Our Green Spaces, Our Stories: Celebrating Our Neighborhood Parks, Trees & Trails Through Poetry & Art

Ana Morales, Ashley Wilson Fellers and Rolando Holmes

Does your neighborhood have a treasured tree? A park or playground that makes you proud? Let’s celebrate it through poetry and art! In this collaborative project, a writer, an artist, and an educational specialist will join your community to craft a professionally designed book commemorating your celebrated green space, with submissions open to neighbors of all ages. Our team will even lead a student workshop to help young residents create their best work. When we’re finished, we’ll celebrate together with a community kick-off…starring your neighborhood’s performers and artists! You’ll walk away with print and digital copies for easy sharing.

Participants: Two to 10 adult participants and five to 15 students
Ages: All
Value: $2,700.00
Requirements: To make this project a success, the most important ingredient is YOU! Two to three dedicated community members are needed to help select art and poetry that best represents your neighborhood and its treasured green space. In addition, we will eventually need at least five adult submissions of poetry and artwork and between five and 15 young people to bring our student workshop to life. Please provide a simple and accessible neighborhood meeting space for committee meetings and for the student workshop (a neighbor’s patio or backyard, a library or recreation center, a picnic shelter at the neighborhood park). Then we’ll need a great spot to host the community celebration!

Explore Together


Request this activity for your neighborhood

Are you ready to request this activity for your neighborhood event? Fill out this information to get in touch with a Roanoke Arts Commission facilitator and get the ball rolling!

Name(Required)
If you are not beginning with the neighborhood association, please list the names of households you’ve engaged in the event. We recommend speaking with at least households in planning the date and securing attendance in advance.
You don’t have to have decided where or when you are hosting the event yet. But if you do have an idea, it helps us prepare for our meeting with you.
Event Date (if known)
Event Time (if known)
: