Benjamin Rothschild ’08 (Sculpture) is sharing his love and knowledge of art by facilitating arts workshops with Ugandan children and youth at the Amagezi Gemaanyi Youth Association (AGYA) Learning Center. Since graduating from MIAD as a President’s Scholar, Rothschild has been a studio-based artist in Racine, Wisconsin, and exhibited his work locally and nationally.
According to AGYA’s blog, Rothschild, a scholarship recipient at MIAD, said of his trip, “It is my mission to give these passionate individuals the training that was so freely given to me, so that they can have the tools and resources to better express themselves and share their art with the world.”
Rothschild is working with AGYA Youth Leader, Kenneth Mulinde, who had been teaching the art classes and inspired Rothschild since they first spoke on Skype. Through their conversations over the last three months they created a curriculum that includes art classes and workshops four times per week for the duration of Rothschild’s trip.
Rothschild said that after speaking with Mulinde the first time, “I cried tears of gratitude … because he reminded me of what I had forgotten. Being an artist has little to do with how well one draws, paints, etches, or forges, it has everything to do with passion. The passion in Kenny’s voice is so refreshing. Already a skilled craftsman at a young age, Kenny told me he would like to be a professional artist. I told him he already was.”
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Photo Credit: A. Marie Phillips and Barbara J. Miner
