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Making Dreams Come True, Valley of Rainbows (2020) Print
2020 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public art installations
└ Public art installations
Nonprofit organization Making Dreams Come True Valley of Rainbows beautified 24 traffic utility boxes along a stretch of Farrington Highway, decorating them with colorful mini-murals. Local artists chose themes for the boxes representing the beauty and culture of Hawaii's Waianae Coast, with imagery including ocean waves, sea creatures, and culturally relevant messages, such as Malama 'aime, which reminds Hawaiians to respect and care for the land. Project organizers said the utility boxes had been the target of vandalism in the past but hope the new artwork will foster community pride. When you drive down Farrington Highway, you don't notice anything but maybe the houses and the beaches, artist Chris Koanui told HawaiiNewsNow. But there's so much more, cause these valleys are deep and rich.
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Peoria, IL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: Organizers with Phoenix Community Development Services know supportive housing facilities for unhoused Peoria residents are often drab. To address this, the nonprofit -- which develops transitional apartment complexes -- created a three-story mural in an alley between an existing building and an upcoming facility. Apartment residents provided input on the mural's design and helped install the artwork, which is visible from one of downtown Peoria's major thoroughfares.
Tulsa, OK
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: Until recently, Tulsa's Greenwood neighborhood was a food desert, with fresh and healthy food difficult to find. When the Oasis Fresh Market opened in North Tulsa, the Met Cares Foundation wanted to celebrate a healthier future. So they engaged the community to paint a mural for the new store. First, project organizers called on local students to create drawings celebrating the theme A Healthy Future for All Generations. Residents then voted on their favorite designs, selecting winners from elementary, middle and high school students. Finally, North Tulsa artists painted murals on the market's wall, using the students' designs as inspiration. Project organizers say the beautification effort allowed community members to depict a hopeful future for Greenwood. They plan to make the design contest an annual event.
Prowers County, CO
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: This project will install a solar-powered shade structure at a new senior center which will showcase art installations for visitors to enjoy.
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Honolulu, HI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Innovative home maintenance, repair and support services
Description: Oahu is home to many older adults hoping to age in place. However, aging homes can make this difficult. Working with Palolo Chinese Home, Age-Friendly Honolulu created the Safe Homes 4 Kapuna program, which provides aging-in-place education, as well as home assessments and modifications, to older adults in the Palolo Valley neighborhood. The program produced print and electronic versions of a booklet, called Hale4Kapuna. The publication includes tips about renters' rights, permitting processes, funding sources and types of home modifications beneficial for older adults, as well as information on home assessments and basic handyman work. The group also provided home assessments to six older adults residing in the Palolo Valley.
Honolulu, HI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: While Hawaii is known for beaches and lush mountains, many urban areas lack accessible green space. To give residents outdoor space, Better Block Hawaii planned, designed and installed two parklets in Honolulu's Kalihi neighborhood. Working with the City of Honolulu to identify areas of need, they installed the first parklet at Richie's Drive Inn, transforming a parking area into a mini park with tables, benches, planters and a mural. Parklets help local businesses extend their storefronts onto the sidewalk and boost revenue by creating cozy, inviting gathering places.
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