A Hope Community, Waite House Neighborhood Center, and Intermedia Arts Partnership

Minneapolis, MN, August 1, 2008 — We are pleased to announce the unveiling of Building Bridges, Not Fences, a celebration of life, liberation, excitement, joy and the healing power of art, as more than 50 young artists, ages 9-17, supported by three community organizations—Hope Community, Waite House Neighborhood Center, and Intermedia Arts —come together to design and create a public mural giving voice to their experiences as survivors of the 2007 I-35W bridge collapse. The outside mural, located on the Intermedia Arts building at Lyndale & 28th Street in South Minneapolis, will be on display for one year.

Building Bridges, Not Fences is a mural project that demonstrates the power of community organizations working together to create positive change, and provides a space for youth to become leaders in their communities—to share their vision and voice with the world. The mission of Building Bridges, Not Fences is to empower youth to tell their stories through the therapeutic expression of art, while building community through the collaboration of Hope Community, Waite House Neighborhood Center, and Intermedia Arts.

HISTORY: Building Bridges, Not Fences
On August 1, 2007, two weeks after completing the St. Vincent Mural, a youth mural partnership designed by Waite House Neighborhood Center and Hope Community, the I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis collapsed into the Mississippi river during rush hour, a tragic event that left 13 people dead and over 100 injured. More than 100 vehicles were involved in the incident, including a school bus carrying Waite House staff member Julie Graves and over half of the youth and young adults who had participated in the St. Vincent Mural project.

After several months of recovery, Julie Graves, Youth Program Manager at Waite House and Chaka Mkali, Teen Program Coordinator/Adult & Youth Organizer at Hope Community began to discuss the idea of continuing the relationship between their organizations through a therapeutic mural project, one which would create a safe space for youth who were either on the bus or had a connection to people on the bus, where they could vent and express their feelings in a very powerful and public way.
Not long afterward, longtime friend and colleague Theresa Sweetland, Executive/Artistic Director of Intermedia Arts, a community arts center in South Minneapolis whose exterior is a local landmark for graffiti artists and muralists, approached Mkali to solicit ideas for a new community mural for Intermedia Arts. It did not take long for the three to realize that the subject matter of the mural, the integrity, commitment, and community-based missions of their organizations and the high visibility of Intermedia Arts’ walls were the perfect beginning to this unique and innovative endeavor: a community mural created by and for young people affected by the I-35W bridge collapse; a mural project that would serve as a tool for self-expression, self-empowerment, and healing through art; and a unique partnership among three organizations committed not only to celebrating the voices in their community but also to celebrating and strengthening the ties among the organizations themselves, in order to collaboratively lift up and create change in their South Minneapolis community.

ABOUT US: WORKING TOGETHER TO CREATE CHANGE

Hope Community, Waite House Neighborhood Center and Intermedia Arts are three community-based non-profit organizations with a long history as allies, partners and collaborators dedicated to building and strengthening their South Minneapolis community through art, empowerment, and community development.

Hope Community is an innovative not-for-profit organization dedicated to transforming an urban-core community in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Hope has become a leader in community transformation because of its model of Community Engagement, Neighborhood Redevelopment, and Affordable Housing. Where once was personal isolation and despair, Hope is creating a place where individuals and families can themselves regenerate and sustain a community that values true diversity – economic, social, racial, and more. Hope achieves this extraordinary vision through a deep commitment to relationship, respect, listening, collaborative leadership, and entrepreneurial spirit. The Mission of Hope Community Is to Be a Catalyst For Change, Growth and Safety. www.hope-community.org.

Waite House Neighborhood Center, run by Pillsbury United Communities, offers a myriad of innovative and unique programs in the heart of Minneapolis’ Phillips neighborhood that help develop people’s strengths. Since 1969, Waite House has been an essential gathering space for people in the community to connect with one another, to build meaningful relationships, and to find the resources they need to make positive changes in their lives. Programs offered include afterschool and summer programs for youth, a food shelf and community café, employment training and computer classes, legal and tax assistance, citizenship classes, health and nutrition fairs, community events and celebrations, and many more. The mission of Pillsbury United Communities is creating choice, change and connection. Learn more at www.puc-mn.org.

Intermedia Arts is Minnesota’s premier multicultural, multidisciplinary arts center. We are a gathering place to share stories through visual arts, theater, dance, music, media, and literature—from folk arts to hip-hop culture. Intermedia Arts began in 1973 as a group of student media activists, University Community Video. Over the last three decades we’ve grown, become multidisciplinary, changed our name and become internationally recognized for our innovative cultural programs. One thing remains: our unwavering mission to use art as a tool to build understanding among people. Intermedia Arts belongs to the community it serves. We believe whole-heartedly in creative leadership development. Artists are leaders. Leaders inspire. Our programs grow organically from the issues facing our neighbors, friends and community members. Together, we develop creative tools for addressing challenges, sharing resources, celebrating positive change and building healthy communities. www.intermediaarts.org.

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