WISH LIST $200: new industrial quality sewing machine; $800: art supplies for an entire month; $1000 semester-long leadership training class at George Washington University

At first glance, there is meager material for artistic inspiration in Washington’s public housing projects. Young males living east of the Anacostia River often grow up without fathers, in families plagued by poverty and substance abuse. But at Life Pieces to Masterpieces, “apprentices” use paint, storytelling, rap, and poetry to make something of great beauty out of their lives. The group takes its name from the unique art its members collectively create – painting canvas, cutting it into shapes, and sewing the pieces together to tell real life stories. Combining arts instruction with human development, LPTM’s accomplishments are stunning: close to zero percent of participants become involved in the juvenile justice system or father an illegitimate child, 90% show improved behavior at school, and the group has created some 1,000 works of art. Since it was first featured in the Catalogue in 2003, LPTM has grown from 40 to nearly 100 apprentices and has earned new credibility with donors. This is an exceptional group, doing even more extraordinary work: won’t you become part of the picture?

Ben Johnson, Director of Development 603 50th Street, NE, Third Floor Washington, DC 20019 (202) 399-7703 www.lifepieces.org