Quick said he had to cancel a lot of shows this summer, including a trip to New Orleans, because the boys are attending summer school. Quick and his assistant, Shawn Ackinson, not only bring out the boys creativity but also act as mentors to nurture leadership development. This is done in a three-fold process of engaging, creating and contributing. Under engaging, youth are involved in and exposed to activities like field trips, rap sessions, community projects and games. In the creating phase, they are encouraged to share their stories in the form of poetry, prose and art.
Second year apprentices experiment with other media and other forms of expression.
They also are coached in how to contribute to their home, neighborhood and community. We ve spent a lot of time getting to know the boys. We have no disputes and no arguments because we have all the quiet ones now. As a nonprofit, Life Pieces to Masterpieces has gained support of Hitachi D.C. Community Action Committee, The W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Capital Community Health Plan. We re in the process of establishing our own T-shirts, postcards, children s books and calendars using the art.