Chalk for Change x

CHALK FOR CHANGE
A Trust Transfer Project Event

Presented by Community Music School of Springfield, Springfield Cultural Partnership & Fresh Paint Springfield

What is Chalk for Change?

On Wednesday, June 30th, from 8AM to 2PM, the Trust Transfer Project (TTP) will host a public art installation as the culminating event to the city-wide Trust Transfer Project. This special event, called “Chalk for Change” will take place on the sidewalks of Springfield’s Metro Center and South End as seven aerosol artists create sidewalk chalk art messages promoting hope and healing in Springfield and spread the positive health messaging of the Trust Transfer Project across the city.

Chalk for Change artists will use messaging created by local Springfield Black and Latinx artists who contributed work to the TTP over the past five months through visual art, music, and spoken word.

Trust Transfer Project is a partnership between Community Music School of Springfield and Springfield Cultural Partnership funding Black and Latinx artists in Springfield’s South End and Metro Center neighborhoods.

TTP is made possible by a grant of $75,000 from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development’s 2021 Urban Agenda Grant Program, to raise awareness of the importance of centering artists’ voices to advance community healing.

TTP was inspired and supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s Culture Rx initiative piloted in Springfield last year.

Over 40 community organizations participated in the Trust Transfer Project resulting in over 100 works of artistic expression disseminated across the city to convey public health information to inspire hope, help stop the spread of COVID-19 and increase immunization rates.

Lifelong Springfield resident Vanessa Ford is the project manager for TTP. “Allowing Springfield’s artists a platform to impact change and promote health and wellness in their community and expanding this to include “Chalk for Change” truly captures the power of the arts to create positive change and uplift,” said Ms. Ford.

Chalk for Change paintings created on Wednesday will gradually fade over 1 to 6 months. This chalk art installation is curated and managed by Common Wealth Murals, which recently produced Fresh Paint Springfield 2021, the second mural festival in the City. Most of the artists painting on Wednesday also participated in Fresh Paint Springfield as muralists or apprentices. The artists painting on Wednesday are Wane One, Nero, Souls, Ramiro Davaro-Comas, Marc Austin, Rich Nice, and Steve Lantigua.

Chalk for Change artists will be painting in locations across the South End and Metro Center from 8AM – 2PM on Wednesday, June 30. For a complete list of locations visit the Trust Transfer Project website. Locations include Community Music School of Springfield, 127 State Street; South End Community Center, 99 Marble Street; Square One, 1095 Main Street; Springfield Museums, Edwards and Chestnut Street; Theodores / Get Set Marketing, 201 Worthington Street; Medina Supermarket, 2705 Main Street; 115 & 185 Dwight Street.

For more information about the Trust Transfer Project, visit https://springfieldculture.org/trusttransferproject/

For more information about Chalk for Change artists and locations, contact Britt Ruhe, Director of Common Wealth Murals

Read the full press release from CMSS/SCP here