GATHERING PLACES by Metro
About this Episode
Theatre and immersive art honors Black history and culture
LeJuano Varnell
Executive Director of Sweet Auburn Works
Atlanta, GA
LeJuano Varnell serves as the Executive Director of Sweet Auburn Works, Inc., an organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing the commercial and cultural legacy of the Sweet Auburn Historic District. Under his leadership, Sweet Auburn Works launched the Heroes’ Walk, a 1.1-mile curated pedestrian experience that features new public art, playscapes, canopy, and wayfinding. The Heroes’ Walk highlights over 100 years of African American commercial and civic success, including the establishment of the country’s first African American-owned radio station, WERD Radio, and the birthplace of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This initiative aims to make Sweet Auburn a favorite destination in Atlanta, showcasing its rich history and vibrant community.
Clarice Bailey, PhD
PassinArt's Managing Director
Portland, OR
PassinArt, the oldest producing Black Theater in Oregon, welcomes Dr Clarice Bailey home to the theater company she helped found over 40 years ago. Bailey has stepped in as PassinArt's new Managing Director, a spot left vacant by the passing of co-founder Connie Carley in 2022. Bailey joins Jerry Foster, Artistic Director since 1995, to lead the company in a time of considerable promise and forward movement.
Bailey is a time-tested public sector leader, bringing principles and strategies of equity to organizational development in human services environments. Clarice provides consultation with local, state and national systems of child welfare, juvenile justice, mental health, community-based youth and adult programs, and schools. In doing this work, Clarice employs a liberation framework and instructional design methodology informed by historical trauma, abolition pedagogies, economic equity and self-determination.
Dr. Bailey holds a doctorate in Public Administration and Policy from Portland State University with concentrations in Justice and Organization Development. Clarice is a trained practitioner and instructor in Conflict Resolution/Peer Mediation and Linkages/William Bridges' model of Change and Transition. Dr. Bailey also holds the national Peer Support Specialist Certification from Mental Health America.
About this Series
Gathering Places: Creative Conversations (Summer 2024) is a three-part virtual series that explores the intersections of urban life, placemaking, and artistic expression. Hosted by placemaking leader Madeleine Spencer, you’ll hear from nationally-acclaimed creative placemakers and Portland area placemaking grantees who will share their inspirations, artistic journeys, and the unique challenges of working within community spaces. In collaboration with Placemaking US, Gathering Places is co-presented and sponsored by the Community Placemaking program of Metro - the greater Portland, area’s regional government that serves 24 cities and three counties in Oregon.
Our esteemed guests come from diverse disciplines within the creative placemaking realm, including arts federations, urban design, community arts, and more. The Gathering Places: Creative Conversation Series not only celebrates the vast spectrum of artistic practices but also aims to demystify the creative process in placemaking for the audience, offering a deep dive into the dedication required for a life in the realm of creative placemaking. The series shines a spotlight on Portland's flourishing creative community, fostering a deeper appreciation for centering the arts within its urban landscape.
Each event concludes with a lively question and answer session and is free and open to the public.
More information about Metro’s Community Placemaking grant program can be found at www.oregonmetro.gov/placemaking.
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