New Year of Artful Community...

Six years ago FLOCKworks was started as an nonprofit aiming to strengthen the creative spirit of community.  What that really meant or what we would exactly do wasn't quite clear; but the intention was to find ways to pull community together through the arts and to have fun doing it.

Masks with AVID 7th Grade class at Ft Bragg Middle School.

• Mendocino Stone Soup was our very first project... With ceramic, culinary, music, and hospitality arts, we focused on our Community Center of Mendocino and marshaled funds that ensured every child could participate in after-school programs regardless of family finances. In 2007, 400 people came; 2008, over 600 people. After waiting 5 years, things are set for another Stone Soup on February 2, 2013.
• OPEN DOOR ARTS @ Odd Fellows began in Spring 2007: our 1st exhibit was with the Mendocino Figure Drawing Collective followed by an Exhibit with the Mendocino Coast Audubun featuring 340 Children's Drawings kicking off their 6 year Save Our Shorebirds Citizen research project.    Since then, over 70 exhibits have been part of this amazing community series. Exhibit number 72 will be FLOCKworks' Open Door in January 2013.
• Children's Banner Project began in 2008 with art making during lunchtime recess on the Mendocino K-8 school playground;  Banners, murals and other art projects have since engaged thousands of children at schools, on the soccer field, at community events and more.   Hands-on Mural Making is a regular part of Noyo Food Forest's EARTH DAY celebrations. Water Tank, Work Shed and Garden-in-reach now host unique Murals created with hundreds of Earth Day participants...fun, bright and artful!   Murals created with all 450 k-2 children at Redwood School now hang at the CV Starr Center, Harvest Market and School's own multi-purpose Room.  
• Creative Collaboration has been key in how we have worked with over 40 local groups and organizations on important community themes and projects.    Mendocino Coast Children's Fund is our partner in our COMMUNITY BUILDERS Award, one of many ways we pull together in supporting the creative spirit of community.

Little by little, we developed a sense of what our mission actually means... And we can't wait for the coming year of creative projects, partnerships, hands on art with kids and much more!