An elementary school art room smells like mud. Fidgeting first graders wear hand-me-down clothes protected by paint spattered aprons. They make faces at each other. They trace invisible shapes on thick wooden tables with their pudgy index fingers. They flick crumbs of dried clay onto the dusty concrete floor and whisper about the new project as their teacher marks the final accent on a partially recognizable word. White letters on a green chalkboard. Papier-mâché. A smiling twenty-something with bright eyes, her exuberance for the children is matched only by her love for expression. Everyday is a new chance for exploration. She can see the possibility in each of them. Read the rest of this entry »