Applications Accepted for Program Promoting Multicultural Understanding Through Art

A tile mural was installed at the new John D. Dingell Transit Center in Dearborn as part of the 2014 Pockets of Perception (POP) program. (Photos via Dearborn Community Fund)
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The Dearborn Community Fund (DCF) is accepting applications until March 31 from current 10th grade students who are interested in joining the nonprofit organization’s Pockets of Perception (POP) student design team.

Students who live in Dearborn or attend any high school in the city are welcome to apply to the program.

The full name of the POP project is “Pockets of Perception – We Are One Community.” It is designed as an apprentice style program to cultivate students’ creativity while encouraging multi-cultural understanding and community investment through the creation of public art.

Students to apply to the program do not need art experience. However, they must commit to meeting nearly every Saturday from September 2015 through May 2016 in order to receive a stipend when their project is complete.

“Students on the POP team collaborate with their teammates from across the city on different design concepts and, with the guidance of their instructors, come to a consensus on their project,” explains DCF Executive Director EmmaJean Woodyard. “They learn from artists and work with business professionals and city leaders to turn their collective vision into a real work of art that will permanently enhance the community.”

This is the third POP project since the program was introduced in 2010.

POP Team 3 will complete a mural to be installed in a public place. At the conclusion of the project, each team member will receive a stipend up to $1,000 along with great experience to list on college or job applications.

POP Team 2 recently unveiled their work: an impressive 20-foot-tall mosaic entitled “Transitions” that is the permanent focal piece of the new John D. Dingell Transit Center in Dearborn.

POP Team 1 designed two complimentary public sculptures that have been on permanent on display since 2012. The sculpture “We Are One Community – Arch” is located in City Hall Park at the southwest corner of Michigan Ave. and Schaefer. Its companion piece, “We Are One Community – Bench” is located in the West Dearborn Pocket Park on Michigan Ave. between Mason and Monroe.

POP applications are available by calling the Dearborn Community Fund at 313-943-5478 or online at www.DearbornCommunityFund.org. The application deadline is March 31, 2015.

POP is funded completely by donations. Individuals and companies interested in making a tax-deductible donation to support the program should contact DCF at 313-943-5478 or visit www.DearbornCommunityFund.org to donate online.

POP is one of the cornerstone programs of the Dearborn Community Fund, a nonprofit organization committed to providing enrichment opportunities and support of projects that enhance the quality of life in the city of Dearborn.

Woodyard notes, “The work of the DCF ranges from organizing activities that engage people in arts and cultural experiences, to partnering with schools and the City of Dearborn to plan and promote community events, to providing small grants or simply promotional support for the good work of other local nonprofit organizations.”

To see photos of past POP team students and their work, and to learn more about the Dearborn Community Fund, visit https://www.facebook.com/DearbornCommunityFund.

Donors who have supported the POP program since its inception in 2010 include The Ford Motor Company Fund, both the East and West Dearborn downtown development authorities, the Exchange Club of Dearborn, the Kosch Family Foundation and numerous other individuals.

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