Trillium Project continues with community art in mind

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Local arts and culture non-profit, Trillium Project, brings new community-created public art to Portsmouth in collaboration with the Ohio Arts Council and Heard, a Virginia-based non-profit organization.

Selected as one of only three cities in Ohio to participate in OAC’s new KickstART pilot program, Portsmouth residents, artists, and community leaders will design, vote for, and assist in painting artistic crosswalks at five different site locations throughout the city.

Designed to engage the public in hands-on community art-making and beautification practices, Take pART is a three-year project that has already gained the support of several local businesses and non-profit organizations including WesBanco, Community Action Organization Head Start, Southern Ohio Museum, and Scioto Literary.

“The goal is to incorporate projects that empower residents to identify the unmet needs of their communities and to create local partnerships and solutions that address them using visual arts,” Trillium President Amanda Lewis said.

Led by a team of artists, administrators, and community organizers from Portsmouth, Take pART is scheduled to officially launch this month and run through July.

“It’s about connecting communities through art. We’re bringing families into the creation of the artwork itself and it’s going to be phenomenal,” explained project member, Carla Womack. “I look at this as an opportunity for the community to be engaged and to create relationships that may not have developed otherwise.”

This project is in similar nature to a recent project the organization managed that saw many murals installed across Portsmouth, that was done in collaboration between area poets and artists. Lewis coordinated all efforts, reached out to poets, and connected them with painters.

The teams then worked together to create a visual representation of the written work that the painters installed as murals on different sites Lewis secured in partnership with businesses.

In this endeavor, Trillium Project will commission the work of five local residents who will submit crosswalk designs for voting.

We’re looking for designs that reflect the energy and diversity of our communities. Fun, colorful, playful designs,” Lewis explained.

Portsmouth residents are encouraged to cast their vote for crosswalk designs in person during one of the upcoming community meetings, which will be announced soon. Those who submit selected designs will receive payment for artist fees and will lead teams of volunteers in site preparation and painting. All supplies for this project will be purchased locally.

Follow Trillium Project on Facebook and Instagram for important project dates and announcements.

Residents interested in volunteering to help paint crosswalks are asked to contact Trillium Project Founder and President, Amanda Lewis at 740.352.4498 or [email protected]

Trillium Project is a 501(c)(3) with a mission to introduce community-based projects focused on art and advocacy in Appalachian communities. Work is specifically designed to provide marginalized populations with access to resources and opportunities for creative place-making and cultural exchange.

The Ohio Arts Council has committed matching funds for this project. The more funds and donations we receive, the more public art we can create! All project donations are tax deductible and should be mailed to Trillium Project, 924 Gallia Street Portsmouth, OH 45662.

“We have an outstanding project team and we’re all very excited to see how the community responds,” Lewis said.

Reach Joseph Pratt at (740) 353-3101, by email at [email protected], © 2022 Portsmouth Daily Times, all rights reserved

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