This Independence Day will share the day with another holiday in Detroit, the James Boggs Centenary celebration.
As part of the week’s worth of festivities celebrating the Detroit activist’s life, a dedication ceremony will be held for the Fox Creek Artscape in the Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood.
The public is invited to the event, which will feature produce giveaways, panel discussions, and live music from Mollywop and the Robinson Singers.
Initial plans for the Artscape began in February 2015. It has since transformed into a multifunctional community space, complete with a pavilion for community meetings and gatherings, a street-side fruit stand, public art space, extensive landscaping, and more.
Green infrastructure includes permeable hardscaping and water collection systems.
A Healing Wall tells the story of the neighborhood with murals created by local artists.
Contributing community groups include Feedom Freedom Growers, College for Creative Studies and its Community + Public Arts: Detroit program, and the Oakland Avenue Artists Coalition.
"We hear about placemaking a lot but what we hear a lot less of is placekeeping," Mikel Bresee, director of community partnerships at CCS, told us in February earlier this year.
"Feedom Freedom has been around for a long time. Now that developers are coming around, we wanted to buy this lot and put our stake down that this is for the community."
During the dedication ceremony, the Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood will also receive a Peace Zone for Life designation. The program was founded by Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality co-founder and James and Grace Lee Boggs Center alumni Ron Scott.
The Fox Creek Artscape is located at 889 and 900 Manistique St. in Jefferson Chalmers. The dedication celebration is scheduled from 2 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 4.
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