Lancaster Boulevard is very busy on Thursdays, due to its now famous farmers market. The community comes for the organic produce and the dried fruit. There are so many good and tasty foods being prepared, the smell lingers all along the boulevard. For many, the smell of the funnel cake is irresistible. No wonder it’s the favorite food among young kids shopping with their parents.
A while ago the #CountMeIn team had the brilliant idea to give free tote bags to the community during the farmers market. A couple locations were discussed for the workshop, but the classroom at the Lancaster Museum was the best place; not only because the light is great, but also it has a sink with running water and it’s very visible from the street where the market takes place.
Robin Rosenthal, Lead Artist-in-Residence, was helping all around and greeting participants at the event. She has the ability to connect with everyone she comes in contact with, which is a great icebreaker. At the first stop, they listened to the information she presented to them before they picked up their free tote bags.
At the next table, two manual silk-screen printers were being operated by partner artist Nuri Amanatullah from HCA and special guest artist Clovis Blackwell, whose studio is located in Pasadena. Clovis designed the underlying artwork printed on the bag. Participants had the opportunity to print the words #CountMeIn on their bags, with either red or blue colors. Each bag was a piece of art and people really appreciated the opportunity to be part of the process. They proudly walked away with a gift that not only was unique, but will remind them of the importance of being counted during the Census2020.
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