Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Three Part Harmony Farm Community Mural Project Recap


Hi friends, I want to share one of my most favorite community projects in 2015. It took place at Three Part Harmony Farm in the Brookland neighborhood of Washington DC.
When I first met Gail Taylor two years ago at the Annual EcoHermanas/ Centro Ache Herbal Encuentro in DC, she was selling strong healthy seedlings. I’ve since learned that Gail is such a brilliant woman with spirit, a beautiful sister with love for la madre tierra, community and growing healthy food!

So, happily in 2015 EcoHermanas partnered with 3PH to bring a USDAC Imagination Station to the farm’s Fall Festival and Garlic planting.

Our creative project involved creating an Imagination Station that offered participants a chance to envision their community 25 years into the future. And to see their role in making this happen. 

At the station there were two activities
Poet Jesse Alexander facilitated a community poem

I facilitated a community collaborative mural.

A good time was had by all as documented in a video of the day by Jordan Mendys and
Enjoy!

Monday, February 8, 2016

The Allentown Splash Park Water Tank Community Mural "Coral Reef"

The Allentown Splash Park Water Tank was an outstanding site for a aquatics themed community mural. I was so excited when the MNCPPC invited me to create an artwork in collaboration with the centers community.
At the Splash Park there is a large active community in place, The Elite Rays. They are a community of young swimmers and their families that are committed to excellence.
We shared about 8 sessions, the first two were focused on concept and design and the final 6 workshops focused on working together, to create and actualize this 40ft x 5 ft round mural.

For me as the project artist, high points were during the collaborative painting process where multidisciplinary learning was in serious action. Drawing to scale, mixing colors, communicating ideas yada yada yada!

The Rays stepped up to the project with great interest and skills. Parents were also actively involved throughout the process.

See pics of project process.

Our greatest assets on this project were Stewart Seal who put the project together, Nancy Weiman who provided the tank, artists Larry Jones and Alpha Bruton, and our awesome volunteers Korey and Ashley who I want to thank for sharing their creativity!