25 Schools receive 56 Paintings and 5 Mosaic Tile Benches
Starbucks Corporation
Number of Volunteers: 2000
Number of Paintings: 1400
Number of Mosaic Tile Benches: 125
October 2008 Starbucks teamed up with many nonprofits in October, reaching high to engage 10,000 employees in service. As a company Starbucks considers the community in all that it does, working to positively impact those it touches around the world. This ideal is ingrained in their mission and their actions, “We can be a force for positive action— bringing together our partners, customers, and the community to contribute every day. Now we see that our responsibility—and our potential for good—is even larger. The world is looking to Starbucks to set the new standard, yet again. We will lead.” It is with this vision that Starbucks pressed upon its’ conference in New Orleans.
Crescent City Art Project partnered with the ambitious Starbucks and formulated lofty goals, creating massive amounts of art for the schools of New Orleans. The fusion of these two groups created an incredible force for change.
The date was October 29th, 2008. The goal, complete an ambitious 1,400 paintings and 125 mosaic tile benches for 25 schools in New Orleans in 2.5 hours!
The bar was set high and as all 1,600 volunteers flowed into the room the excitement mounted. This group was ready to paint the change! After a brief welcome the volunteers started fastidiously and meticulously transforming their canvass and concrete benches into works of art. Canvass after canvass the volunteers worked together, laughed together and yes, some cried together.
As if the tasks at hand were not exciting enough CCAP stirred up the volunteers once more with a surprise, the Warren Easton High School marching band. Twenty minutes into the project 67 band members marched through the Convention Center lobby catching the attention of all in earshot and proceeded into our convention hall. They ramped up the energy playing for the volunteers, bringing their local favor to the visitors and creating a true New Orleans moment.
At the end of the day our goals were met and exceeded. CCAP cannot thank Starbucks, the Recovery School District and the mass of volunteers who helped us prepare for the project enough. They were and are proof of Margaret Mead’s words, “A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
And there were two other projects!!
Gregory Elementary
CCAP enlisted 6 local artists to make all the Starbucks project sites a success. These artists created images for various sites, pre-sketched all images and led volunteers on the days of service. All of our artists live in New Orleans and therefore understand the need to aesthetically change the schools, as many of them have seen and experienced them. For CCAP it is a gift to have local artists that not only share our passion, but have the experience to back it up. Furthermore they are our boots on the ground making projects succeed.
Their leadership and artistic guidance is necessary in every project. The volunteer base at most projects does not have a background in art; thus lending itself to hesitation and a fear of painting. These individuals help qwell those fears and show the unskilled artists that with attention to detail and patience anyone can create stunning imagery. Furthermore, through their direction volnteers build confidence and an interest in art and that is intrinsic in our actions.
CCAP can say enough to thank these men and women. We look forward to future projects to again utilize this pool of local talent.
A special thanks goes to the artists:
David Cascio
Ania Dobrowodzka
Kasia Michalkiewicz
Emily Minnie
Michele Pontiff
Brandon Shelling
News Articles
"Harney School loves our new benches. We will gladly pick up any benches that are left over and find a wonderful home on our playground."
Eileen Williams
" Hello,
Thank you for the wonderful opportunity. We have been selecting locations all day for the paintings to be displayed."
Chareen Black, Julian Leadership Academy
