The Last Hurrah!
(Photos credit Madison Raye)
The Imagine Art parade marches past the St. Luke stained glass windows.
As the AmeriCorps service year comes to an end, what better way to say Great Job, Members! than with a parade? When somebody says let's have a parade, it usually means there’s something really worth recognizing and appreciating. Imagine Art has had many successes this service year, and we just needed a parade to celebrate and share our glow with the community.
On Friday morning, the 22nd of July, members and artists gathered for the sole purpose of pulling off a parade. Artists had been preparing for nearly a month. One-of-a-kind banners with special significance to the artists flapped in the wind: a giant MetroAccess Pass pouch banner and a banner with five labels of popular liquid refreshments. A life size effigy of our fearless leader, AmeriCorps director Rick Hernandez, was carried by Rick and Sofie.
Handmade props of all sorts had been produced, from rattles and kites to colorful sandwich boards, outrageous hats, and paper sack puppet masks. Even a Tyrannosaurus Rex dressed as an artist and paraders wearing Christmas lights as necklaces. And of course, there was lots of laughter and big, joyful smiles of every description. It was everything a parade should be.
A tip of the hat to the organizers of this fun filled event should go to Jasmine Chock and Sophie Turok, but it took many people to get behind this well-coordinated effort and make it a success. Artists and artists-in-residence created props that reflected their favorite Imagine Art experiences.
Getting Ready
The St. Luke Fellowship Hall was the staging area for pre-parade activities such as selecting costumes, passing out props, and assigning roles.
Marching in the Parade
The route was fairly simple. Out the door of the Fellowship Hall, across the parking lot then eastward down the sidewalk to the front of the church. The marchers then looped around the live oak tree at the corner and headed west toward the IA studio picnic tables where the parade ended. But the celebration would continue.
Congratulations, Everybody, You Made It!
After the parade, Debbie Kizer, Founder and CEO of Imagine Art, gives Joyful Surprise a well deserved hug .
End of a very fun morning. Kudos to all the participants!
What can we do to top this? Members and artists socialize after the parade.
Parting shot: Two mythological creatures—Pegasus and Joyful Surprise
