[RP TownTalk] Mural Idealist

Wed Apr 22 15:18:35 UTC 2009

Great stuff.  -- The dual purpose of a mural to add aesthetic value or
beauty to a space and to inform with historic accuracy is an admirable and
(I'm hoping) achievable goal.  My class and I were going for aesthetic
improvement and to provoke some thought as a secondary bi-product.  Like
someone said - we just wanted to add a splash of color to a dull concrete
wall.   The southwestern symbols were the most readily available to
study and contain a simple beauty.   Many of the symbols on the Piscataway
flag mentioned in one post are similar to the southwestern symbols in the
sketch.

We appreciate what's going on here.  We didn't have the time or the
inclination to research specifics about the American Indians that walked
paths along the anacostia tributaries and we would like nothing more than to
honor them as a huge part of the mural.  Great to get that going..........

If we (riverdale residents/ cbc students some of whom live in town) choose
to include 19th century and 20th century symbols/history....   Does anyone
have any civil rights histories or herstories associated with our town?  If
we want to include an image of the mansion as central to town history -which
no doubt it is - I think we should include two or three symbols of the long
struggle to right the wrongs of history that the mansion also
symbolizes.   Civil Rights symbols from Riverdale would be of particular
interest to my students who still toil in a below average school system and
deal with the segregation/ injustice that lingers from the circumstance of
our town's founding.  (or do I have the history wrong again?)  Maybe 19th
century and 20th century images could be done on a different wall?  There is
plenty of concrete under that bridge.

Back to pre-riversdale history.... How cool would it be if a native
history-symbol mural could lead to that path there which could be converted
into a serious walkway/ garden of native plants?

Chris Martin

On Wed, Apr 22, 2009 at 10:07 AM, <OurDollMom at aol.com> wrote:

>  The phone numbers I gave you do not work but I do
> have a phone number that does & I left a message.
> The American Indian Cultural Org. meets the first
> Tuesday of each month at the Greenbelt Church,
> 7 pm at 1 Hillside Drive but the church sets on
> Crescent Road.  Anyone is invited to learn about
> them & come to the meetings.
>
> If we are going to have a mural in the Historic
> District about Indians - it should only honor our
> own Indians who were living here.  These Indians
> are still here in Cedarville/Waldorf & meet in
> Greenbelt.  I think we should consult them so they
> can feel proud that we are honoring them in the
> proper historical way.  There has been so much pain
> between the Indians and the White man here in our
> area.  This is a chance to honor & respect them.
>
> My mother was a geneologist and when I was young
> I went with her talking to the Chiefs & used to go to the
> festivals.
>
> It is confusing to have a mural with southwestern
> symbols in it.  When history buffs come to visit us
> or others who know their history - the experts will
> think we DO NOT KNOW our history and are not
> proud of it.  It sends the wrong message.
>
> The Mural
> should honor what the Riversdale Mansion stands for
> and complement it - teaching our residents & children
> what we are about.  It should make our Indians still
> alive and in our area proud that we care about them.
>
> Natalie & Maurice Proctor would be the ones to teach
> us the symbols & history to portray on this Mural.
>
> Emily
>
>  In a message dated 4/21/2009 10:28:56 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> m.avery at rocketmail.com writes:
>
>  It is very interesting that you have chosen Native American symbols as a
> place to start your artistic ideas for a mural, but it looks as though you
> have chosen symbols from southwestern Indians.
>
>
>
> Are you aware that we have a very long and influential history of Native
> American culture in the Riverdale Park area?
>
>
>
> The kind of native American that resided in this area were the Woodland
> Indians. Woodland Indian period was from 1000 BC to 1600 AD.
>
>
>
> Captain John Smith explored the upper Anacostia River, which included the
> tributaries in today's Riverdale Park. In fact, the area you propose
> is located near to a tributary of the Anacostia River. The Indians he found
> near the tributaries of the Anacostia River were called the
> Nacotchtanke. Riverdale Park is part of the Anacostia River Trail and a
> Federally designated historic district.
>
>
>
> Many residents in the area have found arrowheads while digging in their
> yards and therefore have experienced a connection with the past.
>
>
> A mural with Native American symbolism in this town would be better served
> if it had representative symbols of the indigenous people of the Anacostia
> region.
>
>
>
> Melissa
>
>
>  ------------------------------
> *From:* Christopher Martin <chrism at pgcps.org>
> *To:* towntalk at riverdale-park.org
> *Cc:* Alice Ewen Walker <alice at ewenwalker.com>; James n Julie Coleman <
> jnjcolemans at yahoo.com>
> *Sent:* Tuesday, April 21, 2009 11:09:49 AM
> *Subject:* [RP TownTalk] Mural Idealist
>
> Hello Riverdale Town Talkers,
>
> A note from Community Based Classroom Teacher / Riverdale Resident / mural
> planner:
>
> In my class's conception of this mural  -- the rainbow squares and/or
> other squares in this rough sketch (see
> http://www.muralcollaborative.netfirms.com/muralintro.htm) could be filled
> with symbols designed by local artists/ community members, working side by
> side with CBC students.  In that sense, if there are any strong Symbols of
> Riverdale that Historic Preservationists want to fit into the mural - you're
> more than welcome to.  There are about 7-10 or more squares available with
> this sketch.  We'd love to have and want input/asistance from any artists or
> aspiring artists from town - neighbors Jim L and Sherita S... that means
> you! :)
> If we - cbc artists, riverdale artists/community members-  wanted to change
> the design to some degree to include landscapes/moments from town history..
> we could do that also.  The process of community involvement is as important
> as the artwork in this mural.  The challenge is getting multiple
> artists/ideas into a coherent mural.  I think the sketch's division by
> squares / rainbow of symbols has the potential to incorporate many different
> perspectives into a unified landscape.  By allowing CBC students to follow
> through with their initiative here, getting community involvement (including
> the elementary school too) from experienced artists and beginners - this
> mural can serve many purposes.  It's a big enough bridge for us all to fit
> under it!
>
> CBC students would like to start attending the Thursday Market to assist us
> locals create potential design squares, have a children's drawing space, and
> raise a little $ for the project, but as of yet have not gotten the go ahead
> from Town / Market leaders.  Town / market leaders... what's up?
>
> For more info about CBC and its students go to www.pgcps.org/~cbc.
>
> Thanks for your time.
>
> Chris Martin
> 301-918-8726
> chrism at pgcps.org
>
>
>
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