RECLAIMing
Community
Reclaiming Community sunset our operations in January 2023 after having showcased the impact of the arts on community transformation. To our community, thank you for the support and moving the work forward into new territories.
Our Story
We are . . . Phyllis Viola Boyd, an artist, botanist and urban designer, and LaShawnda Crowe Storm, a community-based artist, community organizer and urban farmer. We are both community activist and social entrepreneurs, working to find creative solutions for the most pressing concerns in many of our communities.
I'm Phyllis and I love working with communities to create life-enhancing places.
Greetings! I'm LaShawnda and I believe in the power of art as a vehicle of community transformation.
How We Got Here
On May 14, 2015, we presented The House Poem Project at the Indy Reads / Indiana Humanities 5 x 5 Indy Competion. Launched in 2013 by Central Indiana Community Foundation, Christel DeHaan Family Foundation and the Efroymson Family Fund with the Lilly Endowment joining in 2015, 5x5's goal is to financially support creative and innovative ideas related to arts initiatives that are designed to inspire and ignite the city.
Each year there are 4 competitions with different goals and themes. 5 applications are chosen from the many and presenters are given 5 minutes to present 5 PowerPoint Slides as they make their case to the community, which along with the judges and host organization, has a say in who wins.
We are honored to say, we won and began the long journey towards community transformation. Since that day 3 years ago, The House Poem Project, has grown and morphed beyond our wildest dreams. While addressing abandoned and vacant properties is still apart of our goals, we've expanded our vision and view the arts as a way to address many.
On December 6, 2017 we were awarded an Art Place America National Creative Placemaking Award. This award now funds RECLAIM, which allows us to take the seed of The House Poem Project to an entirely new level in terms of community transformation!
Impact of Public Art on Community Safety
There are numerous information on the impact art has on the community environment, especially around issues concerning public safety. Here are a few to get you started.
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