The Rainbow Connection

Have you ever seen a rainbow?

How did it make you feel?

The Art Barn Workshop celebrates the answers to these questions as expressed by 100 hearts during two Rainbow Connection workshops for Clark County, NV youth. We are wildly grateful for the generous support and guidance of our neighbors at Clark County Public Arts through the Temporary Public Art Program.

Makers at play

Helen Meyer Workshop

Choose your story

Hundreds of nature shapes to choose from

Just play!

No instruction required

Generations create!

Generations create and share their hearts

WE did it!

100 hearts celebrate as ONE RAINBOW at Robert E. “Bob” Price Recreation Center in Las Vegas, NV

Thank you.

Heartfelt thank you to all who believed and became ONE RAINBOW CONNECTION

We invited children (5+) and families to “bring your hearts out to play” at local community centers. And did they!

We learned you do not need to offer instruction when you place a box of colorful ephemera, markers, stickers, and glue sticks in front of a 5-year-old. Makers joyfully jumped right in and brought their adult makers right in with them! As each maker colored, designed, and glued to the sounds of Willy Wonka, Kermit the Frog, and Disney ukulele tunes, we felt that simple aliveness that comes when we focus on creating together. When asked, participants said they felt “happy”, “hope” and “not bored”. (hooray!)

We focused on the process as the prize, not the result. Yet, we celebrate the result- the creation of 100 thoughtfully curated hearts that are now proudly displayed as ONE. The RAINBOW CONNECTION is currently on display at Robert E. “Bob” Price Recreation Center in Las Vegas.

Here’s what our community hosts had to say about the Art Barn Rainbow Connection experience:

“Joan and her art brought more than a splash of color to Helen Meyer’s walls with her Rainbow Connection art installation- she brought a project that our community of youth actively engaged in and saw the product of their effort reflected in each heart. As it hung from the ceiling, people of all ages stopped to remark on the creativity displayed and Joan’s vision for the piece helped to guide our youth into making something together that they could be proud of. We were happy to work with her and hope to see her positivity and inspiring disposition in future installations.”

- Emerald McDonald, Helen Meyer Community Center, Clark County Parks & Recreation.

“Working with Joan was such a pleasure. Her passion for what she does was shown when introducing the families to her vision for this project. Her enthusiasm and positive attitude made the project even more enjoyable to develop. The overall display is so amazing that families asked if we could please keep the display up permanently. It brings such happiness when the children see their hearts hanging and point them out to their parents. I hope we see more of Joan’s work in the future around the recreation centers. Thank you, Joan!

From the Bob Price Recreation Center, Jeannie McKinnon, Program Supervisor

Thank you, everyone! We do look forward to many more gatherings where folks feel like they belong just by simply picking up a crayon.