As part of their Blue Ribbon Month campaign to raise awareness for child abuse prevention, Cope partnered with Nimbus Arts and the Napa County Child Abuse Prevention Council (CAPC) on a community art project to be displayed through April.
Over 100 art-kits-to-go were distributed in the community and transformed into an expression hope and promise. The art elements were then assembled into two-large-scale “Tree of life” installations, symbols of the community’s resilience.
“The COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to contain it are taking a serious toll on families, putting their children at greater risk of abuse or neglect.” said Michele Grupe, Cope Executive Director and Co-Chair of CAPC. The good news is that we can all play a role in building a strong and resilient community for families and children. “We all want the best for our children. As a community, we share the responsibility of supporting families and kids. One way to ensure that all children can grow up feeling safe and loved is to provide social connections.”
Building community connection is the goal of the Tree of Life project. “After a traumatic year of stress, isolation, fear and loss, this project will provide important social connections through art to inspire hope and healing by drawing upon the themes and spirit of spring: renewal, hope, healing, vitality and new beginnings,” said Jamie Graff, Executive Director of Nimbus Arts.
CAPC members, including Cope, N.E.W.S and many others invited their clients to participate in the art project. “Art is a powerful tool for processing and healing trauma. Compiling the individual elements into a public display is an expression of our shared experiences and a demonstration of our collective resilience.”
Members of Cope’s Resilient Napa RAISE training program also participated in the art project as part of their ongoing work to build resilience in Napa County. “This collaborative project reinforces our connectedness with our friends, family, neighbors and other community members,” said Grupe. “Social connections are one of the five protective factors determined by research to help kids develop resiliency and for their families to thrive. When these factors are present, they help reduce the risk of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) like child abuse and neglect, and can improve the overall well-being of children and families. By working to promote these protective factors in your own family or community, you can play a role in prevention.”
The public exhibits will be located in the window of the District Attorney’s office at 1127 First St. in downtown Napa and at a location in St. Helena to be announced. In addition, several RAISE members are displaying smaller exhibits. We’ll update this post with the additional locations as confirmed.
This project is funded in part by County of Napa Mental Health, Innovations Initiative; Napa Valley Vintners and Auction Napa Valley; John Brockway Huntington Foundation; Peter A. & Vernice H. Gasser Foundation; and Michael D. and Jolynn Blair Family Foundation.