Ribbons of HOPE: Community Art Project Comes Together for Ferguson, Missouri

“At the end of the day, we must go forward with hope….” ~Jesse Jackson

There’s a collaborative community art project mobilizing for Ferguson, Missouri and the project’s organizers are inviting anyone who would like to contribute, to send Ribbons of HOPE.

From the project’s description:

“Ribbons of HOPE will be displayed and tied on to fences at two sites in Ferguson, with hopes of spreading to additional sites. The Ribbons of HOPE sites will provide a safe space for people to reflect, connect, commune and exchange dialogue.”  The project organizers “hope and wish that Ribbons of HOPE will be unifying, to help nurture and strengthen community spirit and build bridges towards the future of Ferguson. “

On my Ribbon of HOPE, I artfully infused it with positive intentions & support to send. To create my contribution, I used fabric ribbon, nylon cord, sharpie & paint markers, glitter glue, some small cardboard tags, and covered everything with Outdoor Mod Podge.

Ribbons of HOPE is a partnership of the Adolescent Resource Center (a program of Queen of Peace Center), the Northern Arts Council, Ferguson Youth Initiative, Provident Counseling, and the Missouri Art Therapy Association.

To learn how to contribute your Ribbon of HOPE, visit the Missouri Art Therapy Association blog.

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Beyond the Walls: A Voice through Mural Art

This month kicks off the 38th Annual Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) and one of the films I am looking forward to seeing is the documentary Beyond the Walls.  This film, directed by Gayle Embry (who has a graduate degree in art therapy!) features the amazing global movement of mural art as a means for empowerment and giving a voice to marginalized and oppressed populations.

All over the world, people from different cultures instinctively go to the walls, painting their stories as a way to give voice to their life experiences. In Beyond The Walls, we enter the murals for a personal view of lives affected by violence, poverty or conflict. Beyond The Walls brings to life the impact of traumatic events on those who survive. (beyondthewallsthefilm.com)

Check out the film’s trailer here:

CIFF tickets go on sale to the public on March 7. Beyond the Walls is being screened on three nights: March 22, March 23, and March 24. Check out the CIFF site here for more information and how to buy tickets.

La Llorona by Juana Alicia in Beyond the Walls

It’s exciting to see that there’s a growing body of work and projects about the benefits of mural and street art for advocacy, reclamation, transformation, and healing.

Here are some street and mural art news and projects from this Art Therapy Alliance Pinterest Board if you are looking for some more inspiration on this topic:

• Prison Murals: Inmates and Crime Victims Create Together, Psychology Today by David Gussak about Concrete, Steel, and Paint and the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program
• Panmela Castro: Saving Lives Through Graffiti, featured in the book Vital Voices by Alyse Nelson
• Mentoring Peace Through Art Fights Gang Activity with Murals, Jimmy Longoria
• Mural Arts and Mental Health Providers Show Value of Art As Therapy, Porch Light Program
• Oakland Super Heroes Mural Project

• JR Projects : JR’s “work mixes Art and Act, talks about commitment, freedom, identity and limit.”

If you are in the Cleveland area between March 22-24 (or the film comes to city near you) Beyond the Walls looks like a great opportunity to learn more about this powerful form of expression as a tool for awareness, action, and change.

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