The Birth of ARTCORPS

The Birth of Artcorps

Martine Kellett, Executive Director of New England Biolabs Foundation

After 15 years as Executive Director of a small foundation, I felt the need for “renewal time.” In 1998, I took a year long sabbatical. I visited several projects supported by my foundation in Guatemala and Africa and worked as a volunteer for several weeks in one of them.

There is a lot to be said for foundation executives actually experiencing the hardships and the joys of working in the field, but this is another story. With my grantor’s hat still on, I could not help noticing how arduous it was to convey a simple message. Ideas such as: “build latrines in your village” or “include this leafy vegetable in your diet because you need the iron,” or “if you will stop cutting the forest, we will train you and give you a loan to start another business.”

There is no doubt that the organizations involved are comprised of committed and caring individuals who have good ideas and intentions. They even have the financial means to accomplish their goals. So why does explaining a simple idea take so much energy and time? How can they communicate their message better and faster?

Sociological and behavioral studies have determined that, across cultures, the impact of a message on the receiver (the effect of the communication, often determined at a later date) is only based 7% on the actual wording of the message. 38% of the impact comes from how the message was conveyed (tone, accent, emphasis) and 55% from non-verbal communication (facial expressions, gestures, etc.) (Hall & Hall, Understanding Cultural Differences, Yarmouth, ME; Intercultural Press, Inc., 1990)

Moreover, individual donors as well as funding organizations are worried about the way their monies are spent. Is it effective? Is there any waste of time or resources? Of course, we know that involvement of the people targeted is essential to the success of a project. But that is easier said than done!

After visiting a successful project in Africa, which integrated local art in the transmission of a health message, I was struck by the idea: Art! That’s it! One does not even need to speak the language! Mime, singing, puppet shows, painting, mask making, skits, magic; I could think of a thousand ways to communicate a message. It can also be easily adapted to the local culture: songs can talk about local legends, mimes can have their faces painted by the people, masks can be made by artisans, costumes sewed by women, skits played by kids. This can be done all over the world. It will fill the culture gap. It will attract children and adults alike. It will transmit a message.

I came back to my desk job at the foundation full of enthusiasm and started to work on a presentation for funding to the New England Biolabs Foundation (NEBF) trustees. Because I mentioned that it was “just like the Peace Corps,” one trustee promptly dubbed the project ArtCorps.

The year 2000 saw the implementation of a pilot project, starting in Guatemala. Two artists were placed in two different organizations. In 2001 two more artists were placed and in 2002 through 2004, three artists were placed each year. We have now expanded to El Salvador, and are currently placing artists for the years 2005 and beyond. ArtCorps facilitates the pairing of artists with NGOs and trains the artist in the culture where he/she is going to work.



About ArtCorps > The Birth of ArtCorps > The Need > Values, Mission and Goals > Impact, Legacy and Evaluation > Our Work > People
				The Birth of Artcorps Martine Kellett, Executive Director of New England Biolabs Foundation After 15 years as Executive Director of a small foundation, I felt the need for “renewal time.” In 1998, I took a year long sabbatical. I visited several projects supported by my foundation in Guatemala and Africa and worked as a volunteer for several weeks in one of them. There is a lot to be said for foundation executives actually experiencing the hardships and the joys of working in the field, but this is another story. With my grantor’s hat still on, I could not help noticing how arduous it was to convey a simple message. Ideas such as: “build latrines in your village” or “include this leafy vegetable in your diet because you need the iron,” or “if you will stop cutting the forest, we will train you and give you a loan to start another business.” There is no doubt that the organizations involved are comprised of committed and caring individuals who have good ideas and intentions. They even have the financial means to accomplish their goals. So why does explaining a simple idea take so much energy and time? How can they communicate their message better and faster? Sociological and behavioral studies have determined that, across cultures, the impact of a message on the receiver (the effect of the communication, often determined at a later date) is only based 7% on the actual wording of the message. 38% of the impact comes from how the message was conveyed (tone, accent, emphasis) and 55% from non-verbal communication (facial expressions, gestures, etc.) (Hall & Hall, Understanding Cultural Differences, Yarmouth, ME; Intercultural Press, Inc., 1990) Moreover, individual donors as well as funding organizations are worried about the way their monies are spent. Is it effective? Is there any waste of time or resources? Of course, we know that involvement of the people targeted is essential to the success of a project. But that is easier said than done! After visiting a successful project in Africa, which integrated local art in the transmission of a health message, I was struck by the idea: Art! That’s it! One does not even need to speak the language! Mime, singing, puppet shows, painting, mask making, skits, magic; I could think of a thousand ways to communicate a message. It can also be easily adapted to the local culture: songs can talk about local legends, mimes can have their faces painted by the people, masks can be made by artisans, costumes sewed by women, skits played by kids. This can be done all over the world. It will fill the culture gap. It will attract children and adults alike. It will transmit a message. I came back to my desk job at the foundation full of enthusiasm and started to work on a presentation for funding to the New England Biolabs Foundation (NEBF) trustees. Because I mentioned that it was “just like the Peace Corps,” one trustee promptly dubbed the project ArtCorps. The year 2000 saw the implementation of a pilot project, starting in Guatemala. Two artists were placed in two different organizations. In 2001 two more artists were placed and in 2002 through 2004, three artists were placed each year. We have now expanded to El Salvador, and are currently placing artists for the years 2005 and beyond. ArtCorps facilitates the pairing of artists with NGOs and trains the artist in the culture where he/she is going to work. > The Need > Values, Mission and Goals > Impact, Legacy and Evaluation > Our Work

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