VibeUP with the Ashland Cherryland Network & CRP Bay Area August 18-24

The Ashland Cherryland Garden & Arts Network will host a week-long grassroots community impact project August 18-24th, 2012. The “VibeUp on A Street” project will transform a well-known trouble-spot: the AAs and N&M Liquor Stores on Hayward’s A Street, at the southern gateway to Cherryland.

The cornerstone of the project is a full-wall Garden District-themed mural on the building, by the Community Rejuvenation Project (crpbayarea.org). This is the first of an 8-mural series The Network and CRP hope to bring to the neighborhood as a part of their Garden District Mural Project in Ashland Cherryland.

“Our organization integrates cultural symbolism existing in the neighborhood with the community-identified theme, in this case, The Farm & Garden District. It’s a community development approach that encourages participation with the people in the neighborhood instead of promoting gentrification,” explains CRP Executive Director, Desi W.O.M.E, whose organization is partnering with Richmond, Oakland, and other urban centers to leverage abatement dollars to go beyond painting over graffiti by installing destination-creating murals.

The Network will host community gardening activities to plant a sunflower border around the parking lot and arts activities such as break dancing workshops and sidewalk chalking. An “Attitude Adjustment Station” will provide a place for shoppers to turn their frowns upside down by contributing to the community gratitude list, clearing their mind with Tibetan singing bowls, or soothing their soul with a sip of appreciation-infused water.

The project launches on Saturday, August 18th. The Network will “Set the Vibe” with a community yoga class at 8am. After a day of garden activities, a Neighborhood Transformation Open Mic at 4pm offers neighbors a chance to step up to share their vision for a better community.

Local faith-based organizations are invited to stop by the site on Sunday the 19th, or anytime during the week, to share their support in the form of a blessing or offering in their faith tradition. Sunday’s activities also begin at 8am with a community yoga session.

As the mural comes to completion on Friday, August 24th, a CycleSwarm from RichmondSPOKES (www.richmondspokes.org) will make its way to the site for a culminating “Rampage of Appreciation” which includes a thank-you for volunteers, the artists, and posting of the community gratitude list.

“This is our largest and most ambitious transformation project yet,” says Susi Beck, Co-Founder of the Network, which implements a community impact project upon culmination of each of its educational workshops.

“As we enter into a major project to create a Garden District Master Plan for Ashland Cherryland,” Beck adds, “it seemed appropriate to celebrate how far we’ve come, and envision together what’s possible.”

For more information:

www.crpbayarea.org 

AshlandCherrylandGardenNetwork.org

Media Contact:

Desi WOME 510-551-1096

Susi Beck 510-772-0800