Photography

What happens when you give a camera to the children of Khesi Ghaat? A piece of their world from their perspective. The exploration of photography allows children to define the world around them.  We have been impressed with their talent to capture vivid and telling images. Follow their IG story and stay tuned for prints and limited edition photo books. We are accepting camera donations and instax fuji film as well. 

Led by Sukhi Bhakta Dasa. Have any ideas for a photography workshop? Contact us today

'The Wall of Love' - a collage mural

While walls can serve the purpose of dividing people this particular wall has brought the children of Keshi Ghaat together to create something bigger than themselves. 'The wall of love' is an abstract collage that unifies small-scale drawing and coloring with large scale collaborative painting. Through this project, our students have been introduced to mixed-media, paint mixing, rhythm, texture, and harmony through intuitive expression. 'The Wall of Love' is an ongoing seasonal project. During some months of the year, it will be underwater as the Yamuna river rises. 

Crochet Class

Crochet class has provided our students with a useful skill to expand their flower business. Most of the kids belong to struggling families and help out by selling flowers to tourists by the Yamuna River, but during the slow season they aren't able to make much money.  Crochet is a craft that can be done safely at home, so that when they get older the girls can make bracelets and other fashion items to sustain their families. They first learn to make friendship bracelets with the single-crochet stitch and as they advance, learn to make hats. Buy a 'rakhi' bracelet today to support their new business. 

Journaling

Thanks to the help of a sponsor we were able to provide our students with notebooks, pencils, and markers to keep their own journals. They were given exercises in color, drawing, and practicing their hindi and english alphabets. Journaling is a powerful tool that allows artists to express their ideas freely and succinctly. We are developing a journaling exercise book that will engage our students in environmentalism, free-expression, and the building blocks of geometry, writing, and reading. Donate today to empower this project or submit your own coloring sheets, and learning activities to be incorporated in the journal. 

a warm thanks to our sponsor, Ram Kumar from Gitanjali

Eco Hero Kids Clothes Drive

Spring 2016 - "The Wiz" cast of Malibu Childrens' Theater and The Eco Hero Kids Foundation organized a clothes drive for kids halfway across the world. The clothes were distributed in two different neighborhoods in Vrindavan, India, where families struggle financially. The initiative was featured in the 'Malibu Times' newspaper and helped Lavender Jaq launch it's first campaign. The Wiz Cast put on an unforgettable show, debuted Jaq Hats, and named our official mascot 'Bubbles' the timid bunny. Hats of to these cool kids for their efforts to brighten the lives of others. LJ Art School encourages a buddy-system that connects children from different social and cultural backgrounds. Please contact us for children's clothing, stuffed animal, and art supply drives and become part of our kids2kids campaign. 

Malibu Arts Festival - Collaborative Collage

Summer 2016 - Artist and LJ Founder, Genevieve, facilitated a collaborative collage activity for the Malibu Arts Festival. Participants were engaged in the exploration of color and texture on a large scale communal canvas. The initiative served as inspiration for one of LJ's current projects 'The Wall of Love'. Genevieve works with groups of all ages to create collaborative pieces that communicate social processes and collective feelings through mixed-media collage. Contact LJ to host a communal canvas for your upcoming fesitvals and events. This project will bring your attendees together in a unique and dynamic way while yielding a surprisingly beautiful and cohesive result. 

Tie-dye 

India is known for it's incredible textiles and the 'Holi' festival of colors, so the children of Vrindavan were no strangers to this art form. In 2016 We worked with several groups using a variety of techniques to create tie-dye magic! From the scientific side of mixing color to the creative side of design, the kids were engaged in a dynamic process that yielded a useful and and lasting result. We hope to expand upon this project in the future as it was a first time for LJ and there is so much more to learn and explore. Please contact us if you are familiar with tie-dye and textile arts and would like to lead a workshop. ++ Look out for Tie-dye products in our shop this summer :)

Anual Yamuna Larki Party!

It all started with a 5kg heart-shaped cake and has since become a tradition. The Yamuna Larki party gives everyone a chance to have fun, eat fun food, and be kids.