Art Jams In Riverside Park Kick Off This Weekend

will host a number of artistic events beginning this weekend as part of a “Creative Placemaking” effort.

The Art Jams will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each Saturday through Aug. 18. The inaugural event will also be done in conjunction with a 12:30 p.m. ribbon cutting at the newly renovated .

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Local artists will lead family workshops at the Art Jams, which are funded through a from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, Office of the Arts. The grant was awarded to this spring as part of a revitalization effort for the Hodges Square neighborhood.

“While the one-year program has several goals, the primary goal is to encourage and energize all the people who live and work in the neighborhood to look at their streets, their park, and their business center with new eyes,” said Sandra Chalk, executive director of New London Landmarks.

The following artists and workshops have been scheduled:

• July 14: Derron Wood, director of ; masks and puppets.
• July 21: L’Ana Burton, director of the Creative Dance Continuum; dance and body movement
• July 28: Elizabeth Tyler; sculpture
• Aug. 4: Mark Patnode; painting and self-expression
• Aug. 11: Dr. Roger J. Tremblay; repeating patterns and mathematical art
• Aug. 18: “The Big Bang” final celebration, combining all activities along with flash mobs, moving murals, street parades, and more.

The partners in the Creative Placemaking effort are New London Landmarks, the city of New London, the Friends of Riverside Conservancy, and the Neighborhood Alliance.

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