The M4N Art Workshop
About
The Motels4Now Art Workshop (M.4.N.A.W.) is a site-specific art workshop organized by artist and staff member M.T. Giddings with the “guests” of Motels4Now (M4N), a low-barrier homeless shelter in South Bend, Indiana, that is a program of Our Lady of the Road, a 501c3 non-profit.
Before M.4.N.A.W. officially began with weekly sessions March of 2024, Cathy Stoner, a former staff member, led paint “spin art” sessions and bike repair with guests, and current volunteer Todd Whitmore, ran a weekly Art Café for a few months in 2023.
In our inaugural year, we are piloting a robust, year-round art-making program; acquiring needed equipment and supplies; hosting culminating public exhibitions, receptions, and tours in May and June of 2025; and self-publishing a booklet documenting the resulting artwork, documentation, and learning.
The goals of the program are:
To positively impact the guests’ experience at M4N, both aesthetically and socially
To help guests develop creative outlets that they can draw from for the rest of their lives
To tap into the abundant creativity of our guests to explore what is possible together
To positively impact local arts and homeless communities through meaningful exchange
To humanize and destigmatize homelessness
The workshop has three main dimensions:
It is an approach that is tailored to M4N for supporting and promoting artmaking
It is a multipurpose studio stocked with art supplies and equipment
It is consistent weekly group meet-ups in the studio
Our approach (abbreviated):
Treat each participating guests as an artist
Leverage trust earned in real relationships
Welcome any level of participation
Meet people where they are at and make no assumptions about ability
Take direction from guests
Maximize the artmaking abilities of guests
Showcase artwork
Principles of the Studio (abbreviated):
Use the materials at hand
Source additional supplies from waste and reuse streams
Keep artwork safe
Develop as a multipurpose space and resource
Meet-Ups (abbreviated):
Regular weekly drop-in group sessions
Provide a consistent invitation to connect with artmaking
Support artmaking throughout the week
Support
Funds and donated supplies and equipment support our year-round art-making program, enabling us to: acquire needed equipment and supplies; host culminating public exhibitions, receptions, and tours; and self-publish annual booklets documenting the resulting artwork, documentation, and learning.
Donations are tax-deductable. Be sure to note that your donation is for the M4N Art Workshop.
Checks can be sent to OLR's P.O. box:
Our Lady of the Road, P.O. Box 4375, South Bend, IN 46634
Materials Wishlist (new and used welcome!)
Download 1-page wishlist here
Tools & Equipment
Brushes
Exacto knives; box cutters; paint scrapers
Pencil sharpeners, manual and electric
Hot glue guns
Clipboards (15-20)
Corner clamps for framing
Mat cutter or mat cutting system
Tall, locking filing cabinet (1-2)
6-8’ sturdy folding tables (4)
Drying rack
Flat file drawers
Comfortable/padded folding chairs or stackable chairs (10-20)
Supplies
Paint: tempera; acrylic; oil; watercolor; house paint; auto paint; spray paint; clear coat; gesso; paint pens
Glue: glue sticks; spray mount; wood glue; hot glue gun sticks; glitter glue; super glue; epoxy
Drawing media: colored pencils; markers; sharpies; pencils; pens; gel pens, pastels; chalk; charcoal
Paper: sketchbooks; cardstock; watercolor
Picture frames; framing wire, hardware, and tape
Exacto blades
Sand paper
Matboard
Glitter, tinsel, confetti, mirrors (pieces and whole)
For material donations:
Drop-off at Motels4Now, 3233 Lincoln Way West, room 206
Arrange a pick up by emailing matti [at] newdaysouthbend.org or calling/texting 574.222.0417
Order from Blick Art Materials Wishlist to send needed supplies directly to M4N.
M.4.N.A.W. Founder/Facilitator
M.T. Giddings (they/them; mtgiddings.com) is an artist who collages found material in diverse forms, from visual art to performance to developing organizations. They have developed art workshops for Boys and Girls Clubs (Bloomington and South Bend, IN), YMCA (San Francisco), Filipino Educational Center (San Francisco), Blackstone Bicycle Works (Chicago), Experimental Station (Chicago), St. Stanislaus Kostka School (Chicago), South Chicago Art Center (Chicago), Southside Hub of Production (Chicago), and Elsewhere Living Museum and Artist Residency (Greensboro, NC). They supported the artmaking of adult artists with developmental disabilities at Creativity Explored in San Francisco. M.T. also founded and ran The Collaboration Room, a studio for the exploration of intergenerational visual arts collaborations. Most recently, M.T. completed a two-month artist residency with Werkhaus Muenzviertel in Hamburg, Germany leading a daily collaborative art workshop for youth experiencing homelessness between the ages of 18 and 25.
Supporters
The M4N Art Workshop is supported by the Indiana Family & Social Services Administration: Division of Mental Health and Addiction; Indiana Arts Commission, Community Foundation of St. Joseph County, Blick Art Materials, American Art Clay Company, St. Margaret’s House, and the generous material donations from our community. Special thanks to Doni Funkhouser, Director of Art Programming at St. Margaret’s House, who is playing an advisory role in the Art Workshop’s pilot year.
The Impact.
Check back soon for photos, testimonials, and statistics about the impact of The Motels4Now Art Workshop in our inaugural year!
In the meantime, please reach out with questions, resources, advice, and encouragement: matti [at] newdaysouthbend.org. Go here to make a donation specifically for the M4N Art Workshop.
Thank you for your interest!