{"id":551,"date":"2022-10-07T12:20:21","date_gmt":"2022-10-07T12:20:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/floridarecycled.com\/new\/?page_id=551"},"modified":"2022-11-22T20:29:52","modified_gmt":"2022-11-22T20:29:52","slug":"student-work","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/floridarecycled.com\/new\/student-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Student Work"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/h1>\n

*****************************<\/p>\n

To All My Students Over the Years in Various Teaching Venues,<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

I am continually inspired as an artist, an instructor and an individual being at what talents lie hidden in those who believe they have no artistic ability. Your willingness to believe, attempt, realize and share your beautiful ideas is truly inspiring and compels me to help you unveil more of your passion,\u00a0ability and undiscovered \u00a0potential…Thank you for keeping me lit and still in the game!!!<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Artfully Yours,<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Gerry \ud83d\ude42<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n

**************************************************************<\/h2>\n

One of my favorite groups are the ladies from Osher Life Long Learning Institute at Carnegie Mellon Universality campus:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

These are some savvy ladies with definite pizzazz and style!<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Check out their beginner\u00a0attempts at making jewelry in a short 1 and 1\/2 hour session using sustainable, vintage, recycled and contemporary materials…<\/b>favorite choices were bone & wood.<\/b><\/p>\n

All Pretty Cool!<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Phyllis<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Ilana<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Jennifer<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

**************************************************************<\/h2>\n

\"AAW<\/p>\n

International Symposiums Workshop 2014<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

________________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n

Congratulations Jeffrey Smith Salon!<\/h1>\n

Talented Student and Designer<\/h3>\n

Whirl Magazine<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

_______________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n

Congratulations Lindsey\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

North Allegheny Intermediater School<\/a><\/span><\/h4>\n

and!!!<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Lindsey Has One Piece in the Contraband Exhibition!!!<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/h2>\n

and More!!!!!<\/h4>\n

Congressman Mike Doyle <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Congressional\u00a0“Art Discovery Contest”<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Art Discovery Contest<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

______________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n

Talisman Workshop <\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Duquesne University Social Justice Department 2015<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/h2>\n

***<\/h2>\n

\u00a0LETTERS FROM DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY SOCIAL JUSTICE DEPARTMENT<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

With permission here are examples from three of over twenty Duquesne University Social Justice students who sent email letters as well as their Journal Reflections on the impact our program has made in their learning.<\/span><\/p>\n

EXAMPLE B1<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Ralonda Roberston<\/span><\/p>\n

Reflective Journal \/ Duquesne University<\/span><\/p>\n

GFDE 554<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

July 2, 2015-Not really the end, just the beginning<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Today was one of the best presentations ever.\u00a0 I love Gerry!!\u00a0 Her personality, attitude, and way of thinking and viewing people and the world is something to admire.\u00a0 She is so passionate about what she does and the way that she presents it is dynamic.\u00a0 She reflects on her own experiences and has created a program for those youth that are often written off and discarded.\u00a0 Instead of joining the team, she decided to create a team by going the opposite direction and picking up those she found along the way and sharing with them a part of herself through the arts that ultimately lifts them up and drags them along a journey of self-reflection and building.\u00a0 I know and understand many of the challenges that these youth face that she works with and even walked in their shoes inside those walls, which for me, was a major eye opener of what I didn\u2019t want to be.\u00a0 I know there stories and see their paths traveled every day when I step out of my door.\u00a0 I see the youth that are lost, alone, and trapped in a world that can be hard to exit but I consider myself to be a living witness of hope, determination, and the struggle to want and do more.\u00a0 We all need help and I am thankful that I had a strong family of females with me to keep me on the straight and narrow, not without many life lessons learned hard along the way, which is what Gerry is for many of her students.\u00a0 Her work is outstanding and her mission is dynamic.\u00a0 I am so glad that she was invited to speak to our class.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know what my time on this Earth<\/span><\/p>\n

is truly meant to consist of but I know that it includes working with youth.\u00a0 I want to help shape lives for the positive and maybe be that one person that provided something or a take away for others to be better, which I think Gerry does.\u00a0 I look forward to speaking with her again soon.\u00a0 Dr. Sheahan you have a great network of individuals that you know and are affiliated with.\u00a0 You have provided us with a great deal of tools and resources to truly expand our imaginary backpacks and I know that mine has been abundantly loaded!!\u00a0 Even though this is our last day of class it is only the beginning of a long lasting relationship that I hope to have for years to come.\u00a0 Thank you for an amazing course that was nothing of what I expected to be but more than I could ever have imaged.\u00a0 Thanks for being the outside of the box professor that brought learning to life making correlations between the social injustices, our youth and teaching all through the arts.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

EXAMPLE B2<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

From:<\/strong> Ralonda Robertson<\/span>
\n Sent:<\/strong> Friday, July 03, 2015 12:53 AM<\/span>
\n To:<\/strong> Dr. Patricia Sheahan<\/span>
\n Subject:<\/strong> Email to Gerry<\/span><\/p>\n

Dear Gerry,<\/span><\/p>\n

Thanks for a wonderful and innovative presentation.\u00a0 Your work with the youth at Shuman Center sounds so wonderful.\u00a0 You seem to create a space were individuals can come and be themselves and experience hands on activities, emotions, and positive interactions that many of them have never had or have been well removed from, which has to be so uplifting.\u00a0 Knowing first hand, what the walls of Shuman look like and how cold and lonely it can be, brings me joy to hear that there is someone that comes from the outside to give these youth a brief moment of peace and solitude away from their everyday routines and survival tactics that they often have to display inside and outside of those walls.\u00a0 Through the art that you have them to create these youth are given something tangible to call their own, provided insight about themselves that many have never considered, and away to forget for a minute all of the bad decisions that landed them in that facility but also consider how they can do better with the next chance.\u00a0 You don\u2019t restrict their thinking and imaginations and allow them to be as creative as they can be while still residing in their known world through their language, choices, and artful expressions.\u00a0 Each child can remain an individual within a larger group sharing more about themselves with no words than most can imagine.<\/span><\/p>\n

You allow yourself to be more than just a teacher and take a personal interest in each child fueling them with indirect inspiration by asking questions and assessing what they need to open up and expand their thinking.\u00a0 Even with a revolving door of youth coming in and out you provide equality, identity, and warmth for every child that enters into that space.\u00a0 No one is labeled, looked down upon, judged, are defined by their prior decisions, only living and existing in that moment putting different things into perspective as expressed through their simplistic or complex creations.\u00a0 You don\u2019t push or mandate but constantly encourage participation which is a choice that they are able to make that makes them feel empowered and in control, what every child thinks is lifeJ.\u00a0 The whole experience is therapeutic, meaningful, creative, and well-structured without well-defined lesson plans, sessions, and direct teaching only.\u00a0 Through the arts your classified juvenile delinquents, bad apples, criminals and many other negative titles are transformed into more than what people see and perceive them to be and become free in their minds to dream, be their chronological age, and young artist.\u00a0 Thanks for giving them a voice and way out.\u00a0 Thanks for going above and beyond.\u00a0 Thanks for always having an open heart and mind that doesn\u2019t have a bias opinion about the book before you ever get a chance to open up the pages.\u00a0 Thank you for being willing to enter into the trenches and look into the eyes of children that are lost and want to be found and willing to extend your helping hand in any way possible and be whatever they need you to be, within your power.\u00a0 Your reliability, dedication, love, care, compassion, and everything else that you bring to the table is what the children see and grab hold to, taking a piece of you around with them always.\u00a0 I love what you do and your attitude and interpretation is even dearer to love.\u00a0 I am glad to have formally met you and look forward to speaking and meeting with you again.\u00a0 Thank you for the materials to create a small piece of me, that was inspired through your vision, and that I can take with me for others!!<\/span><\/p>\n

Continue to embrace what others have destroyed, something that I hope to walk in as well. \u00a0Ralonda<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

EXAMPLE B3<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Dear Ms. Florida,<\/span><\/p>\n

Thank you for taking the time to come to our class to discuss your powerful social justice work at Shuman Center, and for engaging us in the process of constructing our own talismans.<\/span><\/p>\n

I was struck by many things in your presentation, but there were three things that really stood out to me about your work – first, that you “sedate convicts with jewelry”, second, that you use art as a tool to promote social justice, and third, that you use recycled materials that are often thrown away to create beautiful jewelry.<\/span><\/p>\n

Having worked at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic with a population of troubled youth, some of whom had visited Shuman in the past, some of whom probably would be shuffled out of the mental health institution and\u00a0into the prison system at some point in their lives, I was very interested to hear about the ways in which you used art to get through to these youths. \u00a0When you said, “I sedate convicts with jewelry”, I was thinking to myself, “wow, how can this be so”. \u00a0At Western Psych patients were sedated often with large amounts of pharmaceuticals, but never with art, never with jewelry. \u00a0I think this really demonstrated how powerful your program at Shuman is. \u00a0You are able to get through to a ‘difficult’ population, simply by allowing them to express themselves through the art of jewelry making. \u00a0A major goal of our course was to see how art can be used as a\u00a0tool to promote social justice, and you are a living example of how this can be done and is being done.<\/span><\/p>\n

From an artistic perspective, I really liked that you use recycled materials, things that are often thrown away, to create these beautiful pieces of jewelry. \u00a0 I do not know if you mean it as such, but I really saw this as a metaphor for the youths\u00a0with whom you work. \u00a0Often these children come from very difficult surroundings, and they are often thrown away by society, living out their lives meaninglessly in the clutches of the prison system. \u00a0Much of society does not see these youth, they are not aware that they exist, or they choose to ignore them, much like the materials that are thrown away or unseen in the art that you make. \u00a0I mean who really takes the time too gaze into a bottle cap to see its beauty or its worth? \u00a0And who really takes the time to look at ‘juvenile delinquents’ or ‘convicts’\u00a0 to see the light or the beauty that is within? \u00a0But when you take some time and remold these materials , you end up with something beautiful. \u00a0Just as when you take the time to work with the youth of Shuman, you are taking the time to uncover the light and beauty within each person, so that they too become beautiful and displayable to society like the jewelry, rather than thrown away like the bottle cap.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thank you again for sharing your art and yourself with our class last Friday, and I look forward to opening the energy of my talisman one day when it is most needed!<\/span><\/p>\n

Best Regards,<\/span><\/p>\n

Katherine Symans<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

EXAMPLE B4<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Social Justice in Educational Settings: Reflective Journal <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Kathryn Blye<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Duquesne University<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

July 2, 2015<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Talisman\u2014Challenging the Adversity in Our Lives <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Tonight in class Gerry Florida shared her experiences with us about teaching jewelry art at Schuman Detention Center. It was inspiring to learn about the positive impact her art class has made on the students at Schuman. I enjoyed learning about the significance of the Talisman jewelry piece and how this form of art has been an outlet for many students to face challenges and express hardships in their lives. My favorite part about creating the Talisman piece was thinking about asking for forgiveness, offering forgiveness, and forgiving yourself for something. I think this is a healthy way for anyone to release any negative emotions and feel at peace with themselves and those who have hurt them. Personally, creating the Talisman piece was very therapeutic for me. I focused on creating a Talisman piece for my sister Jaclyn and I. She went through a lot of hard times growing up and when I was younger, I didn\u2019t always understand. She was involved in a very mentally and physically abusive relationship, which caused a lot of distress for my family and myself. Although I never stopped loving her, there were times when I felt hatred towards her because I couldn\u2019t understand why she was choosing to be with a sociopath when she had a family that truly loved her. Also, it was difficult because she put her own life and my entire family\u2019s life in danger. Luckily, she got out of the relationship and moved across to country but it took me almost two years to let go of the anger and frustration I felt towards her. However, I am so proud of her for her strength and courage to be able to overcome such a difficult and scary time in her life and I am so grateful to have my sister back and healthy. Creating the Talisman piece allowed me to reflect on a difficult time in our lives and appreciate my sister for overcoming her struggle.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

________________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n

County Commissioners of PA Best Practices 2015 <\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/h2>\n

Award Winner<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Director Earl Hill Letter of Reccommendation<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

***<\/h1>\n

\u00a0County Commissioners of PA Best Practices <\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

2016 Nomination<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

________________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n

South Brook Middle School Residency 2016 <\/strong><\/h1>\n

Talisman Workshop<\/strong><\/h2>\n

7th Grade\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

***********************************************************************************************************<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Artists + Kids: Dauvit Alexander and Gerry Florida<\/a><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"image\"<\/a><\/h1>\n

\"image\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"image\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"image\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"image\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"image\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"image\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"image\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

***************************** To All My Students Over the Years in Various Teaching Venues, I am continually inspired as an artist, an instructor and an individual being at what talents lie hidden Continue Reading →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-551","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/floridarecycled.com\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/551","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/floridarecycled.com\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/floridarecycled.com\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/floridarecycled.com\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/floridarecycled.com\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=551"}],"version-history":[{"count":31,"href":"https:\/\/floridarecycled.com\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/551\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":617,"href":"https:\/\/floridarecycled.com\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/551\/revisions\/617"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/floridarecycled.com\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=551"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}