Project Jericho performing arts ensembles will again be at the Upper Valley Mall in Springfield to support the Victim’s Rights Activity Fair! The Bucket Band will perform at 11:45 am and the EXODUS Hip Hop Troupe will perform at 12:45 pm. Don’t miss this event as this will be an unveiling! This is your first chance to see the new EXODUS Hip Hop Dance Troupe perform!

Project Jericho youth and families spent a lot of time tapping into their creative skills during the month of February. Their charge: To create a permanent mural in the LOBBY at the Department of Job and Family Services! The theme is FAMILIES AROUND THE WORLD. Eight families met every Wednesday and Thursday night of February. Each night, artist Kristi Limes introduced a new continent to the families. Participants were given a flag for a country, and their assignment was to to create paper cutouts of people dressed in traditional outfits.

Each paper person was decorated beautifully with paper, fabric, yarn, ribbon and feathers. The families made a total of over 100 different people to represent cultures from all around the world. A second group met on Saturdays and Sundays during February and worked with artist Sherry Ringler to paint the wall for the mural. This group consisted of six teenagers who began their part of the project by priming and painting the walls of the lobby of DJFS a beautiful blue. Once the base coat was up, the participants chose a hot air balloon which they then painted onto the walls. Each hot air balloon features a different design and different colors. The balloons are attached by yellow “ribbons” of paint. The paper people were then attached onto these yellow ribbons to form a chain of people all around the room. Project Jericho staff and DJFS staff created the paper people who are inside of the hot air balloon baskets.

The Department of Job and Family Services hosted an open house and foster care / adoption event which included the mural opening on April 3rd. It was very exciting to have so many people come out to support the mural. Stuart Secttor, the Executive Director of The Clark State Performing Arts Center was in attendance, as well as the Director of DJFS, Robert Suver, and even the Mayor of Springfield, Warren Copeland. What a treat to have the turnout that we did, and what a pleasure to have the presence of so many community members! This mural was an effort by many, and it is BEAUTIFUL – make sure you stop by DJFS to check it out!

Our next Family project will be on Tuesdays in May – beginning May 6. You’ll get to explore Springfield on a safari, take a behind-the-scenes tour of the Westcott House, and make some really cool art. Your family will not want to miss this interactive, fun tour of Springfield! Call Jerome at 327-1758 to sign up.

Project Jericho’s 2008 Poetry Slam project took place every Monday and Wednesday in March from 4:30 to 6:30 pm at the Springfield Museum of Art, as the second year of this special collaboration with the Museum. A group of 15 youth met with artists Fred Kirchner, Beth Dixon, and Aurelia Blake to learn the basics of writing poetry – and performing it. Every session involved a free-writing activity, along with sessions in the art gallery which included a gallery tour, performance pointers, and giving constructive criticism to other participants. The participants worked in Art Museum galleries filled with a variety of paintings by Ohio artist Stewart Goldman, including a room of paintings based on the Holocaust, about which participants discussed and wrote poems. Mr. Goldman even came to a session and spoke to all participants about being an artist. Special poetic guests – local slam poets – visited the project on its first and last days to share with the teens. The final slam took place on March 26 and was attended by over 100 people! The poetry was amazing, and the performances were star quality. Everyone walked away with Fred’s words “The points are not the point – the poetry is the point,” and lots of memories of the very talented teens who live in our community. Thanks to all the participants for being brave and performing in front of such a big crowd and for the hard work put into preparing for this project!