Monday, 5/5/97 Kerckhoff display shines spotlight on child abuse
Project MAC exhibit hopes to educate campus, features children’s
works
By Susan Lee Daily Bruin Contributor Everyone knows that some of
the most revealing truths come from the mouths of babes. But
Project MAC knows that they also come from children’s artwork.
Coinciding with Child Awareness Week, Project MAC will showcase an
educational exhibit of children’s artwork at Kerckhoff Art Gallery
starting today. The display features masks, tempura, watercolor
paintings and freehand drawings by children involved with Project
MAC. Additionally, there will be quotes from Project MAC volunteers
and statistics concerning child abuse. "These things are all there
to help educate and teach people about the program and the issue of
child abuse and violence. We’re always looking at new ways to
educate the public," says director Cecile Leung, a third-year
history and Asian American studies student. "It’s really cool to
have it coinciding with Child Awareness Week because we need to
shed light on the issues. A lot of undergrads are so systematic,
they just go to class and go home and just are not as aware of all
the issues in society." The UCLA student volunteers from Project
Mac work with children in five areas divided by age and gender.
Although the gallery was scheduled to have a joint exhibit between
Project MAC and the UCLA Prison Coalition, Prison Coalition
Director Matt Palocsay says that because of other commitments, the
Prison Coalition had to back out. The main goal of the display is
to "foster and spread an awareness about child abuse and to educate
those here on campus," Leung says. Leung, who has worked with
Project MAC for two years, added that most of the 50-plus display
pieces are very personal. Most of the art displays will use only
the children’s first names, so as not to endanger any children.
"It’s hard to ask kids to have their artworks since a lot don’t
have personal items with them," Leung said. "When the kids are
placed into a center they just have their clothes so they really
treasure what they do." While some of the artwork from Project MAC
expresses the children’s views and feelings about themselves, for
the most part, the children create the art solely for entertainment
and creative purposes. "Usually we just give them the art materials
and let them do what they want to do with it. The kids have fun and
we enjoy the time we spend," Palocsay says. "It’s a good feeling to
know you made a small difference in kids lives. A few girls were
very excited we were putting their artwork up. It’s just some art
that they did with no specific real focus, except for coinciding
with Child Awareness Week." Other things that Project MAC plans to
incorporate with the gallery exhibit include a table on Bruin Walk,
a bake sale to raise money as well as handing out flyers to inform
people about child abuse. There will also be blue ribbons available
for people to take to show their support for Child Awareness Week,
Palocsay explains. "I admire those kids so much for being there.
People don’t always factor in emotional or psychological effects
but look more to the obvious physical and sexual characteristics
that they can observe," Leung says. "Psychologically, it’s bad
because when the kids grow up it changes how look they look at
themselves and their self worth and self esteem. Some are very
mature but since they’re caught up in that life. We help to empower
and educate them and its really satisfying to know the that." ART:
The Project MAC exhibit will be in the Kerckhoff Gallery for two
weeks. Previous Daily Bruin stories Conference teaches signs of
domestic abuse, October 11, 1995