Community Building through the Arts: Urban Alchemy with Lily Yeh and BeIntween

In October and November of 2014 International Community Artist Lily Yeh trained 5 Milwaukee-based artists - Gabby Tesfaye, Vedale Hill, Fonde Bridges, myself and Mikal Floyd-Pruitt - and over 20 community members in her practice of community building through the arts! With movement, music, voices and working together, in one day we transformed an area under Milwaukee's Holton Street Bridge into a splash of color, rhythm and harmony!

This 20-min video describes why I am inspired by Lily's work.

During Phase I we were led through a workshop of imagining, envisioning, and collaboration. We even created a group poetry and performance piece together that we performed for the whole room.

The artist team helped community members paint cardboard and duct-tape it to metal poles, benches, and even created some freestanding structures. The design was to be temporary, to demonstrate and put into practice 'Urban Alchemy' through working together. 

 Some of the beauty added to the metal and concrete.

 In November we completed Phase II of Urban Alchemy: a workshop we facilitated where community members shared stories and painted these story sticks. The sticks are installed off of Commerce Street, below Kadish Park on the west end of the Marsupial bridge.

 Our group photo after our painting workshop together. Warmth, light, beauty and color describes the moment.