PROJECTS
#ARTreach Winter Giveaway
This winter we were able to partner with VALE School and Opportunity Enterprises to assemble and distribute 500 art kits! Organizations such as Hilltop House, The Caring Place, Porter Starke, and VALE students all received art kits filled with enough materials for two art projects. This was a great way to provide artistic opportunities to deserving local recipients! A huge thanks to our #ARTreach initiative sponsors: Family Express, and the Mirochna Family, as well as over 50 individual community donors!
SK8 FUNdraiser
Our first ever annual fundraiser event in August 2022, was a “wheelie” exciting theme for skate enthusiasts to attend. We partnered up with the Valparaiso Skatepark Coalition, Valpo Parks, and South Shore Roller Derby to bring our community a creative way to ROLL OUT the summer. A portion of funds raised will go towards future art components for Valpo’s skatepark. Save the date of August 26, 2023 for our next annual FUNdraiser! A special thanks to our sponsors: Warped Sportz and TCU as well as Urschel Giving and Diamond Mortgage!
Community Paint Party
In collaboration with Valparaiso Community Schools, The Valparaiso Creative Council organized a paint party at the Valparaiso Town Council Chamber and invited citizens to “put their mark on City Hall.” It was a great event for community members to create art together and be a part of a larger project involving students in grades K-12 painting a 10 x 20 mural which would be housed in the City Council Chambers as a permanent piece.
Valparaiso Skatepark Project
In 2020 the Valparaiso Creative Council was approached by the Valparaiso Parks Department to consult on artwork to be placed in a brand-new skate park. The Council continues to support the parks department by providing input regarding stateable art designs for x-games designer Dug Ketterman to work into the plan, and will be helping to seek out artists to install great pieces incorporated into the park’s design.
Birds of Paradise Project
The Valparaiso Creative Council partnered with the City of Valparaiso in a committee to discuss a fun way to bring visitors and residents to explore downtown Valparaiso. These discussions created the Birds of Paradise project, and plans were underway for a scavenger hunt across the city brining existing residents and new visitors to experience all the great culture and history of Valparaiso. The hunt consists of 10 bird sculptures placed throughout the downtown area with a fun clue to find each bird. These sculptures provide wayfinding for visitors and encourage people to explore the great things our city has to offer.
Cumberland Art Walk Project
As a community steward, the Valparaiso Creative Council likes to offer guidance to organizations, provide suggestions for artwork or artists work to be showcased. The Valparaiso Art Walk at Cumberland Crossing is a great illustration of this assistance. The Council has provided input and support on the art to be displayed on the Valparaiso Art Walk.
Creative District Plan
Establishing a Creative District was one of the ideas that emerged as an area to explore from the ValpoNEXT Citywide Vision Plan. The Creative District was envisioned as a place where the community could come together to create, explore, and celebrate arts, culture and innovation. The resulting Plan outlined a vision for the District with 34 supporting actions organized into three organizational themes: Create, Explore, and Celebrate. This District is in process and as phases start to progress updates will be provided.
