Commentary: Project Row Houses: Arts, Culture, and Collective Creative Action

Abstract

Comments on an article by Melissa G. Bublitz et al. (see record [rid]2019-60381-004[/rid]). Project Row Houses (PRH) was founded in 1993 to be the catalyst for transforming community through the celebration of art and African American history and culture. PRH cultivated an intentional spirit of attentiveness, constantly listening to the lived experience of community residents and stakeholders. Through arts and creativity, community enrichment, and neighborhood development, PRH has demonstrated over its 25-year-plus history that collective community art-making is a sustainable vehicle for community transformation. This radical exploration of social sculpture has transformed 39 structures in a historically underserved community and countless lives along with them. As a project where the contributions of innumerable participants have been welcomed and uplifted, these individuals have developed strong emotional ties of loyalty and pride to PRH and Third Ward. PRH is a leader in the field of community-based art, demonstrating the transformation that is possible on the individual and collective scale. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)