Woody Restoration Arts Incubator Project (Phase 1)
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TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS: If you want to make a large donation please message us for information on how to submit your donation through, Harvard Community Service Center, my Cleveland based 501c3 non-profit fiscal sponsor.
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Umoja Arts Productions presents
‘The LAB’
We’re building a 21st century arts incubator to expand our Black innovative arts programming into a community center providing civic engagement activities for the Lee-Harvard Community.
What is ‘The Lab’ & What has Lead Artist Jimmie Woody done?
DESCRIPTION
'The LAB' is an experimental arts incubator for cultural development and neighborhood transformation. This project supports artists and strengthens communities by providing: arts programming, creating new cultural resources and developing affordable studio spaces. 'The LAB' is founded and led by teaching artist Jimmie Woody and Umoja Arts Productions in 2005. He is a socially engaged multi-media artist and educator working at the intersections of K-12/university teaching, film, digital media, acting/drama and activism. All Lab programming is designed around the core principles: Black People Matter, Black Spaces Matter and Black Arts Matter.
COMMUNITY IMPACT
Since 2016 he’s served nearly 400 students, facilitated over 100 workshops and classes, produced 3 films, trained and partnered with over 30 organizations.With this foundation of programmatic success he is now working towards his ultimate goal, to move back into a his family’s nostalgic building and build a Black Arts Incubator in Cleveland.
SOCIALLY RELEVANT ARTS PROGRAMS
What does it look like to center Black pride in a learning space? Black arts and culture promote understanding and action on issues facing our communities and the world. The LAB’s commitment to creative social change is embodied by its creative arts’ programming, which strengthens the role of artists and community as leaders and partners in civic engagement and social change. When we relate to our community and artist as extended family, we create a new paradigm within the black arts’ sector. All of the programs are customized for each group we engage. Everything Woody does is ultimately about honoring his parents’ legacy.
~ Programs
'The LAB' is based on Woody’s vast experience in working various arts education programming, working as an instructor on the college level and plus teaching Film at the Cleveland High School for Digital Arts. He’s fostered several programs he’s looking to implement such as: The Actor’s Lab, The Film & Photography Lab, Digital Storytelling, The Audio Book Lab, Open Mic through Distance Learning & The Seedfolks Project (inspired by Paul Fleischman's Newberry-Award Winning book ‘Seedfolks’. These are just some of the workshops modeled to teach critical thinking and civic engagement through art making. After answering the questions “What do you love about yourself and your community?” and “What do you want to change about yourself and your community?” participants address personal, social and political issues using their art making skills.
~ Studio ~
The LAB: Studio is a hybrid gallery, black box and community center firm in which we present artist to execute real world client work with the long-term intention of self-sustaining programming through earned revenue. This program not only prepares Black and Brown artist for practical, well paying creative careers, it also equips them with the political consciousness/activist tactics to become innovators and change makers.
******(Vision Board)*****
BEFORE
AFTER
~ Artist Networking Events~
The LAByrinth is a monthly celebration that allows us to publicly share student and adult artwork back with the community. The LAByrinth includes: art exhibits, music performances, installations, live performances, interactive media, theater, film, open mic poetry by professional artists, food, vendors and workshops. The networking event allows an opportunity to mix mingle with some of the most beautiful people in the arts community. As you enter physically or virtually, you are encompassed by the larger-than-life murals and paintings created by artists locally and internationally. Following the trail of colors and creativity, patrons will find themselves lost in the maze of rooms each with its own appeal and mystery. The LAByrinth provides a creative setting for artist to intersect with audiences live in-person or various social media platforms in new ways where we demonstrate on a large scale the vision of the world we want to live in, a world centered on Black pride. 2
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LEAD ARTIST/CEO JIMMIE WOODY
(MY STORY)
Hello my name is Jimmie Woody, an actor, director, producer, film maker and teaching artist living in Cleveland Ohio. I came back home after graduating from Columbia University following the diagnosis of my father's terminal illness. This led me to take over his responsibilities of managing his property on east 138th and Harvard. The building was purchased by my father in 1961 when the neighborhood was predominantly Slovenian. He ran a corner store that served the neighborhood and its communities for almost 40 years until his untimely passing of colon cancer.
CONTINUING THE LEGACY
Since his passing, I have tried to keep the building alive by providing arts based activities such as 'The Labyrinth', an artist networking event. It is my dream to keep events like this alive in black communities that are under-served and lacking resources to create healthy vibrant neighborhoods. For over 20 years, I've been committed to serving both the youth and adult population throughout Northeast Ohio by working as a teaching artist through various arts organizations. This has inspired me to commit to bringing these services to the community that I grew up in that is in dire need of arts and culture. Unfortunately, the building has suffered from various break-ins and structural damage due to my lack of knowledge and funds to upkeep the building. It has been challenging trying to get support and resources to this community through foundations due to various obstacles.
DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL
I am now in a dire situation where the City of Cleveland is requesting work to be done immediately on the building or I will be forced to sell. Therefore, I have taken upon myself to do much of the demolition, excavation and cleanup. I do not want to turnover the property because what would be put in its place would not benefit the community or the people that live there. I want to move forward with restoring this building that was built in 1912 in order to create an incubation space for artists, youth and the African-American community.
THE FAMILY BUSINESS
**Excerpt from Jimmie's One-Man Show
'Tale of a Gemini
(Jimini) Rising'**My father owned the corner store on 138th st and Harvard Avenue
He bought it when the neighborhood was predominantly Slovak
He worked for Sealtest milk factory and saved his money to ultimately purchase that store…
So from the time I was 5 years old
Til the time I went to college at 18
I worked tirelessly in the family business called the “Harvard Delicatessen’
Now in one hand I loved the Store…..The Black people I grew up wit
The Milbrook man
The Frito Lay man
The Hostess Twinkie manThe beer/wine man
The familiesThe kids
The Jeri Curls
The cute girls in the neighborhoodTheir mothers
The sense of community
Mr. Jones spending over a hundred dollars on the lottery daily
‘Miss Pacman’, ‘Centipede’ and ‘Bezerk’
‘COMPUTER ALERT!!!’, ‘COMPUTER ALERT!!!’
To all the quarters lost from dusk til dawn
The Music
The JazzThe math of Hip Hop& WZAK’s ‘Mix Party’
Stevie Wonder
PrinceZapp
Micheal Jackson and Jordan
The Kardiac Kids
The Hotdogs and Ice Cream was the ‘ATMOSPHERE’….
While on the other hand……
I hated the crack
The AIDS
The urban declineFrom black middle classTo lower class
The theftThe prostitution
The fighting
The burglariesThe adulteries
The back and forthRoutine of going to school during the week
Then working in the store on the weekends...
ECOSYSTEM/HYBRIDITY
Over time, Mr. Woodyis looking to establish an incubator in a 3-part ecosystem: an arts incubator/gallery, creative arts programming and an intersection for arts and culture.
What I Need
PHASE 1: $150K
For Phase one, I need to raise the first $150K to demolish the house on the lot to create a green space on the property and secure structural damage to the foundation. During this phase I would also, like to conduct participatory design workshops with local partners and community members, and produce architectural drawings in collaboration with a local Black architect and an internationally recognized sustainable architecture firm. We'll use new green technologies like modularity, solar/wind energy and upcycling to build a working prototype for promoting community-built Black innovative learning spaces. In the legacy of the ‘Stoney Island Arts Bank’, we want to publish our building plans to promote the creation of more
spaces like ours.
PHASE 2: $150KF
or Phase two, I need to raise $150K for the permits, fees, building materials, heating, plumbing, electrical and energy efficient windows.
PHASE 3: 100k
For Phase three, I need to raise the last 100k for digital equipment, for early programming like filmmaking and digital storytelling workshops, and to begin staffing. In addition to grants and partnerships, revenue from our student and artist staffed Creative team, and sales from a growing suite of learning tools, merchandise, and art, will sustain our programming beyond the build.
CALL TO ACTION
Do you want to be a part of a positive Movement and support Black institution within the underserved Lee-Harvard District? If so, you can help by DONATING and SHARING our campaign with your networks.
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FUND RAISING PROJECTS
Brick Project
The goal of the LAB is to expand Black innovative arts programming and provide civic engagement activities for the Lee-Harvard community in Cleveland, Ohio. The bricks displayed here were each handpainted by local artists.
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Virtual Fundraiser
HELPING HANDS
Community coming together to scrape, paint, haul, drywall and landscaping.
Organizer
Jimmie Woody
Organizer
Cleveland, OH
