Mesa Arts Center’s Mobile Art-Based Engagement Lab — or MABEL — has received a $10,000 grant from Thunderbirds Charities to continue providing access to arts in underserved communities.
Community engagement specialist Danica Marlin said the idea for the mobile lab, which is a 12-foot trailer, arose out of the pandemic as a way to engage people outdoors.
“We’ve tried things like button making and a mini print press. We have the setup to do all kinds of little prints and cyanotypes which are UV-reactive pigment. It’s the process that blueprints originated from and some of the earliest types of photography," Marlin said.
Marlin also said the programming appeals to a range of ages and cultures to show that creativity is something for everyone and should be practiced and grown, like a muscle.
Hear Danica Marlin's interview with KJZZ's Tom Maxedon
