The temperatures are rising and our arts program has been on fire! Here’s a recap of all that’s been accomplished over the last 30 days along with a preview of what's next.
KIDZ FEST
It was a beautiful turnout for the annual Kidz Fest at the Scotlandville Community Park. Walls Project staff members from Public Arts and Baton Roots teams were on site facilitating a community mural for the little ones, giving away fresh produce from our Howell Park farm, and demonstrating Geaux Get Healthy recipes through a live demonstration by Chef Traci Vincent.
KEY ACADEMY
Murals are underway at the Louisiana Key Academy, 3172 Government Street. The tuition-free, public charter school serves 1st through 8th grade students with dyslexia.
The murals, located in the student courtyard, were produced by teams of 6th-8th grade students with the assistance of the Walls Project team and artist Skinny Dope. Utilizing the Walls STEAM curriculum, students were engaged after school in the measurement, scale, and project management of their designs. We all know how important art can be for young minds, and how important our growing art industry is to the capital, so we’re always happy when we can assist in building up the next generation of creative leaders.
13TH AMENDMENT
We all received education on Saturday, June 4 thanks to a special visit from Akeil Robertson, as part of the End the Exception campaign. A formerly-incarcerated artist himself, Akeil is the leader of the Philadelphia Mural Arts Re-entry program.
Participants got the chance to create t-shirts and create a mural painted on parachute cloth that will be installed at the Walls Project Headquarters. The technique will become a hallmark of our community mural engagements in 2023.
SALVATION ARMY
A dedication ceremony was held on Tuesday, June 14 for the new courtyard mural located at the Salvation Army headquarters on Airline Hwy.
Major Don Tekautz commissioned the mural displaying “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” as a positive reminder to his staff, their clients, and the corps members who work diligently each day to coordinate services for the city's many housing insecure residents.
The mural was completed by our own Morgan Udoh! She completed the 13 x 80 ft wall during some of the hottest days of the year and was assisted by the fabulous Walls Project regular, Skinny Dope.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Mark your calendar because we have plenty of painting opportunities coming up during the month of July.
Every Saturday during July, we will be helping our friends at BREC celebrate their 75th anniversary and we’re doing it with paint, of course! Our team will be out at a different BREC park located in the Baton Rouge metro area and the public is invited to participate. Check back with our events calendar for locations.
On Saturday, July 23, we would love to see you all out at the Louisiana Key Academy, 3172 Government Street, for the second portion of our playground placemaking installation. Our team will be there from 8 a.m. until noon. All you have to do is come by and we’ll tell you what to do from there. You don’t need to be an artist and you don’t need to register to participate. Kids are also welcome, so bring the whole family with you. Oh, and don’t forget to tell your friends.
DONATIONS NEEDED(?)
If you haven’t had a chance to come by and see our new Little Art Library, then add that to your list of things to do. This is the first of its kind in the city and we hope to create more in the near future.
The concept is simple - drop off what you don’t need and take what you do need! The purpose is to create a free resource for artists to gain new supplies and information. The library is stocked with books as well as supplies.
If you’re on Facebook, join the group to learn more!