaries of three art projects Hope Dangler led with different populations: 1) A fabric canopy installation created with adults with cognitive impairments at a community center to provide a safe space. 2) Pom pom paintings made by 4-6 year olds at a Montessori school to explore color, texture, and fine motor skills. 3) Pinch pot ceramics created by adolescents with mental disorders to learn a new skill and socialize while improving stability.

1. Client and Professional
Experience Portfolio
Hope Dangler
2015

2. “Safe Place Canopy”
HOPE Community Center
Adrian, Michigan
December 2014

7. August 2014 was the beginning of a new experience that would change my life. I participated in an
internship at a local community center for adults with cognitive impairments. Each week, my fellow
interns and I created art with members to form bonds and enjoy a safe, creative place. We designed
simple projects that helped unleash creativity and promote personal individualism and strength. By
December, we had formed strong bonds with the members and we hated to plan for the fnal project,
which we called “termination.” I took the position of team leader for this project and outlined an
elaborate plan to create a permanent installation. We all decided the project needed to be our most
successful one yet, utilizing what we had learned the members did and did not like about some art
media. After deep consideration, the perfect project was conceived. The plan was to hang a fabric
canopy from the ceiling and to create decorations with festive, member-made artwork. I made individual
plans for each intern regarding the steps that needed completed for a successful project. With this
instruction, each intern completed their portion of the work and helped create the hanging canopy and
collect the appropriate supplies for the decorations. During termination, we assisted the clients with
creating coffee flter snowfakes, writing inspirational quotes on small cards, and painting ornaments.
The projects had the members busy, giggling with one another, and making memories. The canopy was
designed to give the clients a safe place to relax and calm down. After all was assembled, the members
took turns walking into the canopy and reading the inspirational cards and looking at the decorations.
We left feeling fulflled and knew we had impacted their lives as much as the members had impacted
ours. A week later, I ran into a member outside of the community center. She immediately hugged me
and thanked me for inspiring her and her friends, and told me the canopy was used daily for games,
quiet time, and leaving inspirational quotes to friends and staff. This is the moment I knew I needed to
be a leader while introducing people to creativity and the use of the arts to express themselves.

8. “Pom Pom Painting”
Montessori Children's House of Lenawee
Adrian, Michigan
February 2015

11. These projects were created by 4 to 6 year olds. Children love to get messy, and paint is the best messy
messy media I've found. These small canvases were created in spirit of Valentine's Day, but they were a test
for fne motor ability and color choice. Each child is unique selected different types of pom poms, sizes,
color of paint, and used a different painting technique. Some dotted the paint, others smeared it. Each child
was given the same choices of paint colors, but each canvas is much different from the next. The children
explored the combination of colors along with the use of white space and color.
Working with children is much different than most populations. They have shorter attention spans, less
motor ability, and less experience with communication and vocabulary than the average population. By
learning to work with children, I feel that I can work with any population. Designing projects for children
never end up how you plan them. Each child shows his or her personal experience through their art, even if
they can't share it vocally yet.

12. “Pinch Pots”
Lenawee Intermediate School District
Adrian, Michigan
March 2015

16. These projects were created by young adults and adolescents with documented mental disorders. The
students typically work in a ranch-style house on living skills and procuring hobbies. A few students were
transported to the Adrian College Art Department where they worked with undergraduate students and
socialized. Instructions were given on how to create a pinch pot; additional tools and colored slip
demonstrations were given later.
The students were asked to think about what types of items they could put in their bowls. Most agreed
that small items, like loose change, would be best. Some students made pots to give to close friends or
family members. After a pizza break, students created a second one. We asked each student to try a new
tool that they hadn't used on the frst bowl. We provided stamps, colored slip, wooden tools, and metal
tools. The faculty from LISD were helpful, but encouraged the students to create their own projects.
Clay is manipulative and can be used for both creation and destruction. Creation works best when a
client needs support; the clay is a metaphor for structure and stability. Destruction works best for built-
up anger and for a healthy release of agitation. Both can be used in a setting. In particular, this group
only needed creation in order to establish a sense of stability and mastery. The students learned a new
skill while improving their social skills.