Growing up with creatives, I have used the arts as a study and a communication tool for personal and global awareness.
I am grateful for Artists throughout history who have inspired me and society to be creative and participatory in sustaining traditions of human culture and well being. Through my artwork I find ways to work in community; to encourage conversation, curiosity, and confidence in collaborative decision making.

I create artwork for a message whether to illustrate an event, an experience, or to inspire community conversation. I create to see the beauty and intensity of a subject; to learn more and to encourage others to explore their thoughts and emotions. I make something from “nothing” as a meditative practice.
I paint, sculpt, write and sing. Materials may include canvass, walls, mosaic treatments, clay, plaster, or found material depending on the need or request.

NEIGHBORHOOD RESEARCH, RESOLVE AND COMMUNITY PROJECT A series of 4-6 facilitated 2-3 hour workshop discussions about the Gainsboro Neighborhood culminating in an Art project.

The group will be a size that best suits the participants’ needs for moving through a lot of information gathered about Henry Street and Gainsboro Neighborhood. I anticipate 8-12 participants. The diversity of participation will be determined by the individuals’ commitment to forward open communication, diversity of profession/skill, and their community focus on building relationships and understanding. I believe with a variety of Gainsboro neighbors and allies, we will be able to discover a common ground of shared values and goals which will support ongoing and future works in the neighborhood. Ideally, there will be interest in continuing the work with new partners who will see the value of the work. There may be requests to repeat the process in other neighborhoods.

We will review the timeline of past neighborhood efforts, lists of needs, dreams and how decisions are made about sustainability, land and ownership. We will gather the more current ideas, plans and vision that incorporates the list of goals for the emerging Neighborhoods. The group will create a slide show of the shared information and the questions that represent successes, opportunities and concerns or limitations for the emerging neighborhood goals.

Along way, we will collect ideas that have been or will be proposed for an Art Project which can bring people together in a new setting for fun work and will inspire more participation.
The Art Project could be one of the suggestions already known, such as:
– Painting boarded up windows of abandoned homes/ apt. buildings
– Clearing an overgrown inaccessible green space
– Helping beautify a community center
– Preparing a special exhibit for a block party or other annual event

By bringing a regular small group of citizens together in a safe setting to discuss the neighborhood and our personal understandings about a particular goal, we will foster trust and a sense of being on the same page of information and possibility. The emerging neighborhood of Gainsboro has been in discussion for many decades. Facilitating a group using informed methods with Compassionate Communication skills, we can grow a deeper understanding of shared values, goals and needs. We will discuss past community successes to raise energy, and past difficulties in order to learn new approaches. We anticipate participants feeling more empowered to continue their investigations and relationship work on their own and in their other respective community groups.

I anticipate the project beginning in May and finishing in September. This is not a set date, as it will depend on availability of committed participants. I will be identifying participants with partners and neighborhood representatives who have been studying neighborhood development informed by equity & inclusion, and community relations.

Gainsboro Revisited – Participation outreach and resources for group study

Gainsboro Library and The Dumas Hotel Legacy – archived research for timeline

SERV – Standing For Equity Roanoke Valley – Advisor for facilitation process

Points of Diversity – resources for group prompt questions

Jane Gabrielle – Art Advisor

This workshop series will continue to expand my knowledge and understanding of racial divides, individual traumas, access to open commination and healing arts in Roanoke. The project’s goal is to give access to group participants to acknowledge possibilities in struggle, and strengthening relationships. Ideally, this work will help inform a wider citizenry and the emerging neighborhood work that City department individuals are doing in Gainsboro and NW neighborhoods.

Access to archived City files on projected plans for Gainsboro during the 1990’s,
including any blueprints from Hill Studios.

Access to computer and chalk/ white board for sharing data, research and to create a new presentation with participants. May need help with final digital compilation and sharing.