From 1995-1998, the leaders of fifteen exemplary projects in the New
England Region were selected as BCC Fellows, and received planning and
implementation grants to help support and advance their work.
New Haven, Connecticut Frances Clark, Arts Council of Greater New Haven
Mike Morand, Office of New Haven Affairs, Yale University
The city of New Haven recently became proactive in cultural planning and developed
a plan to institute a program of loaned or purchased public art sculptures.
The BCC fellows made this project part of an ongoing community building effort
entitled the Gateways Project. Well underway, the program is seeking to place
public art installations in ten New Haven Gateways and to conserve existing
public artworks.
Waterbury, Connecticut Mildred Paris, Walnut-Orange-Walsh (WOW) Improvement Assoc.
Marie Galbraith, Mattatuck Museum
The Mattatuck Museum and the WOW Neighborhood Association conducted a successful
program in cultural history and dance at the PRIDE Youth Center. Fifty African
American youngsters benefited from the program, which included writing workshops,
lessons in art history and African American history, and intensive African
dance classes. The Mattatuck Museum, WOW and the Silas Bronson Library also
began an arts and literature program for youngsters aged 6 to 10 entitled,
"Who are My Heroes". The project represented a new partnership among
the participating groups which the BCC fellows initiated.
Lowell, Massachusetts Paul Marion, Poet
Clementine Alexis, Community Organizer
The Flowering City Forum (FCF), a community computer network for exchange of
information and ideas, was designed to advance the implementation of Lowell's
25-year plan to improve its natural environment. The goal of FCF was to provide
a tool usable by everyone, especially persons working in the arts. Design issues,
landscape architecture ideas, and other aesthetic aspects in the Flowering
City plan offered opportunities for diverse participation by people in the
cultural community.
Dorchester, Massachusetts Eva Thorne, Boston Freedom Summer
Teny Gross, Photographer Streetworker-Ella J. Baker House
The project involved youth bringing economic and cultural revitalization to
this low income section of Boston. Teny coordinated 'Camp Oasis',
which involved 50 court-involved at-risk youth, in a job readiness program
that focused on the development of discipline, healthy self-esteem, life and
employment skills, and community service - the BCC component. The community
service aspect of the program included cleaning vacant lots and designing new
uses while working with an architect to learn the basics of urban design. The
group also researched the neighborhood’s history and learned basic quantitative
and demographic analysis, and photographed their physical environment while
learning photographic techniques.
Holyoke, Massachusetts Jim Morrissey, Greater Holyoke, Inc.
Carlos Vega, Nueva Esperanza
Holyoke is home to a number of vibrant, community-based arts, agricultural,
and small business development organizations that are working together to revitalize
the blighted canal and downtown business district. Holyoke's newest project
includes the Talleres Initiative, which seeks to utilize the inherent skills
and talents of the largely Puerto Rican population in creating cultural activities
and products that will lead to economic empowerment and household self-sufficiency
beyond welfare support. The Talleres as an organization will promote the work
through cooperatives and training groups.
East Boston, Massachusetts
Madeleine Steczynski, ZUMIX Phil Giffee, Neighborhood of Affordable Housing
ZUMIX, an arts and cultural organization for youth in East Boston, offers a
wide range of participatory, cultural programming for this geographically isolated,
working class community, including music classes, creating works of public
art, summer concert festivals and ongoing arts classes.
Northampton, Massachusetts Joseph Rich, small business owner
Amie Dowling, Dancer, Community Organizer
Working with other community organizations, this collaborative effort produced
several children’s series of live performance and film at the Academy
of Music, Northampton's art film house. The project introduced the children
to live performances and film to help instill ongoing appreciation for the
arts that will hopefully continue throughout their lives. The project, in combination
with other arts programming, secured capital improvement monies for the renovation
of the Academy building.
Lewiston, Maine Jim Lysen, Planning Dept., City of Lewiston
Richard Willing, L/A Arts
Jim and Richard created a prototype for developing cultural heritage awareness.
"The Cultural Heritage Chronicles" involved elementary, secondary,
and college students in the processes of collection, preservation and presentation
of oral
histories gathered from senior members of various ethnic groups. Creation of
a video entitled, "Lewiston...The City We Call Home" continued
the oral history interviews and taught the students hands-on video production
skills.
Portland, Maine Alex Jaegerman, Planning & Urban Development, City of Portland
Priscilla Dreyman, Spiral Arts, Inc.
"Celebrating Community: Portland's Arts and Cultural Plan",
was developed by fellows that included a map charting the flow of culture throughout
the community, with people and organizations, events and calendars, and traditional
rituals. This information was collected through personal interviews with leaders
and artist performers in the neighborhoods, civic groups, and ethnic communities
in the city. The published Cultural Map was free to the community and accessible
on-line via computer terminals at the public library and in schools.
Newport, New Hampshire Patryc Wiggins, Weaver
Kathy Hubert, Hubert's Department Stores
Patryc and Kathy launched Newport's community revitalization plan by
coordinating a major event for artists, the New England Artists Trust Congress
IV. The Congress theme, "Culture Builds Community," was developed
to unify and direct the complex program, and support the purpose of the Congress,
to demonstrate how specific cultural programs empower community and artist
development. The distinguishing characteristics of this Congress included the
implementation of eight, year-long, community-based arts projects, designed
to give substance, and direction to Newport’s ongoing revitalization
efforts.
Portsmouth, New Hampshire Nancy Hill, Portsmouth Middle School
John Wheeler, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
John and Nancy led a variety of projects which used poetry as a bridge between
segments of the community. The ongoing project, entitled "Portsmouth
Poetry" built upon existing structures and encouraged other groups to
make poetry part of the public consciousness. In the "Three Generations
Poetry Writing Project," community members of various ages wrote poetry
and designed accompanying movement under the direction of a poet and a dance
company.
Pawtucket, Rhode Island Russell Gusetti, Musician
Bob Billington, Blackstone Valley Tourism Council
Russell coordinated three local performing groups in the development of a collaborative
dance and music project celebrating the lives of the immigrants who lived and
worked along the Blackstone River/Canal in the 1800s. As the Managing Director
of the Blackstone River Theater, Russell renovated an abandoned Masonic Building
in Cumberland, RI. A simultaneous project, The World Canals Conference was
coordinated by the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, of which Bob is Director.
The conference enriched the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council’s communities
by building artistic ties with the Amber Valley (UK)/Blackstone Valley Compact.
Westerly, Rhode Island Regan Robinson, Westerly Public Library, and Sandi Gold, painter
Michael Rauh, the Washington Trust Co.
Westerly utilized cultural programming to encourage residents to visit their
downtown district and patronize the local businesses, which were suffering
an economic decline due to the opening of nearby casinos. The community created
Convergence: Westerly, an annual festival of programs presented on Wednesday
nights throughout the summer, including poetry readings, a sculpture park,
and tours of historic buildings. The district is now alive with arts activities,
galleries, and a heightened sense of awareness about the value of the visual,
literary and performing arts.
Burlington, Vermont Hannah Dennison, Dancer/Choreographer
Mark Eldridge, Dept. of Planning and Zoning, City of Burlington
The Waterfront Project was a collaboration of artists, civic partners and community
participants in site-specific performances on Burlington's post-industrial
waterfront. The first five months were a "pilot" phase that included
live performances with video and photographic documentation, providing a visual
tapestry of the artistic endeavor as it evolved through the seasons. The project
continued with site-specific public art performance events exploring the loss
of Burlington’s historic downtown to 1960’s urban renewal.
North Bennington, Vermont Patricia Pedreira, Vermont Arts Exchange
Nate Williams, Bennington County Regional Commission
The Vermont Arts Exchange projects included "Celebrating Our Living and
Working Community," where citizens and artists explored the heritage
of North Bennington's historic mills, waterways and landscape through
access to local artist studios at the Sage Street Mill, and field trips to
local mills and businesses. Area businesses contributed leftover materials
for participants to create art. The program culminated in exhibit and performance
opportunities for all participants, and brought together local citizens, at-risk
youth, area businesses, elders and artists at the historic Sage Street Mill
site. "Vermont Arts, Housing and Preservation Partnership Project" created
affordable housing for artists and low-income families, as well as program
and gallery space in historic Bennington firehouses.
