Boldly Braiding

 
Ever since I ran into this text several years ago, it has been a great resource for laying down groundwork with activists/artists of all ages.  The introductory section gives a great set of vocabulary terms that apply to field of community arts, and they are explained in straight-forward language.  It was this text that really gave me a toolbox for developing projects with teens, and giving teens several frameworks for analyzing community projects. 

What I admire most about the book as a whole is that it does not assume that the artist is the center of the community project, but that the community itself is the real center.  There is an expectation of humility and a need for listening, that is built into the analyses of projects--whether a person is from the community or from the outside.  It is vital that we all see each other as carriers of treasures; although the artist may have a special skill set that makes them a unique asset for a project,  it is the collective need and desire that will inform the role of that artist.