The Canvas Experience 

When a new family arrives at the emergency shelter they often arrive with nothing more than the clothes they are wearing. Often a child has very recently witnessed a violent interaction between their mother and her batterer; sometimes the children themselves have been abused; sometimes they come directly from the hospital; sometimes they are brought by a police officer; the children are frightened, overwhelmed and angry.

Our Child Development Specialist, funded 16 hours a week by your contributions to The Gabe Kapler Foundation, recognized the need for these children to learn non-violent ways to express their feelings.  And so the “Canvas Experience” was born...

• After a child and mother settle into the shelter, depending on the availability of staff, the project is introduced.

• Our Child Development Specialist introduces herself to each child and mother building trust and beginning a connection.

• The child is encouraged to draw a picture. If she/he decides to participate, (and most children do) the child receives a canvas approximately 12 x 18.

• The child is told that the canvas belongs to her and can be kept in her/his room. (Often the mom is also interested in participating.)

• The first experience is an opportunity to draw with pencils of all colors on a brand new canvas. 

• The next time (the child may ask to work on his/her canvas or see another child working, or a staff member, noticing a child’s mood, may suggest working on her canvas) pencils are again available. Paint and paint brushes of assorted sizes are introduced. The children learn to choose, use and take care of the brushes. Another layer is added to the canvas.

• Each time the children work on their canvases different art medium is available and another layer is added to the canvas. (Colored markers, dot markers, crayons, pastels, finger paint etc.) The children may choose to use any or all of the media on their canvases. Usually when tempera paint is added, the children discover that that tempera paint will cover their past work.

• Some children enjoy covering their old work with tempera and changing their canvas. Others feel finished and ask for a new canvas.

• Throughout the project the children are encouraged to talk about their canvases and their words are carefully written down.

• As you can see the RESULTS ARE AMAZING

Click here to see some examples of the children’s canvases

The Canvas Experience has proven to be a very effective therapeutic tool. The children at the emergency shelter that your generosity helps The Gabe Kapler Foundation support, provides the children with a wonderful opportunity for self expression. Using a variety of different art medium and the discussions about their art work gives the children process helps the therapists and staff understand more about the children’s many feelings, feelings that change and new feelings that are uncovered each day.
The children almost always choose to take their canvases with them with them when they move on to a transitional center or safe housing.