April is Fair Housing Month! During the month the ONE Arts Collective and the Fair Housing Project of CVOEO will be holding a series of events in conjunction with local artists and venues throughout Burlington. Read below to learn a bit more about the project and how you can help out:
Please join us this April in a collective effort to honor and promote the importance of fair housing and inclusive communities through a series of creative workshops, events, art exhibits and panel discussions happening throughout Burlington. ONE Arts Collective alongside the Fair Housing Project of CVOEO and in conjunction with other area artists and community organizations will launch an April creative initiative in honor of April as Fair Housing Month. There will be a calendar of events and a list of host venues. If you would like to host an exhibit, plan a discussion, a creative activity or be involved in any capacity please be in touch! There are lots of ways to be involved and we hope this will be the start of something grand in years to come! Why April and why fair housing? On April 11, 1968, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1968, which was meant as a follow up to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The 1968 act expanded on previous acts by prohibiting discrimination concerning the sale, rental and financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin, sex, handicap and family status. When the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4th, 1968, President Lyndon Johnson utilized this national tragedy to urge for the bill’s speedy Congressional approval. Since the 1966 open housing marches in Chicago, Dr. King’s name had been closely associated with the fair housing legislation. President Johnson viewed the Act as a fitting memorial to the man’s life work. Why art, creativity and fair housing? Art and creative expression help people connect to one another as well as to big ideas and concepts. The arts help us make meaning of our collective and individual experiences and provide us with a tool to reflect. By devoting a month of creative community experiences to the theme of Fair Housing, “we can potentially offer people of all ages, skills and abilities an opportunity to be expressive about what “home”, “inclusivity” and “diversity” means to them.” (Ted Wimpey) “The City of Burlington and the state of Vermont have an opportunity this coming April to celebrate the history of fair housing and our own collective efforts to build inclusive communities, safe affordable homes and praise the positive contributions to our culture of diversity in its many forms. “ (Ted Wimpey) Other participating organizations include: One Arts Center, Whirled Tree Arts, North End Studios, Burlington City Arts, New City Gallery, Radio Bean, Arts Riot. Organized collaboratively by ONE Arts Collective, the ONE Good Deed Fund, and Whirled Tree Arts. To participate, please contact Margaret Coleman at oneartscollective@gmail.com. Thank you and see you in April!
Sponsorship opportunities are also available. To learn more please click here (PDF file).