East 9th Street Mural by Mona Cliff, 1045 Pennsylvania St.
Like the talented creatives they are, many East 9th Street artists have seamlessly transitioned their projects to digital, physically distant, and community supportive endeavors. Here’s an update on what they’ve been up to, and how the public can help and participate. Stay tuned as these and other East 9th Street projects continue to evolve and near their completion, scheduled at the end of August.
Yarn It Forward
Wanting to give to their community and help folks learn a new skill to stave off stay-at-home boredom, the Yarn It Forward crew has spent the last several weeks creating Learn-to-Crochet kits — yarn and crochet hooks accompanied by instructions — and leaving them for distribution at the Sunrise Project’s free shelf at 15th and Learnard. The team has made multiple rounds of kits thus far and intends to make more. Yarn can be donated to the project by emailing Kim Brook at kim.d.brook@gmail.com. Watch YIF social media to follow the team’s adventures, stay up to date on their project and learn about future fundraisers.
Songs & Stories
More Than Just a Neighborhood is a 128-page anthology of poetry, stories, photography, and songs edited by Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg and featuring a beautiful cover by East Lawrence neighbor Tony Peterson. A concert featuring Kelley Hunt was originally planned to celebrate the book’s release on June 14th. Instead, recordings from the book with participants sharing their songs and stories will be released on the same date to celebrate the anthology. In addition, a video of Hunt performing her original East Lawrence song, “My Heart, My Home, My Heart” will be released. More information can be found on the project website. And if a walking tour sparks your interest you can go on a Wild East Lawrence Walk with Ken Lassman. Lassaman has recorded a podcast available to the public to accompany you on a walk starting at either the South Park Gazebo, or in shorter form from the start of the Burroughs Creek Trail. Listen to the podcast here, and view the route map here.
The Wishing Bench Film
Completion is also nearing for The Wishing Bench Film, which is wrapping up editing and sound mixing. The film’s original soundtrack is being recorded by Alex Kimball Williams and Mike Quillan. Video projections are in process and filmmakers are seeking 1950s- through 1980s-era photos of the area now inhabited by the Wishing Bench — from 8th and Pennsylvania to about 9th and Delaware. Photos can be shared via email to film director Marlo Angell at wishingbenchfilm@gmail.com.
Propagating Place
Propagating Place: A Wild & Native Community-Based Learning Garden is breaking ground and beginning to plant. The group would like to extend a thanks to Bon Bon for donating limestone and other supplies and garden materials. Organizers and volunteers are busy in the garden, which is located at Hobbs Park north of 11th on Delaware. Work is underway almost daily, and the project welcomes volunteers who can be utilized keeping safety in mind and using best practices for social distancing.
Youth Corps Artist Jude Black
Jude Black has been using this stay at home time to work on his sculpture composed of waste plastics. Waste plastics are items like pill bottles and drink lids and other items too small to be recycled. If you’re in east Lawrence and have a collection of waste plastics to donate, please email eastlawrence@yahoo.com to arrange pick up. This sculpture is still seeking a permanent home. Please email melindablack@gmail.com if you are interested or know of a private home or organization seeking a sculpture installation.
Youth Corps Group Hang 12 Art Box
The ArtBox has found its home at 901 Pennsylvania St., home of Byron James and Mick Palmer. The opening date has been moved to June 26 in conjunction with this year’s June Final Friday. An alternative online opening may occur depending on safety and social distancing requirements, but currently the community opening remains on the calendar.
Natives Now
East 9th Street artist Mona Cliff continues to paint the panels of her mural, which is located at at the Dragon’s Hoard building at 1045 Pennsylvania St. (Special thanks to Brad and KT Walsh for helping hang panels.) With the recent deadline extension, Cliff is seeking additional places to paint murals — either public or private. These additional pieces will be smaller-scale murals that reflect the overall theme of her project. Requests and suggestions can be emailed to the artist at jonamane77@gmail.com. Benches are scheduled for installation in May. Progress can be followed on Instagram by following @spottedcloud.
Nick Carswell’s Sounds of East Lawrence
The public is still invited to share its stories of East Lawrence by leaving a message on the Sounds of East Lawrence hotline at (785) 330-5099. Recordings can also be made on personal devices and emailed to Nick Carswell at nickcarswellmusic@gmail.com.
Prompts:
What is your favorite place in the neighborhood?
Do you have a story or a memory from your childhood in East Lawrence?
What is a place that is no longer there?
Recordings will be collected and pinned to an interactive map of east Lawrence.
Visit the Sounds of East Lawrence website a for more information about the project or to explore the sounds, voices and stories on the interactive map.