From the "Keeping up with the neighbors" file:
Artist Jean Graham was
honored by the Bank of America as a "Local Hero" during the bank's
Neighborhood Excellence Initiative Awards held November 16 in Austin.
Jean is the artist behind Brentwood and Crestview's Wall
of Welcome and the inspiration for several Violet Crown projects and events.
Jean’s $5,000 award will be given to Violet Crown
Community Works (VCCW), the non-profit organization initially formed to support
the Wall of Welcome project. With the Wall of Welcome nearly completed, VCCW
has broadened its scope to include other neighborhood enhancement and community
building projects for the Crestview and Brentwood community.
Jean first presented the Wall of Welcome design to
community residents in late 2002; the proposed project served as the
inspiration for the inaugural Violet Crown Festival, held each May since 2003.
Proceeds of the first four festivals helped fund the Wall of Welcome. Planning
is underway for the fifth annual festival next spring.
The artist is also known for working with students,
teachers, and neighborhood residents to create and install a mosaic wall at Brentwood Elementary School. Jean also organized the Violet Crown entry in the First
Night Austin Grand Procession on December
31, 2005; hundreds of neighborhood residents designed and made
violet crowns and marched in the parade, led by a 10-foot-long Domino the Pig
puppet Jean created.
Installation of the Wall of Welcome, which began in the
spring, is almost complete. The wall, at Crestview Shopping Center on Woodrow Avenue, features landmarks and historical scenes
from Brentwood and Crestview; it also incorporates
personalized tiles created by neighborhood residents, churches, and businesses.
Thanks, Jean, for all your contributions to our
neighborhood's creativity and community spirit!
Written by Vanita Trippe, Susan Burneson, and Shayla
Fleshman - Submitted by Susan Burneson, Crestview
From the "Keeping up with the neighbors" file:
I'm so glad for this recognition. I've been noticing the recent hours spent recently on that wall and have been secretly waiting for it to finish so I can admire it up close and take some pictures. It's nice to have a name, too. Great work, Jean!
Posted by: Victor | Dec 07, 2006 at 10:34 PM