“There’s No Place Like Home” to unite Jewell residents

Conservation Creations Selected for NEA Big Read

JEWELL -- Conservation Creations, a local nonprofit serving Jewell and Ellsworth, has been selected to participate in the National Endowment of the Arts -- NEA, the Big Read.

The organization's project, There's No Place Like Home, will bring community members together through books, art, and conversation centered on Sandra Cisneros's acclaimed novel “The House on Mango Street.” The book explores home, identity, belonging, and what it means to find one's place in a community.

Organizer Dede Henderson, who teaches at the South Hamilton Schools wants participants to be of all ages. She teaches the talented and gifted program for South Hamilton and plans to incorporate this also with her students.

"I'm hoping people will feel more connected," she said.

The project will begin with a community kickoff at 6:00 p.m. Monday, September 28, at the Montgomery Memorial Library. The event will include the distribution of complimentary books and reading journals, as well as a writing project led by Debra Marquart.

Henderson hopes the project will reach into both the Ellsworth and Stanhope libraries, and will provide an opportunity for those communities to interact together also.

"Our theme is 'There is no place like home.' We are trying to give that feeling of home and community," she explained.

The project through the Conservation Creations has received grants to enhance the Big Read project.

"The grant is $10,000 through the National Endowment of the Arts," she explained, "This is funding the mural, and there is an exercise class that meets real near the space (where the mural will be). We are hoping to create a softer space."

Henderson hopes to create the space into a pocket park that can be used by those exercising, in addition to making it a better community space.

"JADE (Jewell Area Development Enterprise) owns the lot, and they will put the poured-in rubber," she said. The poured in rubber will be easier to walk and exercise on.

The grant from NEA is a matching grant program.

"JADE has committed to matching the $10,000," she said. They will be using part of this for creating a pocket park and they is hopeful this will be enough money. Ottie Maxwell, of the Hamilton County Growth Partnership is also providing guidance for other grants.

Throughout the Big Read, Montgomery Memorial Library will host events combining the book's themes with art and creative activities. The local school will offer a book club for English language learners and talented and gifted students, as well as any other students who would like to participate.

Complimentary copies of “The House on Mango Street” will be available to anyone who wants to join the Big Read, including individuals, community organizations, and local book clubs.

Conservation Creations is also planning a community panel about affordable housing and the importance of having a safe, welcoming place to call home. Organizers hope the project will encourage students and adults to learn from one another while exploring the connections among housing, belonging, and community well-being.

A major component of “There's No Place Like Home” will be the creation of a mural on the side of Julie's Designs/The Shed on Main Street in Jewell. Local artist Sandy Teig will design and paint the mural, drawing inspiration from a Chicago mural of the same name in the city's Humboldt Park neighborhood. Her design will incorporate local details and original creative elements.

The project will also include the development of a pocket park on an adjacent vacant lot owned by JADE. Together, the mural and park will create a welcoming community space that celebrates home and belonging while highlighting the essential role affordable housing plays in the lives of individuals, families, and communities.

Organizers hope the themes of “The House on Mango Street” will inspire residents to become more connected neighbors and community members. Research has linked strong neighborhood connections with a greater sense of purpose, personal growth and overall well-being. Small acts of kindness--welcoming others, volunteering, helping a neighbor, or simply checking in with someone--can make a meaningful difference and help people feel that they belong.

Conservation Creations partners on this collaboration include JADE, Julie Grove, Sandy Teig, and Montgomery Memorial Library. For more information about Conservation Creations and There's No Place Like Home, visit conservation-creations.com or follow Conservation Creations on Facebook.