Creative Community Conversation !

      Hello my name is Ke'Shaela Parker. I'm 16 and a sophomore at Durant Public School. I'm also a youth organizer at Nollie Jenkins Family Center. A few weeks ago I got an opportunity to meet two amazing artists, Angela Davis & Muthi Reed, who will be leading this year’s Creative Community Conversation Project, at the Museum of Art. Every year new artists are brought in to engage in community conversations that uplift the creativity and talents of locals here in Mississippi. In this art series we will focus on uplifting the stories of black farmers and land owners inside of Holmes County. Working with the C3 Project so far has been an interesting experience for me. At first, I thought art was just about drawing and because I don't know how to draw I was very reluctant about working with this project. Angela & Muthi have showed me how art is not just about drawing but is also about the sounds you hear, the way you project your creative thinking and using imagery to be a voice for our work. Working with this project has helped the artist within me to blossom.

      As we move further into this process we will be using recyclables that we have collected to create sculptures which will represent the Black Land Owner SUPER HEROES, that we will be uplifting. The C3 project has helped me to be more creative and come up with expounding ideas! I’ve learned that it is important to let people express themselves in different ways. As a young person being engaged in creative community conversation is amazing, because it is not often that we can express ourselves in school or community. As a result of the C3 Project , you can search our hasthtags #becauseIAmFromHolmesCounty , #FloodingWithTalentBecauseIAmFromHolmesCounty #SouthernBeauties and see the wonderful art we’ve created.