FAMILY STORIES THROUGH ART
Sharon Santillo
Room 314D
Collage and Writing Workshops for Family History
@familystoryart
Sharon Santillo truly believes we are all artists, that creativity is inherent in what it is to be human. After following the research being done at Emory University on the value of families knowing their history, Santillo is on a mission to encourage people to ask questions and collect family stories. She helps all ages and abilities to use collage art to lead writing and to preserve their stories in engaging books to share with family and friends. She enjoyed a twenty-seven year career teaching art in public school and is a certified trainer for the University of New Hampshire in art and writing workshops. In 2011, Sharon Santillo was named Massachusetts Art Educator of the Year.
In Family Stories through Art workshops, Santillo leads students to create visual stories with collage and writing, stories that appeal to all ages. Genealogy can be dry, but stories of what life was like growing up or how one met his/her spouse are treasured. Collage techniques with painted and found papers are an easy and fun way to access memories. By using art to lead writing, stories nearly write themselves. All levels are welcomed in Family Stories through Art workshops, no matter previous art or writing experience.
In a recent interview, Santillo shared her goals for all her workshops. "I hope to make each student aware of the preciousness of their family stories and the value of saving them for future generations.I plan for all students no matter their level art expertise to experience the fun and satisfaction of collage art and the power collage has to evoke memories. 'Cut paper keeps us to emotional basics.' says illustrator Molly Bang.I wish for all students to experience how the visual and verbal modes we use together enhance writing and vocabulary, how our stories practically write themselves!"
