Ko'ox Boon: Let's Paint!

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Mandi Strickland and Allie Jordan with the children of Yaxhachen

Ko’ox Boon: Let’s Paint!

These Jacksonians created a nonprofit organization in Yaxhachen, Mexico, with a mission to celebrate all cultures, strengthen communities and put a paintbrush in the hand of every child.

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PHOTOS BY ALLIE JORDAN

f, by chance, you find yourself traveling to the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, you’ll find a surprising number of Mississippians, largely due to Millsaps College’s long-standing presence in Yucatan. What began as an archaeology program has now expanded to a satellite campus for the Else School of Management in Merida, a bioreserve in Kaxil Kiuic, and a number of studyabroad courses offered in the sciences, arts and humanities.

Jackson native Allie Jordan first fell in love with Yucatan during a summer abroad course on tourism’s effects on Mexican religious practices and culture. Determined to make the place her home, Allie created and accepted the position of Millsaps International Communications Liaison and moved to Merida upon graduation.

There, she grew close to Mandi Strickland, another Millsaps graduate, who spends her summers working on archaeological sites alongside locals from the nearby pueblo, Yaxhachen.

Mandi explains, “Yaxhachen’s local history is riddled with strife, divides between Catholicism and Presbyterianism, local patriarchies, and a fear that each year the agricultural yield will be too little.” Through the years, the pueblo and the friendships she built there became very close to Mandi’s heart. When she brought Allie to Yaxhachen, the experience inspired the creation of a global arts initiative that would empower communities through collaboration and creativity. Together, they created a nonprofit organization and named it Ko’ox Boon, which means, P O RTI CO J A CKS O N. CO M

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“let’s paint!” in Yucatec Mayan. The initiative provides tools for artistic expression and the generation of a creative economy, while encouraging conversations about heritage, history, stereotypes and geographic isolation.

Phillip Boyett, another Millsaps anthropology graduate, joined the project early on. “We all have backgrounds in the humanities,” Phillip says, “so we’re thinkers, communicators and artists. That’s what we have to give to the world. The people of Yaxhachen are extremely supportive of that, and they became collaborators in the creation of Ko’ox Boon.”

“Many of us are able to buy art supplies at our leisure and have the time to sit down and think creatively. In Yaxhachen, that is a luxury.”

Allie Jordan

ABOVE: Children show off paintings of their dreams

BELOW (left to right): Santos, Rafael, Enrique and Phillip Boyett

In partnership with Hound Dog Press in Louisville, Kentucky, Ko’ox Boon sold limited edition prints of a hand-carved linoleum design to raise funds for its first project: to revitalize Yaxhachen’s city center. For six weeks, the team worked alongside the local government and community members to revive the pueblo centro, which consists of a basketball court, playground, and the community water tank. “One of the basketball goals had fallen into disrepair, so we hired a welder to repair it. We bought a volleyball net and organized tournaments. We had water balloon Prints by Hound Dog Press were sold to raise money for Ko’ox Boon’s first project.

Mural, Vision of Edisio

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When your team hits the road, hit the beach!

Alabama Gulf Coast

On behalf of all our 2014 Tailgate Getaway partners, we would like to invite you, your friends and family to come join in the fun over 10 great fall weekends. When your team hits the road, it’s time for you to hit the beaches on the Alabama Gulf Coast and begin your own Tailgate Getaway tradition. Here is just a sample of the great Tailgate Getaway offerings:

THIS IMAGE: Making peace flags

BELOW: Carlitos at the Ko’ox Boon end-of summer celebration

wars and painted two murals on the big tank,” Mandi says.

The team also led daily art activities for the children—which impacted Ko’ox Boon’s direction profoundly. “Many of us are able to buy art supplies at our leisure,” Allie admits, “and have the time to sit down and think creatively. In Yaxhachen, that is a luxury.”

That became very clear to Allie as she worked with Enrique, a ten-year-old who turned an idea in his sketchbook into a part of the mural. “After the summer project ended, I gave all of the leftover paint, brushes, and a brand new sketchbook to Enrique.

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A few weeks ago, I visited Yaxhachen and brought some arts and crafts for the kids. I went to find Enrique at his family’s casita, and there was a mini-mural on the wall, ‘Te amo mami y papi’ (I love you mom and dad). When his mother proudly told me that Enrique, her little artist, had painted that for her, I could’ve wept right then and there.”

In the future, Ko’ox Boon hopes to expand its efforts beyond Yaxhachen to connect, inspire and celebrate the arts in communities both in the U.S. and abroad. Mandi is currently working with teachers and artists throughout Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi to create partner programs, and the Ko’ox Boon website will soon include ideas and instructions for art activities that families can do at home. “For me, the peace flags that we make with the children are highly symbolic of what we want to do,” Mandi explains. “Everyone gets a triangle to use to express something highly personal--an idea, a hope, a desire is distilled into one image on one flag. That takes creative thinking. Then we string them all together and hang them up. When you look at them, you never see just one flag. You see them all together and remember that we are a creative community.”

Ko’ox Boon will come stateside in December with a 50/50 art auction in Jackson to support local artists and arts education.

Proceeds from the show will be split between featured artists and community outreach projects. Keep up with Ko’ox Boon on Facebook for details as they’re released. o Ko’ox Boon accepts art supplies and monetary donations that go directly toward projects in communities like Yaxhachen. Visit www.kooxboon.com to learn more.

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1 Saturday TG14 game day events at Baumhower’s 1 Food, fun and entertainment at The Gulf and The Hangout 1 Special TG14 “Pigskin Chicks” events and activities