Empower to Transform
Stop The Violence Quilt: Cares (2010)
Led fourth graders at Woodlawn Community School (Chicago, IL) to use poetry, drawing and quilting to express how they see their community and what they need from adults to transform it into what they envision for the future. Students created two quilts which became a part of a traveling exhibit in partnership with Chicago Public Libraries and sponsored by State Farm Insurance. At each location, students led discussions with viewers about issues in Chicago's communities. A booklet of the students' poetry was distributed at each library site. |
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StopTheViolenceQuiltsBooklet.pdf | |
File Size: | 1456 kb |
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The Fallen (2012)
Lead Artist in an art installation at Perspectives Charter School - Joslin Campus (Chicago, IL). Jeff Maldonado was the first Perspective student to die from senseless violence on July 25, 2009. The students used art to honor his memory and the nearly 300 youth killed from the time of Jeff's death until April 9, 2012. Students collected nearly 300 old gym shoes to represent each slain youth. Inspired by the Fallen Soldier tribute used by American military, each shoe was placed upside down on a stake with a yellow ribbon. The ribbon contained the name and age of each young person while each stake had a statement of something that could have been done to prevent the killing. These shoes were placed at a prominent intersection to confront passersby. Unfortunately the numbers have risen since 2012. |
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TheFallen_StudentFlier.pdf | |
File Size: | 275 kb |
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Parkland Rising (2013)
Lead Artist to transform a vacant building into a symbol reflecting the Parkland (Louisville, KY) neighborhood's past, present, and future. Prior to 1960, Parkland was a thriving community home to African-American entrepreneurs, educators, professionals, and laborers. In 1960 an uprising occurred that led to historic disinvestment in the neighborhood. Youth from the Parkland Boys and Girls Club assisted in the design and production of the art installation. Discarded plastic bottles and clothing were used to create a Phoenix. A Phoenix is a mythical bird that was destroyed by fire but resurrected itself. The Phoenix represented the community's hopes for the future. These hopes were announced by hundreds of stickers where residents wrote their thoughts for what they wanted to see in their neighborhood's future. The installation was a project of the Center for Neighborhoods P.A.I.N.T. Program. |
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ParklandRising.DedicationFlier.pdf | |
File Size: | 832 kb |
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