The Delta Arts Project
Few, if any, schools in the Mississippi Delta are able to offer adequate time and money for exposing their children to the arts. These communities benefit from a positive presence that highlights its residents' creative energies and talents, as well as the established traditions and histories of the area.
The Delta communities of Drew and Rome, Mississippi, are committed to an approach that uses the fine arts to involve their residents in youth education, community service, neighborhood revitalization, and historic preservation. Local groups, including children, are engaged in activities such as community cleanups, the design of murals that highlight local heroes and histories, after-school art classes, and the renovation of buildings to house on-going projects. All of this results in the celebration and preservation of creativity, culture and community spirit in the Mississippi Delta.
In addition, both projects are being documented in an effort to publicize and preserve the work of the communities of Drew and Rome and have them serve as inspiration for other communities throughout the Delta and the Deep South.