Thanks Davidson's Woodlawn Middle School

Thirty 11 and 12 year old picked up our paintings at Gallery 3 in Wachovia's Corporate HQ in Uptown and marched them a mile and a half down Tryon Street in time for inclusion in Saturday's Art Sale and Auction. The students were entertained by artist WIlliam Dukes magic show, wrote reflective essays about the artwork, and helped wash windows in the art gallery. They were bright, well behaved, and a tremendous help!

Congrats to Fred and Liz!

We had to post a couple of shots of the wedding hosted in our soup kitchen of Liz Clasen, UMC Associate Director, and Fred Kelly. Liz was the earliest and most passionate supporter of the Art at the Urban Ministry Center so we owe her a special debt of gratitude. Her husband Fred, besides being a great guy, is a dedicated reporter on the "homelessness beat" for the Charlotte Observer. Throngs of people came out to a beautiful wedding on our beautiful precincts. It was an honor to be a part of the crowd to witness two such devoted advocates for the homeless and devoted life partners. Enjoy the photos of the bride and group, Rollon Washington in his tux, and the proud parents of the bride leaving the soup kitchen transformed into wedding chapel.

Provoke

Provoke radio is a social justice focused podcast and radio broadcast out of Washington D.C. with a national listenership. Provoke featured Art Works 945 founder Lawrence Cann. The interview describes Art Work 945 and the garden and national network of street soccer teams that the Art Works 945 program spawned. Here is the text intro from Provoke:

The world is not lacking for kind-hearted people who want to do their part to ease someone’s pain, right wrongs and make the world a better place. Bring a worthy cause to their attention and their first thought is always, “Gee, I’d like to help.” And yet… ask anyone what the biggest stumbling block is to turning that desire into action and 9 out of 10 will say, ”Getting started.” That’s why one thing that never ceases to amaze us here at Provoke is the sheer resourcefulness of those who do turn their desire into action; living lives of service to others. And we don’t just mean the resources they find outside themselves - like funding to turn an idea into a reality or the manpower to keep it going. We’re talking about inner resources. What so many people who we’ve featured over the years have in common is the ability to – as the Buddhists say – “start where they are.” They don’t see the stumbling blocks nor do they wonder, “But what difference can this make?” To steal a phrase from corporate America…they ‘Just Do It.’ And they do make a difference and they do change lives and they do… transform the world. So today, we bring you another story of someone who knows how to get things started. He is Lawrence Cann, a remarkable young man who has so many interests, well, we hardly knew where to start! Lawrence took his love for both art and athletics and put them at the service of the down and out with whom he works. He is the Director of Community Works at the Urban Ministry Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, an inter-faith, community based center offering service and support to the homeless. He is also the President of Street Soccer USA, a national organization dedicated to bringing awareness to the plight of the homeless through, yes, soccer. But that’s only half the story! What have art, soccer and the homeless got to do with each other? Tune in and find out! Accompanying Lawrence’s story are the compelling and inspiring self-told stories of two of Lawrence’s formerly homeless soccer stars, Tim and Hoover. Available 8/26/08.

Many thanks to producer Claire Hartman and long time Provoke fan and art enthusiast, Lauren Cranford.

Are the Homeless Who You Think They Are?

Check out the pics from our new show at Gallery 3 on The Green in Uptown.
The title of the show is "Charlotte from Another Angle, Are the Homeless Who You Think They Are?"

Everyone remarked that this was a much more engaging show than the last exhibit in the gallery. When they found out our artists were using Art as a strategy for overcoming homelessness, that they were homeless themselves, they were shocked.

Enjoy the pics, show is up until Sept 12.

Holiday Art Show Launches Gallery

(The image here is of one of Reggie McCleod's many sales at last week's show. Titled "Pop in a Box," it places one of Reggie's signature characters in an ambiguous position. The piece was purchased by a close friend of Ray Chislom, the artist of the street who inspired and counseled many in Charlotte before he was killed by a car last year while he was crossing the street.)

The Art Works Holiday show was featured on channel 9 and drew visitors from all walks of life. Sales totaled around $2,000. Reggie McCleod, Joe Robinson, and Kasimu Pate registered as top sellers. The great collaboration from mentor artists like Johnnie Mae Murray who came back to us to help out and the introduction of new energy from the likes of Carlton and Frederick added impetus to the notion of permanently keeping our gallery open for sales to the public during normal UMC hours. This week's show in particular surprised and engaged volunteer group passing through the center in ways they had not anticipated. Congrats to all who helped out.

Nutrition

Olga Sheridan, a nutritionist from Russia spoke to 18 members of our community about how the food we eat affects our body. She maintained an audience for and hour and half, fielding questions about antihistamines, genetically modified foods, water quality, diabetes, etc. Many thanks to Olga for her time and energy!

Art Works Artists On A Roll

Detail from "Don't Get Caught in the Rain" by Joe Rob, a carving that sold at the Amazing Grace Art Show this week.


A core group of artist have been meeting every monday to map goals for themselves and to generate more cooperation and collaboration among program participants. Kasimu Pate, Johnnie Mae Murray, Frederick Hall, Michael Blackwell, Willie Gray, Reggie McCleod, Ray Isaac, Ron Miller, Santonio Williams, and Joe Rob have been the regular attendees.

This same group of artists have been a part of three shows this week. The Amazing Grace exhibit at St. Peter's church organized by Kathleen Gill which now moves to South Park, The Covenant Presbyterian Alternative Gift Fair, and the Church of Light Art Exhibition. Joe Rob sold out his portion of the Amazing Grace Show, and Michael Blackwell, Johnie Mae Murray, and Reggie McCleoud each sold paintings this week.

Additionally, Reggie McCleod secured a commissionof four paintings for the County's new DSS office at the newly Renovated Freedom Mall. Art Works 945 will also have a permanent display of rotating paintings at the site.

Art Auction 2007, a sneak peak

Please attend, 5-7 at 945 N. College Street on Sat. Oct. 13!

Two by Joe Rob, one a carving, and the other the invitation and poster piece as seen in Uptown.





Two abstractions, one controled by Ron "Pop" Miller, and another full of raw energy by Mathew Jules




Two others by Reggie McCloud




A city-scape by Juanita Crowder, an intreaguing painting of perspectives by Michael Blackwell, a detailed butterfly by Willie Gray, a patientedly crafted and symetrical piece by Kasimu, and much much more if make this Saturday!

The Art of Reggie McCloud--new paintings

This is just a sampling of the twenty some paintings Reggie has prepared for the show. Reggie is one of the artists who has come through our program and is now pursuing his art seriously as a means of supplemental income. Reggie dreams that some day he might be able to live off his art.

Fifth Open Mic of the Year

The above picture shows the open mic on friday Oct. 5 "emceed" by artist Joe Rob. The first open mic goes back to the openning of our Art Park for competition before the US Street Soccer Cup. That was also the first performance of the Jeff Woods Band here at the UMC. Jeff's band couldn't make if Friday but that didn't stop over 25 performers from sharing their songs, poems, and dance moves. Pictured her an eager crowd awaits Jason's virtuoso skaa inspired folk rhapsody. In the other foto our poetess clad in in white is surprised by the dramatic, slow rolling approach of a train!

Crossroads Charlotte and Beverly Cowan

Community Works 945's own, photographer and Poet Beverly Cowan, was selected through audition as one of Charlott'es 16 voices that have created pertinent community theatre for the Charlotte Community. See info below.

But first a photo of Beverly (at left) with guest Danish volunteer, Natja Rosner.

05/16/2007 - 05/18/2007
Voices of Charlotte May 16-18
CRC Presents "The Voices of Charlotte" May 16, 17 and 18
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community Relations Committee presents Community Theater / Theater About Community
Premiere: May 16, 2007 8:00 pm
Additional Performances: May 17 & 18, 2007 8:00 pm
Where: Central Piedmont Community College, Pease Auditorium
"The Voices of Charlotte"
Experience Charlotte in a way that captures and questions who we really are--written by community--performed by community--an experiment in theater--an experiment in community building.

The Art Park opens

Check out these pictues from our Art Park Openning.

The Art Park reclaims space and visibility on Tryon for the human side of homelessness that was lost in the new buiding construction.
Among it's many features the Art Park serves as a street soccer pitch and an Ampitheatre.

The park was made possible through a UNCC Chancellor's Diversity Grant as well as the great collaboration between people on the street and the Architecture and Activism Class taught by Linda Samuels at UNCC's College of Architecture and coadvised by Frances Hawthorne at UNCC's art department and Lawrence Cann, director of Community Works 945. Many thanks to COA's dean Ken Lamba for supporting the class and the project.

The park feaures the use of recycled tires as benches and donated lockers that provide needed safe storage for over 100 people who are homeless.
Thanks to Eric, Nathan, Stephanie, Matt, and Andy, the students who worked on the project as well as Rollon, Ray, Mohammed, Michael S. and B., Beverly, Wade, Courtney, Amil, Pop, Scott, Joe Rob, and many many more who should be named here.

The Parks' opening was last wednesday and shortly there afer the first edition of the Joe Rob Show Open Mic was help on Friday. This weekend the first street soccer game will be played there as part of the US National Homeless World Cup training weekend.