Community Canvas From Martin Luther King Day of Service Unveiled By Stamford Public Schools

STAMFORD, CT — A community collaboration art piece created during an annual Martin Luther King Jr. day of service is now on display in the lobby of the Stamford Government Center.

The approximately 4-by-4-foot canvas was created during the event hosted by IROSA Cares, Inc., a local nonprofit founded by Stamford Public Schools educator Catherine E. Stephenson.

On Saturday, Jan. 17, IROSA Cares invited Stamford Public School students and their families to join other community members at UConn Stamford for service projects designed to empower local youth.

Activities included writing letters to U.S. troops, creating Valentine’s Day cards for senior citizens, designing placemats for a local community center, painting Kindness Rocks, assembling hygiene kits for a local shelter in partnership with Kids Helping Kids, and contributing to the community canvas.

Local artist and spoken word poet Sahmra Sawyer guided attendees in adding to the canvas, titled "Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)."

According to the artist, "The piece is intended to reflect the dreams of Martin Luther King Jr. and the dreams of our youth and parents today. The artwork juxtaposes abstract expressionism, methods of free flow painting, randomized collaging using magazine images and recycled materials, and drawings and sketches."

"It is so exciting to see what can be created when art making opportunities are meaningful and relevant," said Robin Konrad in a news release. Konrad is the department leader for visual and performing Arts at Westhill High School and the Stamford Public Schools content area leader for K-12 visual arts.

According to Stephenson, a teacher at Stamford’s Davenport Ridge Elementary School, "Martin Luther King Day of Service is about a day on, not a day off. It is about giving back to others and working together in the spirit of Dr. King."

The annual Day of Service is one of several events the volunteer organization hosts throughout the year to support its mission of empowering youth.

During the event, Sawyer encouraged participants to add messages and sketches to the artwork, emphasizing spontaneity and inclusivity over planned composition. Organizers described the finished piece as a vivid collage celebrating figures who have paved the way for spiritual, cultural and collective progress.

Contributing artists include Nia Calhoun, Chase Bell, Sheena Bell, Reef Morgan, Isaiah Boakye, Leah Dardompre, Khloe Brown, Saleema Barry and Alexander Goncalves.

The community canvas is on display daily in the Government Center lobby, 888 Washington Blvd., during Black History Month. It will later be relocated to the fifth floor and incorporated into the student artwork displayed throughout the Central Offices of SPS.