In 2016, Christopher Paul Jordan of Fab-5 led the development and implementation of a Mural Training and Community Engagement Project at People’s Community Center designed specifically to create professional development opportunities for emerging artists of color in the area. The training program culminated in a mural for the exterior of People’s Community Center, Malcolm X Center Mural, as well as indoor public art commissions.

The goals of the project were to:

• Attract more artists of color
• Engage multiple artists in the public art process
• Train artists to work on public art projects
• Increase access for artists of color and connect them with other opportunities in the city
• Engage artists cross-generationally
• Tell the story of People’s Community Center and Hilltop
• Produce community-based artwork

In addition to the mural, two members of the cohort also went on to create artwork for a second opportunity inside of People’s Community Center, collecting and displaying oral histories of the neighborhood through a touch-activated artwork. As part of a third project, 15 artworks from 13 artists of color with strong ties to Hilltop were also purchased through an open application process for permanent public display inside the completed center. The completed mural and portable artworks are part of the City of Tacoma’s Municipal Art Collection. These public art projects were managed by the City of Tacoma’s Office of Arts and Cultural Vitality, in partnership with Parks Tacoma.

Project Summary: HUE Collaborative and the People’s Community Center Mural

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