March 2006
STREETVIBES Peace, Unity, Freedom and Community Art in Over-the-Rhine by Brenda Zechmeister, Arts Program Coordinator Peaslee Neighborhood Center Over-the-Rhine Enter the Community Education room at the Art Academy of Cincinnati, and you’ll find several beautiful mosaic panels in various stages of completion. At regularly scheduled times, you’ll see groups of varying ages, such as youth from Lighthouse Community Services, adults from Our Daily Bread, or men from City Gospel Mission’s Exodus program learning the art of mosaic making and creating public art pieces that will be installed in Over-the-Rhine. None of them have had any previous mosaic-making experience before, and many of them have never thought of themselves as artists. The program is The Over-the-Rhine Community Art Project, an ongoing collaboration of Peaslee Neighborhood Center and the Art Academy of Cincinnati with Overthe-Rhine schools, churches, and agencies. The initiative began in 2001 after riots heightened racial tension in Cincinnati’s inner-city neighborhood of Over-The-Rhine. I had shared the idea of building community through art with Michelle Markert, the Art Academy’s Director of Community Education, as a pro-active response to further understanding and promote a positive side of Over-the-Rhine. The two of us wanted to develop deeper relationships within the neighborhood and produce useful, beautiful works of art. The purpose of the project is to be a community-building instrument that brings together a diverse group of people whose common goal is to create works of art. This
artwork uses the themes of peace, unity and freedom to enhance the beauty of the neighborhood. With the guidance of lead artist Suzanne Fisher, this community-driven project involves neighborhood participants at every level of the artistic process. Neighborhood resident, Lisa Haynes, is Artistic Assistant. This year’s projects include making additional mosaic panels for the Over-the-Rhine Freedom Trail and Imagination Alley, a pocket park on Vine Street in Over-the-Rhine. The theme for the Freedom Trail was inspired by Martin Luther King III’s visit to Cincinnati in
honor of the 40th anniversary of his father’s march on Washington and his “I have a dream…” speech. Mr. King III spoke about Over-the-Rhine being the key spot for change in this city, change that could lead to true freedom, equality and economic justice for everyone. The aim of the project is to raise awareness of these issues while also increasing awareness of the work that each participating organization is doing to bring about Freedom to our community. The projects in Imagination Alley (located on Vine Street between 13th and 14th streets in Over-the-Rhine) promote the themes of Peace and Unity. To date, mosaic panels adorn a wall and an archway entry to the park. Soon, more panels will be installed on planters and benches. Later this summer, the panels currently being created will be installed in a sidewalk through the park. Our first project, a park bench entitled, “I Have a Dream of Peace,” is installed in Washington Park. To date, over five hundred participants have enjoyed coming together to design and create beautiful mosaic works of art that promote the themes of peace, unity and freedom. Our Daily Bread is one of the groups coming this year. One of their staff members, Cookie Vogelpohl, has shared that they are “so very excited about being a part of the Freedom Trail and the mosaic project! The entire staff has been involved from the very beginning, from coming up with the message we want to express about ourselves and our commitment to the people of Over the Rhine and vicinity. It has been so interesting watching and listening to the
Mosiac cont. on page 8
Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless