This June, for the first time, Walls Project hosted volunteer service events in 3 different markets: Baton Rouge, LA, Dallas, TX, and Durango, CO. Each service event was carefully curated for the audience and area-specific needs. Volunteer service events, like ones hosted by Walls, offer an opportunity for people of all ages to connect to and give back to the areas they love. Fostering a place can help beyond the immediate impact. It reverberates its investment further by becoming a replicable opportunity in the future. Allowing for future experiences to be had by those wanting to make their areas better.
Baton Rouge, LA
On Friday, June 16th The Walls Project contributed to a community planning effort to lead off the Juneteenth celebrations, downtown in Galvez Plaza and on the Greenway. Black in Bloom: Juneteenth 2023 was a community lead celebration of arts and culture health and wellness, and of course one of African-Americans' greatest contributions to America, music.
In the arts and culture pavilion, The Walls Project curated a community mural and a space for healing arts reflection. The Walls Project along with Scotland Saturdays and the Great Baton Rouge Arts Council also assisted in curating local art vendors, live painting experiences, and a historic panel between Dr. Randall Henry, Keith “Cartoonman” Douglas, and Wayne “Dang” Jones. Additionally, cultural icon Gerry Hobdy led a session on the intersection between art and entrepreneurship. Rodneyna Hart, the panel facilitator, said of the moment,
“We shade ourselves with trees we did not plant. This year's Black in Bloom Juneteenth arts tent provided a rare opportunity to 'give flowers' to those who made a life and identity of art in Baton Rouge.”
On Monday, The Walls Project continued its year-long support of the Baton Rouge African-American Museum by attending the march from the old old L.S. Williams then and now African-American museum to the new Baton Rouge African-American museum, where city leaders, legislators, culture-keepers, creatives, partners, and family members of the late Sadie Joseph Robertson. Stewards and artifacts from the building and a caravan walk to the new building. The opening included music speakers, a rousing request for funding led by Councilwoman, Carolyn Coleman, and the presentation of an initial fund of $250,000 towards the renovation of the former school and recycling office into a cultural hub for the African American community in the Baton Rouge Capital Region. Logo signage and eastern façade painting improvements were completed by AB Artistry and Skinny Dope ahead of the celebration to brand the new building and anchor the Downtown Corridor from the I-10 split.
Dallas, TX
In Dallas, The Walls Project participated in the Juneteenth 2023 celebration alongside many amazing organizations doing good work across DFW. This collaborative event allowed residents in the city of Dallas to enjoy a fun, safe, and festive experience while getting connected to many local resources and building fellowship.
Nationally-known artists from South Africa presented over 90 pieces of art at the African-American Museum. Mr. Blair had a wonderful golf tournament that took place out in Grand Prairie. Miss Opal Lee's Walk for Freedom, a 2.5-mile walk to recognize the 2.5 years it took for the news of freedom to reach all enslaved people in the United States. Even right at the South Dallas Cultural Center, we had a mural revealed that was created by an artist by the name of JD. The MLK Center did great work and had an amazing festival there.
This event came out of the major partnership between The Walls Project, Epiphany, New Era Booking, and Management, Heal America, Absolute Equality working together to gather numerous organizations to celebrate one collaborative DFW Juneteenth Festival that will be growing for many years to come. If Juneteenth DFW interests you, please find a way to support, to get connected, to collaborate, because this is only the first year and it's gonna be even more amazing than 2024!
Durango, CO
In Durango, Walls Project partnered with Manna Soup Kitchen and muralist Maddie Sanders to launch a transformative community mural project. This initiative aims to bring together volunteers of all ages and backgrounds to paint a vibrant mural at the entrance of Manna Soup Kitchen, located in Durango. The mural will reflect the organization's mission to provide nourishing meals and supportive services in an atmosphere of acceptance and caring for those in need.
To help support our programs in any city, consider becoming a Walls Insider. Your recurring donation will help us continue to participate in hosting service projects like these.