On Saturday, December 11th, the Lofts Gallery in participation with Hana Hou Studios presented Talking Heads, a gallery exhibition of youth sculpture from two local apartment communities.

Talking Heads, designed by lofts resident Michael Davis in cooperation with Housing Corporation of America, is a 10-week sculpture program for youth and young adults, in which each participant creates a 3D bust of a person, creature or animal. In this first round of Talking Heads, Instructors Davis and Nuri Amanatullah worked with 21 participants ranging from 7 to 28 years of age.

In addition to being an education in art, Talking Heads is also a lesson in financial literacy. All participants are paid $2/hr for every hour they work on the program. At its completion, they receive 60% of their gross earnings in the form of a gift check, they use 15% to microfinance an entrepreneur on www.kiva.org, and they reinvest the final 25% into the program for future generations.

We thank our sponsors, InSite Development, Housing Corporation of America, MGS on the Blvd, Signs & Designs, Union Bank, Laguna Clay, and Tamara Leigh Photography, as well as the Ironwood community for their support and dedication.

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