Springfield Multicultural Festival

Happy #FeaturedArtistFriday! Today's featured artist is Ri Clark whose focus is on abstraction and mixed-media. A few words from the artist: "I started painti...ng in 2015 while finishing my B.S. in Biology at MSU. It was here, in the heartland that I took the first steps to explore the complexities of black womanhood and looked to reflect the image of the world through colorful expressions. Since that time my style of painting, the subject, and where I paint has changed. I would describe my work as vibrant, passionate, and communicative." You can find Ri Clark on Instagram @nonniebelle_ and on Facebook NonniB Paints. If you would like to be our next featured artist, submit an artist application here: https://docs.google.com//1FAIpQLSfhmNQD3EI6FTg_x1/viewform See more

As we continue to celebrate ethnic diversity in Springfield, this article is a very engaging and informative write up on how the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO is implementing better measures for diversity!

"For one has the right to shout. So, I am shouting.Clarice Lispector Happy birthday to this innovative genius of Brazilian letters, born December 10th, 1920. She was a Brazilian novelist and short story writer acclaimed internationally for her innovative novels and short stories. Born to a Jewish family in Podolia in Western Ukraine, as an infant she moved to Brazil with her family, amidst the disasters engulfing her native land following the First World War.

Springfield's Hidden History: Milly Sawyers Milly Sawyers was a slave who sued her way to freedom in 1836 in Springfield, Mo. She was beaten shortly afterward, and no one knows what happened to her after that. The Milly Project is the true account of an enslaved woman in Springfield, Missouri who won her freedom through litigation prior to the Supreme Court ruling on Dred Scott. Milly Sawyers is a heroine for all time, bold enough to imagine and proclaim her freedom and inali...enable rights. Through storytelling, spirituals, and historical accounts this theatrical troupe tells the story of Milly Sawyers and provides an insightful narrative that resonates across time. More information and updates about future performances can be found on the Milly Project's FB page : https://www.facebook.com/TheMillyTour/ Artwork created by L.G. Bedell To help promote the appreciation of different cultures here in Springfield, MO, please like and share our pages! FB: https://www.facebook.com/SGFMulticulturalFestival IG: @sgfmulticulturalfest

Really great article by Biz 417 to read about how Springfield is pushing for more diversity! Give it up to the people in your community fostering healthy change!

For Black writers and storytellers! EBONY STEWART is an international touring poet and performance artist. Her work speaks to the black experience, with emphasis on gender, sexuality, womanhood, and race. She is hosting an online workshop this Saturday, December 5th, for Black writers! This workshop will explore the joys of noticing while interrogating writer's block and giving writers tools to overcome them. Black folks can register for the FREE workshop at www.bit.ly/ebonyworkshop