A budding Richmond artist and illustrator who developed the children’s book, I Can’t, has launched a creative project with a local elementary school where she teaches youth the best way to produce — and publish — their own books.
Tatiana Ortiz, who grew up in San Pablo and attended local schools, recently applied for and won a $3,500 city arts grant to produce “The Scribber Artist Project” at Mira Vista Elementary School.
The literacy arts project teaches students how to write and illustrate their own personal books, which, when finished, shall be published through publishing company Lulu Jr.
“If your books revisit on the publishing company, we will possess a celebration at the local adult ed in Richmond,” Ortiz said.
While her project idea is innovative, Ortiz, 28, says she’s only doing for younger people what art had done to be with her for a kid.
Ortiz said she became a troubled teen, but added that any teacher wouldn’t stop bugging her about pursuing art.
“The teacher kept taking chances on me,” she said. “Kept insisting which do art. Plus it took after some duration so that i can finally say fine. I had been to this point gone.”
Art gave Ortiz something productive to carry out; plus it became her career. She says if she might have that relation to even one Mira Vista student, the work is going to be worth the money.
“Less prestigiously one kid — one less kid away from the street,” she said. “One less family with heartbreak.”
Ortiz, a parent who has worked being a pre-school teacher, seized for the grant opportunity after attending a block party in their neighborhood of East Richmond Heights. She overheard certainly one of her neighbors writing about that this city was offering $65,000 to local artists for community enrichment art projects. Similar that neighbor is owned by the Richmond Arts & Culture Commission.
“I ended, did the second take and thought, allow me to go communicate with her,” Ortiz said. “I started showing her murals I’ve done.”
The commissioner encouraged Ortiz in order to apply. Ortiz felt intimidated when she met other artists tips on for a city meeting, and thought of leaving. Naturally, at that time she had no idea types of project to produce. She only knew she was a designer and educator and keen on launching something to help you youth.
“Something explained to settle,” she said.
It’s a very important thing she did. Because right there because meeting, when others were offering their project ideas, the concept for “The Scribber Artist Project” popped into her head.
Ortiz later crafted a proposal that included a financial budget, created presentation prior to the art commissioners and won the grant a handful of nerve-wracking months later.
“I’m so interested in this project because I think these kids need to have a voice and just how they’re able to share it is by sharing their stories,” she said. “It’ll also increase their reading and writing ability and help artistic discipline.”
