Community Engagement Inc

Our creatives-in-residence program, conceived in cooperation with grand central art center, broadens the traditional definition of community building and artist residencies. The program placed our creatives in low-income communities and invited residents of those communities to participate in creative placemaking collaborations with artists, families and neighbors. Community engagement supports the growth of this movement by providing an apartment and a stipend to our creative as we work together to develop place-based programming. In phoenix, az we continued after school programming that includes homework assistance, back to school supply assistance, sports, healthy snacks, community games. They celebrated holidays and birthdays of participating children at the community. The kids at this community painted a food and friends anime inspired mural in the property and enlarged the painted rock garden. Teens participated in a collaborative social engagement project with mesa arts center and the phoenix office of arts and culture. We sponsored a field trip to the phoenix ballet to see the nutcracker. The teens also installed hummingbird feeders which created a pathway throughout the property. We celebrated multiple high school and 8th grade graduations and helped to send high school students to prom by purchasing tickets and formal wear. We promoted exercise through group play of pokemon go and created an active pokemon go area on the property turning the murals and art installations created by ce into poke stops so that the younger kids can safely play pokemon go at home on the wp property. This was never available prior to spring of 2024 which forced the older kids to leave the property to play the game. Field trips included an airport tour with a retired pilot. The kids toured the flight tower under the auspices of the faa and learned about careers in aviation. A tour to the grand canyon gave kids the opportunity to share the national park experience and help foster love and respect for our protected lands.

Community engagement continues to fund the work of a creative in san jose, ca who directs and engages outside artists for in-person & virtual community events at several affordable apartment properties in the city. Among the monthly events she curated in 2024 was a two month long community event aiding residents with repairs to mobility devices. Bicycles, scooters and wagons were checked for safety then repaired. Residents were provided tutorials on mainteneance & safety. The event included bbq and wash & shine events. A great project as many residents rely on these devices as their main or only form of transit. Another on-going photography project provided free professional portraits over multiple months. Residents were able to celebrate each other over tea and protrait sessions. Lifelong friendships were forged and community connections made deeper.community engagement continued its joint venture with casa bloom, a one-month popup gallery in a downtown santa ana workspace showcasing our artists on a rotating basis. Community engagement's support for artists residency exchange sent a local painter to akumal, mexico to participate in the annual akumal art festival where he created a massive 15' x 20' mural on the bridge over the highway separating the pueblo from the beach in akumal.