Project Name: Washington Avenue Art Crawl (WAAC)
ABOUT THE APPLICANT
Are you applying as a:
Neighborhood organization or association (such as a non-profit)
What is the organization’s name?
Edison Neighborhood Association
What neighborhood does the organization serve?
The Edison Neighborhood in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
First and last name?
Stephen Dupuie
Twitter Handle
Facebook Handle
Edison Neighborhood Association
Instagram Handle
Is the organization a registered 501 (c)3 non-profit?
Yes
ABOUT THE PROJECT
What is the name of the neighborhood where the project will take place? (Please include city/village name too. Example: Mexican Town, Detroit)
Edison Neighborhood, Kalamazoo.
Anticipated project launch date
October 14, 2023
Describe your project idea including: a) Is it a project or event? b) What will you do? c) Where will you do it? d) Who, if any, are your project partners?
Washington Avenue Art Crawl is a new quarterly event. Several Edison Neighborhood Businesses, and Kalamazoo-based nonprofits, are working with the Edison Neighborhood Association to curate local art throughout the Edison Neighborhood. We are partnering with Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo, Jericho (a studio complex in Edison) Ty’s Joint, The Wax Factory, The Dormouse Theatre, Mint Cannabis, Fire, Black Wall Street, El Concilio and a large group of local artists to make WAAC happen.
How will you engage your community in this project?
We will engage the community by hosting local artists in a free, walk-able, welcoming exhibition. And we will facilitate a collaborative art project during each WAAC, so community members can take part in making public art in our neighborhood.
How will the project celebrate the neighborhood’s diversity? Diversity can include different ages, races, cultures, socio-economic statuses, abilities, and more.
WAAC will celebrate the neighborhood’s diversity by including artwork, music, and dance performances from artists whose cultural backgrounds and life experiences vary. The purpose of WAAC is to encourage the sharing of experience through artistic expression as a way of strengthening the social fabric of our community. Aside from curating art with an eye toward diversity, WAAC will be free of charge, and all exhibitions will take place in accessible buildings–plus we will offer transportation services for people who use mobility assistance devices.
How do you plan to spend the $1,000 microgrant? Please list and explain the items, services, fees, expertise, etc. that you plan to purchase.
We plan to spend the $1000 on supplies for a collaborative mural, printing of promotional materials, and food expenses–we wish to offer free food to attendees, because Edison is a HUD/CDBG low-income area.
Will your project require special permits?
No
Are you the owner of the property where the project/event will occur?
No Please provide a letter of support from the owner of that property.
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Rachel’s Notes
Reviewed on 3.28.23. Confirmed member status. Confirmed location. Confirmed non profit status. It’s a quarterly event in existence. Would this be only for the October event? Does it qualify since it is ongoing as a series? Additional information as requested by internal jury:
The ENA is looking to fund our October WAAC with funds from the Michigan Municipal league. We have already paid for the Spring event, and I believe our Summer event happens just prior to the start of MML funding.”
https://www.edisonneighborhood.com/
ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD’S NEEDS
Why does your neighborhood need this project?
The Edison Neighborhood is home to nearly 10,000 people, and we don’t have many neighborhood-wide community events taking place here. We need this project to connect people who live in the neighborhood and strengthen the social fabric of our community, and bring more art into the neighborhood.
What do you hope to achieve through this project? Be as specific as possible!
We hope to create stronger connections between neighbors in Edison, and to connect Edison to the Kalamazoo Community as a whole. Our Neighborhood has been a HUD low-income are for 30 years. We are working to get residents involved in projects that improve quality of life, and we think that a collective art event is a great place to start.
What resources do you already have to make this project successful? Resources could include things like time, partners, expertise, donated goods/materials/space, matching funds, and more.
We already have good community partnerships, two buildings owned by the ENA, and participation from most of the locally-owned business in our neighborhood. We also have several artists working for the ENA or volunteering their time to make WAAC happen. We have received a $5500 grant from Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo (to help with administrative costs of four WAAC events in 2023); we have gotten $2000 dollars from Mint Cannabis ($500 per WAAC event); and the ENA has contributed $1000 so far.
IMAGE UPLOADS
Image Caption 1 (if any): Photos from our October 2022 Community Social/Annual Meeting
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Image Caption 2 (if any): A map of the WAAC walking route through Edison
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Image Caption 3 (if any): A promotional map that highlights some of the artists who will participate in WAAC
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Image Caption 4 (if any): Community Volunteers painting signs for WAAC locations
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Image Caption 5 (if any): A poster advertising the innaugural WAAC–set to happen on April 8 2023.
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