As we move to the year's end, we wanted to share some of the highlights of this year's creative reuse programming -- especially the Creativity Bus and Imagination Station!
Coordinated by CCRx Teaching Artist Rebecca Memoli, the Creativity Bus and Imagination Stations travel to parks, block clubs and community events mostly on Chicago's Southwest side. There, the bus parks and the tents and tables come out to be stocked with materials for one or two projects -- all involving the reuse and reimagining of surplus.
Deconstructed binders and notebooks become Imagination Journals. Plastic spoons and dried beans become maracas. Balloons, cork and campaign signs become race cars. TP rolls and plastic lids become kaleidoscopes. And kids and often adults -- cut things up, learn different ways to fasten and measure, poke holes, sew, and express themselves through decoration. They select and string beads for Peace Bracelets -- make one for yourself, and another to share.
When the Creativity Bus is along, we collaborate with E'a Williams and her brightly painted T.H.U.G.hippie bus. E'a and her team pull out a variety of drums and music-making instruments, and initiatie folks to the various ways to keep a beat and take turns riffing on one another. She also engages kids with double-dutch jump-roping and yoga, helping them de-stress and have fun.
The Imagination Station is our stand-alone pop-up project that invites people of all ages to reimagine surplus and explore their creativity. After deciding their materials and concentrating on construction, it is not uncommon for the artist to be delighted to learn that they can take their artwork home with more materials to work with.
CCRx Teaching Artists have been bringing the Imagination Station to a lot of parks and community events, and engaging all ages in a multitude of creative reuse activities. This year's roster of teaching artists included Devin Cain, Jacob Vollum, Cynthium Johnson-Woodfolk, Fiona Murphy, Lisa Davis, Schaye Ellington, Lydia Davis, Anya Tapley, Nakia Brown and Rebecca Memoli.
This year's programs were funded by the Chicago Park District Night Out in the Parks, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs Together We Heal grant and the Chicago Fund for Safe and Peaceful Communities.
Interested in bringing an Imagination Station or Creativity Bus to your neighborhood? Find details here.
We are always looking for sponsors so we can reach even more artists. Donate what you can or Contact us
See you next year!
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