Left to right: Ivonne Sanchez, Design2Form Designer; Jon Ward, WPB CRA Executive Director; Joelle East, Design2Form Project Architect; Artist Lily Yeh; and Zamarr Brown, Design2Form Principal Architect are a part of the community and the design team that will turn the park across from the Sunset Lounge in WPB’s Historic Northwest District into a cultural sculpture park. Staff Report Courtesy of West Palm Beach Insider Newsletter
The agency was selected for its proposed art project in the City’s Historic Northwest District with world-renowned artist Lily Yeh.
The CRA plans to create a cultural hub in the community by having residents and community artists work with Yeh to create a block-long park across from the Sunset Lounge.
Yeh visited West Palm Beach on Aug. 12 for a ‘Design Your Park’ workshop with the CRA, community members, local artists and architects to discuss ideas for the park.
The park is part of the CRA’s Historic Northwest Rising redevelopment project that will ultimately create an African American cultural tourism destination around the Sunset Lounge paying homage to the rich jazz and African American history of the area.
Lily Yeh is an artist whose work has taken her to communities throughout the world. As founder and executive director of The Village of Arts and Humanities in North Philadelphia from 1968 to 2004, she helped create a national model in creative placemaking and community building through the arts.
In 2002, Yeh pursued her work internationally, founding Barefoot Artists, Inc., to bring the transformative power of art to communities through participatory, multifaceted projects that foster community empowerment, improve the physical environment, promote economic development and preserve art and culture.
In addition to the United States, she has carried out projects in several other countries. She is the subject of the feature-length documentary film “The Barefoot Artist.” Yeh is the recipient of numerous awards and has been included in the Asian American Arts Centre’s ‘artasiamerica’ digital archive.
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