At the end of 2020, Sweet Water Foundation unveiled its plan to transform an abandoned church in The Commonwealth into a community design center known as the Civic Arts Church. In January, the SWF team launched “Civic Arts Fridays” to activate the church and build momentum towards its transformation into a community design center in 2021.

On October 7, 2020, Sweet Water Foundation opened its inaugural exhibition in the Thought Barn, well · ness at The Commonwealth. The living exhibition explored the many facets and dimensions of water as the source of all life, and offered an emergent and participatory research opportunity for global citizens to contribute and engage. Since October 2020, the exhibit has engaged nearly 2,000 viewers and visitors from across the nation in-person and virtually.

Last fall, artists Ricardia Davis, Arzula Gardner, and Rhonda Long, all from Chicago, joined New Orleans native, Amy Stelly, to discuss everything from memories to mates. The conversation fostered the true mission of the [Re]Construction House: public engagement. Ricardia, Rhonda, and Amy are visual artists; and Arzula is a singer and actor. Collectively, their bodies of work speak to the ethos of the house: spirituality, civil rights, the Black experience, and the tradition of using available materials to create art.

This fall, Sweet Water Foundation (SWF) welcomed an interdisciplinary cohort of five diverse individuals to participate in the inaugural cohort of SWF’s Urban Ecology Global Fellowship. Over the course of 8 weeks, fellows explored the transdisciplinary nature of urban ecology through the SWF’s practice of Regenerative Neighborhood Development via a blend of in-person and virtual programming.

This summer, in-person programming was kept to a minimum to maintain the health and safety of the community. In lieu of traditional workshops and events, SWF offered a blend of virtual and in-person programming to stay connected to the SWF community near and far. At the beginning of the growing season, SWF welcomed Ray Glend, a local chef, to record a cooking demonstration in the Meeting House using produce harvested from the Community Farm.

Humans of Sweet Water...Meet Andrea Yarbrough. Andrea first visited The Commons during the fall of 2019 and has been plugging in ever since. She has been helping create and build in the Work-Shop, grow and support life on the Community Farm, and engage in art across The Commons. Andrea is also interested in curating spaces specific to women of color to discuss and practice care within and outside of an institutional context.

At the beginning of March, SWF welcomed its first volunteer group of the season for a two day immersion at The Commons. Ten community college students from SUNY Westchester Community College in New York participated in an Alternative Spring Break trip in Chicago. For two full days, they worked alongside the SWF team to prepare The Commons for spring and, ultimately, gained inspiration to bring SWF’s practice back to their own communities.

As the world slows down and moves indoors, the Sweet Water team and community continue to GROW the neighborhood, cultivating new life and growth at The Commons. We are focused on preparing the farm and garden beds for the growing season to ensure a bountiful harvest of fresh and nutritious food for our community. With the help of hardworking volunteers, Sweet Water has already rebuilt and refreshed its 20 community garden beds and seeded more than 5,000 plants. Our team is working hard and more dedicated than ever to cultivating hope and life at The Commons.

Humans of Sweet Water...Meet Victoria Pratt Davis. Known by the Sweet Water community as ‘Mama Victoria,’ she serves as a vital source of inspiration, wisdom, and counsel for Sweet Water Foundation as a key member of its Board of Elders. One of the many contributions to Sweet Water Foundation that she has made is sharing her gifts as a writer. Read on to learn more about Victoria and read a piece she wrote about Sweet Water’s work, Seeds For Change.

On Tuesday, February 11, renowned artist, activist, and MacArthur Fellow, Rick Lowe, joined Emmanuel Pratt for the February Artist Talk at the Gallery at [Re]Construction House. This conversation was the first of a series of talks between Rick and Emmanuel that will be hosted at The Commons in 2020.  During their first conversation, Rick talked about his journey as an artist, activist, builder, and collaborator with Project Row Houses.

On Wednesday, January 29, Sweet Water Foundation hosted ArtPlace America’s Arts, Culture, and Workforce Development Working Group at The Commons. A diverse group of more than 35 workforce leaders, policymakers, investors, researchers, artists, and community activists engaged in a half-day experience focusing on how arts and culture can be used to enhance workforce development programs.

In February, Sweet Water Foundation hosted two arts + culture workshops at The Commons in celebration of Black History Month. More than 40 participants - children, their families, elders, local residents, and SWF team members - engaged in the workshops, through which participants had an opportunity to celebrate their ancestors, history, and legacy through art.

Should you venture to listen beyond the bitter conflicts inside Washington and the deafening rhetoric within city councils and mayoralties; beyond even the overwhelming negativity, fragmentation, and divisive national conversations, you will find quite a different scenario unfolding. Critical numbers of people within urban neighborhoods are demonstrating a powerfully creative approach to issues that adversely impact the quality of their lives. The seeds of change are being quietly sewn and have already sprouted wondrous roots.

Humans of Sweet Water...Meet Hassan Beymuhammed and Sam Scardefield. Hassan and Sam have each been part of the SWF team since 2019. They bring different perspectives and life experiences to the SWF team, yet their relationship demonstrates the unique relationships that emerge at Sweet Water. Most recently, the two worked closely together to build hoop houses on SWF’s Community Farm. Read on to learn more about Hassan and Sam.