Support Local Orgs and Enjoy a Night Out

Last week, we told you about the Trolley Tour and the Murosity Project. Here’s an excerpt from today’s INSight show where you can learn more about Trolley Tour but also hear about Power of the Purse coming up on Tuesday, September 27. Watch, listen, but definitely consider making one of these events your night out!

http://www.indianasnewscenter.com/v/?i=130295608

Experience More than Art on Trolley Tour

Hopefully by now you’ve heard about Trolley Tour, have checked your calendar, and made plans to attend (or even purchased tickets!). No? If needed, you can read all the details and new features for this year’s tour over on my blog.

What I really want to talk to you about is what you’ll experience on the Trolley Tour. Each gallery will have local or regional art on display as well as local cuisine. But, for a special one-night-only exhibition, the Murosity Project will be on display as a gallery stop on the Trolley Tour.

The Murosity Project, created by the Parkview Foundation*, is a community-based art project reflecting generosity through a mosaic of images, that, when placed together, form a mural. You can understand this a bit more if you think of the photographs that look like one image but then as you look closer, you realize it’s comprised of many smaller images that are placed together.

However, the Murosity Project isn’t just a beautiful painting, which of course it is. It is the story of generosity told by 160 regional artists as they depict 160 Everyday Stars. In our community, we have people who give of themselves selflessly every day to make our region a place worth calling home. These individuals are Everyday Stars.

The stories of our Everyday Stars told in these 160 canvases stir your soul.

  • One artist paints in honor of a Parkview housekeeper who, after he clocks out of his shifts, returns to the patient floors and visits those patients who have not had visitors according to the nurses.
  • Another canvas honors the founder of Erin’s House. The Angola High School artist selected Tracie Martin after receiving care from Erin’s House after her friends were killed in the accident in Alabama over spring break. Through painting this canvas, this student and one of the professional artists helping with Murosity have become trained volunteers at Erin’s House and are putting together an art therapy program for those children there.
  • An Everyday Star who steadfastly cheered on his community’s athletics is celebrated for his dedication.
  • Philanthropists who have given our community such gifts as the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, Headwaters Park and the restored Baker Street Train Station can be found on canvases.
  • The 98-year old woman who weekly packs boxes and sends them to troops is named an Everyday Star.

I invite you to come learn about these Everyday Stars that make our community a place I am thankful to call home. The entire 8’x20′ mural comprised of 160 individual, square foot canvases will be on display in the Rolland Gallery of the Arts United Center during the Trolley Tour. I’ll be there and would love to share even more stories of Everyday Stars with you.

After the Trolley Tour exhibition, the Murosity Project will be prepared for installation in the Emergency Room waiting area of the new Parkview Regional Medical Center. Once installed, the project will be hung along with an app and touchscreen for visitors to interact with. Parkview believes that generosity heals, and the Foundation believes that by telling the story of our Everyday Star’s generosity, visitors of the hospital will be uplifted in what may be a time of worry and wait.

When I first began working on the Murosity Project, it reminded me of what this blog is all about. Telling stories of our community – opportunities to serve and be involved – so that others may be encouraged to do the same. The Murosity Project takes the idea of being contagious and pairs it with a paint brush. You can’t help but be inspired and be touched by the stories of generosity. Every time I see one of the completed canvases and hear the story behind it, I’m so grateful to live in a community that has a heart for others. That gratitude only encourages me to do more. How about you?

*Disclosure: I am the Director of Communications for the Parkview Foundations.

Immediate Need for Chalk Walk Volunteers

Image taken by Heather Schoegler at the 2010 Chalk Walk

The Fort Wayne Museum of Art needs your help! This year’s Chalk Walk takes place on this Saturday and Sunday (July 9th and 10th), with set up and early check in starting on Friday July 8th. They have volunteer opportunities in lot of different areas and an array of time slots to fill.

Positions this year include:

  • Info Desk: These kind folks get to answer any questions that participants or visitors might have regarding the event. Don’t worry, we’ll give you the answers to the most popular questions! Shifts: Saturday Noon – 5pm and Sunday 10am – 5pm (Shifts are broken into 2 hour slots starting)
  • Creation Stations: Love working with kids to create their own little art projects? This spot is for you! You’ll be working with two other individuals at all times to help kids complete two different crafts that we’ve developed specially for this event. Shifts: Saturday 9am – 5pm and Sunday 9am – 5pm (Shifts are broken into 2 hour slots)
  • Entertainment Stagehands: We’ve added an entertainment stage this year and we need a few folks to help our entertainers get all set and tear down. Shifts: Saturday 11am – 6pm and Sunday 11am – 6pm (Shifts are broken into 2 hour slots)
  • Waterers: Each year we have beautiful flowers donated by Aesthetic Plant Specialists and we need help bringing them out each morning and watering them and then bringing them back in each evening and watering them. Shifts: Saturday 6pm – 8pm
  • Sunday Afternoon Tear Down: At the end of this fantastic weekend we’ll need a few able bodies to help breakdown tents, clean up the areas and all of the other fun things that happen during tear down! Shifts: Sunday 5pm – 8pm

There is an opportunity for everyone to help at this year’s Chalk Walk!

Contact: Justin Clupper, Fort Wayne Museum of Art (260) 422-6467 or justinclupper@gmail.com.