'Hard Climb' reflected in artwork

Provided.

To thank Dr. Leana Mitchell for her presentation, President Jennifer Palakiko presented her with a certificate, and a donation was made to the Rotary Foundation in her honor.

On Nov. 21, the Rotary Club of Tehachapi was treated to an interesting and artful presentation by Dr. Leana Mitchell, president of the Bear Valley Springs Cultural Arts Association.

Leana's presentation was titled "Hard Climb Art," and highlighted the art program that takes place at the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi. Leana said she has been rather passionate about this art program, as there are many residents of the prison who have amazing artistic abilities, which can be a pathway to rehabilitation for some. She said they decided on the name because one participant said that the word "Tehachapi" means "hard climb" in the Kawaiisu language, which was spoken by the Native American tribe who lived in the area.

The program evolved out of the JR Project, a mural project that was initiated by the artist JR, who is known around the world for his murals executed on city buildings where they can be viewed by the masses free of charge. He produced a mural on the yard of the prison where he photographed and collected the stories of 48 incarcerated individuals and prison staff, compiling their pictures into a mural that was pasted onto the concrete yard by the participants. Several other murals followed over the next three years, and art became a way to give people hope, break down divisions to unify them on a human level and serve as an avenue for people who have fewer options in life to demonstrate their capacity to change. JR's work has been the subject of a documentary, which follows the mural project and the impact over three years.

The JR Project served as a catalyst to provide the residents of CCI with art classes, and Leana explained that many of the individuals are extremely talented, which can be a way for them to transition into a career upon parole. However, there are many participants in the program who are serving life sentences without the possibility of parole. She said it is important that they get to experience the healing power of art and have an outlet for creative expression. They wanted to be able to sell their art, but they did not want to benefit from it, as they wanted to let it benefit the community. The program participants really wanted to positively impact youth. They came up with the idea of providing a scholarship to a graduating senior at Tehachapi High School.

Hard Climb Art is available by donation, and a canvas is priced at $25. Leana said that she donates all the art supplies so there is no cost to the program participants for the supplies, and 100% of the sales go to the scholarship program. Donations to the Hard Climb Art Project can be made to the Bear Valley Cultural Arts Association, earmarked for the program.

Dr. Mitchell has a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Capella University, an MBA from Walden University and a Doctoral degree in Business Administration from Trident University International. She has had a long and impressive career, spending over 35 years working for a number of businesses, educational institutions and nonprofits. Leana has taught a variety of business courses for Taft Community College and Cerro Coso College's Rising Scholar's Program at California Correctional Institution, as well as teaching for Johns Hopkins University and Cerro Coso Community College at the Tehachapi campus. She also serves on the Bear Valley Springs Financial Committee and, as an avid horsewoman, participates in several horse-related groups in Bear Valley.

The Tehachapi Rotary Club meets at noon every Thursday at Kelcy's. Rotary is the largest service organization in the world, and is committed to "Service Above Self," devoting time and resources to projects in the local community as well as internationally. For more information about the Rotary Club, you can visit their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/RotaryClubofTehachapi/.