Nada Machaka, from Beirut, Lebanon, tries her hand at spray painting on Saturday in Franklin Park during the “Rhythm and Spray Paint” event. Her husband, Meheddene Machaka, said they made an unscheduled stop at the park on their way to Peoria after visiting their daughter, who is studying at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Brendan Denison
BLOOMINGTON – Franklin Park in Bloomington was feeling the beat on Saturday afternoon for a “Rhythm and Spray Paint” event.
Several community organizations gathered at the free event to chat with people about their mission and offer activities like yoga and the art of spray painting, and to showcase Latinx music and culture.
The Step Inn Performance team showed off their dance moves and local artist EJ Allen performed original rap tunes.
The Step Inn Performance dance team goes wild on Saturday at the “Rhythm and Spray Paint” event in Franklin Park.
Brendan Denison
The event was hosted by Breaking Chains & Advancing Increase, a Bloomington art school that provides a “safe space to express, explore and create.”
“Sometimes that’s what social justice looks like,” said BCAI Executive Director Angelique Racki.
“If you look around you can identify a minimum of 15 different cultures represented at any given time,” she said at the event.
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Racki said the big impact of Rhythm and Spray Paint was seeing all the different organizations come together, adding that “there is literally only love and peace right now.”
“Right now, there is creation going on,” she continued. “It is the most powerful source in the universe: creation.
“Imagination, creation and connection, and that’s what is happening.”
Carla Campbell-Jackson, center, compliments Sol Almaraz, 4, and Tiahna Abbott, 7, for their artwork Saturday at the “Rhythm and Spray Paint” event at Franklin Park in Bloomington.
Brendan Denison
BCAI partnered with the Afro-Socialists and Socialists of Color Caucus for the event and invited several other organizations including the Unitarian Universalist Church, the Really Really Free Market, Conexiones Latinas of McLean County and Bloomington Normal Black Lives Matter.
The Bloomington-Normal Chapter of the NAACP also took part in the event. Their Senior Vice President, Carla Campbell-Jackson, said it was gratifying to see the community come together “with such vibrant leaders and residents, so that we can empower our youth and celebrate when the going is good.”
Logan Norsworthy of Heyworth paints spray paints on Saturday in Franklin Park for the “Rhythm and Spray Paint” event hosted by the Breaking Chains & Advancing Augmenter art school.
Brendan Denison
She said the media tended to “pounce” when something went in the wrong direction, so when things are going well and impacting children, “it has to be celebrated.”
“It’s important for the kids, and it’s important for our community,” said Campbell-Jackson. “And research has shown that the arts obviously play an important role in the development of young people.”
Heyworth artist Logan Norsworthy was there to make art and show kids how to spray paint, explaining the different types of “plugs” or nozzles they can use.
“They clearly have a desire to do something,” he said. “Besides, helping them do that was cool.”
Robert Bosquez, board member of the West Bloomington Revitalization Project and director of the Bed Blitz program, talks about the importance for children of having their own bed. The 2021 Bed Blitz took place on Saturday October 9 at Youthbuild of McLean County, Crossroads Center, Normal. Ninety beds were built by 175 volunteers. In addition to a bed frame, families received a new mattress, sheets, pillow, blanket or quilt, and books.
The story of 12 other Bloomington-Normal street names
Linden Street
In this November 2017 file photo, traffic moves on Linden Street after the rebuilt bridge over Sugar Creek opens north of Emerson Street in Bloomington. Linden is one of the many streets named after trees in Bloomington-Normal, a reminder of the early Twin Citian Jesse Fell’s affection for trees.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
Emerson Street
Franklin K. Phoenix named Emerson Street after another “radical” of his time, Ralph Waldo Emerson.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
Rue des Prairies
In this archive photo from November 2017, blazing red trees line Empire and Prairie streets. When Prairie Street was named, its north end ended at the prairie, and it was believed that this would still be true.
PHOTO PANTAGRAPH FILE
White place
SR White developed White Place, North Clinton Boulevard and Fell Avenue in 1898, aiming for the neighborhoods to be home to “several beautiful residences” with “new streets, sleek sidewalks and improvements.”
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
Walk circle
The Park Place subdivision in West Bloomington, and part of Normal, has several streets named after tiles from the iconic Monopoly board game.
ROBYN SKAGGS, THE PANTAGRAPH
Empire Street
Empire Street was named after a large factory in the city called The Empire Works.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
Belt Avenue
Normal’s place in Steak ‘n Shake’s history is cemented with this street named after AH “Gus” Belt, who founded the restaurant chain in Normal in 1934.
Google maps
Allin Street
Bloomington might not exist without James Allin, who donated the original 25 acres of land that became the city. He would then name Catherine Street and Livingston Street for his wife, Catherine Livingston Allin, and Lee Street for his son, Lee Allin.
ROBYN SKAGGS, THE PANTAGRAPH
Willedrob Road
Developer Bill Brady Jr.’s father, William Brady Sr., came up with the name “Willedrob” by combining parts of the names of his three sons: William, Edward and Robert.
ROBYN SKAGGS, THE PANTAGRAPH
Yotzonot Road
Yotzonot Drive comes from the Mayan language and means “place of well-being or prosperity”. Apparently, the developer of this neighborhood also owned property in the Mexican state of Yucatan, which is home to a town and a cenote called “Yokdzonot”.
ROBYN SKAGGS, THE PANTAGRAPH
Hershey Road
Pavement stains could be seen in March 2014 on Hershey Road southbound at Lincoln Street on the east side of Bloomington. The origin of the name “Hershey Road” is a bit of a puzzle, but we can tell you one thing: it is not named after chocolate. It was possibly named in honor of Dr LE Hersey, who owned a violin school in town and was affiliated with the Illinois music program at Wesleyan University, and his son, Max Hersey, a distinguished physician and surgeon – and at one point the road became Hershey instead of Hersey.
STEVE SMEDLEY, THE PANTAGRAPH
Stringtown Road
In this Pantagraph file photo, McLean County Highway Department crews clear debris under the Union Pacific Railroad underpass on Stringtown Road, just west of old Route 66 on the southwest side of Bloomington . Settlers began to settle here in the early 1830s. At the time, there was no official name for the neighborhood, so people identified it by looking for “chain of houses” and it quickly became known as Stringtown Road.
STEVE SMEDLEY, The Pantagraphe
Contact Brendan Denison at (309) 820-3238. Follow Brendan Denison on Twitter: @BrendanDenison
