Shaping a Brighter Future

Photograph by John Everett

Every other week at the Houston Area Women’s Center, mothers gather with their children for an art workshop taught by Noel Forman, an instructor at the Glassell School of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

During the 90-minute sessions, the center’s clients have the chance to get away from worrying about the domestic violence that forced them out of their homes. Instead, they can concentrate on building their self-esteem and strengthening family bonds by collaborating on artworks.

“We wanted to do something that would promote positive interactions between the moms and their children,” says Karen Curlee, who oversees the center.

Since the program began in January, nearly half the center’s 45 residents have attended the workshops. Ms. Forman brings art supplies for paintings, clay sculptures, or collages, and tells participants to create whatever they choose.

Workshop participants also receive a box of art supplies when they leave the shelter and are encouraged to continue taking time out to nurture their creativity.

Philip Morris Companies, a tobacco and food company, supports the collaboration between the shelter and the museum, as well as three similar programs elsewhere in the country, through its Community Connections program, an effort that encourages cultural and social-service organizations to work together.

Here, Ms. Forman demonstrates to a mother and her son how to shape modeling clay.