One Square Mile: Placetelling Curtis Park
One Square Mile, Placetelling Curtis ParkFriday, August 7 at 5:30pmContinues through August 12, 2015Monday-Thursday, 10am - 4pm
For the second half of the summer ArtLab are collaborating with Denver writer and storyteller Laura Bond in a project called One Square Mile: Placetelling Curtis Park. Laura will lead ArtLab youth in an exploration of the area around PlatteForum and introduce the interns to wider community of Denver artist through guest spots in her workshops. The Curtis Park neighborhood -- where PlatteForum is located -- is one of Denver's most diverse, vibrant, and paradoxical neighborhoods. Home to landmark buildings and a new wave of businesses and residents, it is also home to some of the city's most vulnerable people, as well as agencies and non-profits that serve them. At this moment of change, ArtLab interns will engage the people and places of Curtis Park through inquiry, dialogue, and storytelling, drawing out distinct voices and experiences in this dynamic, urban ecosystem.
This month long workshop culminates in an exhibition/performance opening as part of the 2015 Biennial of the Americas on August 7.
With support from the Biennial of the AmericasThe Biennial of the Americas connects business, art, culture and civic leaders from throughout the Americas by building lasting relationships, addressing shared issues and inspiring action. Beginning July 14, 2015 with opening week events, and continuing through August 30, 2015, the Biennial of the Americas will feature groundbreaking art installations, engaging conversations, live performances and free festivals and programs that celebrate our shared cultural heritage and rich connection to the world around us.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Laura Bond is the principal of Laura Bond, Ink., a content and communications strategy firm that serves non-profit organizations across metro Denver, including The Denver Foundation, Community College of Aurora Foundation, and Youth on Record. From 2012-2015, Laura served as Director of Community and Media Relations for the Colorado Symphony, guiding mission-centered messaging and crisis communications while managing relationships with a broad range of outlets, from Colorado Public Radio and The Denver Post to The New York Times. Laura developed programs designed to broaden access to the arts among low-income families and individuals and co-produced the Colorado Symphony's annual tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Prior to joining Colorado Symphony, Laura served as Co-Executive Director/Program Director of Flobots.org (now Youth on Record); North American Director for Ethiopia Reads, a library development program in East Africa; and as a grant writer/researcher with Richard Male & Associates. A former editor and staff writer with Westword, Laura has written for Rolling Stone, USAA, and Spin, among others. She was the 2012 recipient of the Alice Maxine Bowie Fellowship for Fiction from Lighthouse Writers Workshop, where she currently teaches in the Young Writers Program. She is a member of the Western States Arts Federation Denver Music Task Force and performs with the storytelling ensemble, the Narrators.
Molina Speaks is a nationally acclaimed Poet, Performance Artist and Recording Artist. He is an Artist of the people, for the people, and with the people. Molina has read poetry, performed music, and spoken at hundreds of events across the United States, including cultural and community centers, arts institutions, youth correctional facilities, performance venues, clubs and lounges. Coming from a mestizo, working class, immigrant, prison town background, Molina has been invited to speak at some of the most prestigious universities in the country. He has taught dozens of college courses and high school classes in underserved schools, and has presented arts education workshops nationwide.As a Writer, Publisher and Producer, Molina Speaks has independently released 16 albums. He has self-published several collections of poetry. One of these works is “Bronze Future”, a first-of-its-kind digital video chapbook that pays respect to Chicano history, culture and future. While staying true his D-I-Y aesthetic, respected music critics have discussed his work in the vein of impactful artists and social thinkers such as Gil Scott-Heron, The Roots, Mos Def (Yasiin Bey), Howard Zinn and Noam Chomsky. Molina has shared the stage with the likes of Lupe Fiasco, Saul Williams, De La Soul, Immortal Technique, Abiodun Oyewole of the Last Poets, Les Nubians, Allen Stone, Blue Scholars, Dead Prez, and more. Beyond big moments and big names, Molina Speaks enjoys many community partnerships through which he stays creating and innovating. Every performance and presentation is unique to the time and space in which it is experienced.
Christopher Guillot is a musician, music producer, audio engineer, and educator. He is the owner of Cherry Sound Studio, and Cherry Sound Records here in Denver where he works with a wide variety of clientele, from kids to professional recording artists. He was the Music Program Director at the Spot, Art to Action Coordinator at the Flobots.org (now Youth on Record), and built the music studio at the Street Fraternity, a free community facility that serves refugee youth in Aurora."There is something extraordinary about the power of music and art to be a motivator or catalyst for positive change in the lives of young people. Within the safe realm of creative self expression, a person can encounter and address some of their greatest joys, fears, hurts, and triumphs. The creative process facilitates growth and learning, helping to pave the way to a self-created future of choice and achievement." -- Christopher Guillot
