From the Heart Presents: Colors of Pride
Video by Dr. Laura Sherwood, Founder of Transformative Arts Project
To kick off Pride month in full-effect, From the Heart, in partnership with Transformative Arts Project and The Frederick Center, hosted Colors of Pride, a jam-packed afternoon celebrating creativity, community, and mental health awareness among our LGBTQIA+ community. Colors of Pride was a tremendous success thanks to all of the talented artists and community members who made the event unforgettable.
The event aimed to break the stigma around mental health through the transformative power of art. The Frederick Center’s speaker panel left the audience feeling inspired, sharing powerful, emotional stories that resonated deeply with them. Their words emphasized the importance of creating inclusive spaces where every voice is heard and valued. Zariah Paris, an energetic, up and coming performer, brought her contagious energy and joy to the room as she facilitated a dance workshop. Creating the choreography herself, she taught the audience all the fun moves and emphasized the power of movement, and more especially dance, has on our mental wellness. Zariah will even be performing at Frederick Pride on Saturday, June 22!
Lanai Monroe guided attendees through a thought and feeling-provoking poetry workshop. Each participant received their own small notebook with a positive quote on the cover. The purpose of the workshop was to think about a moment in your life that sticks with you, and to think about how it made you feel. Using powerful words and words that create a visual piece in the mind, attendees created their artistic poems and even had a chance to share them with the crowd.
Shayne from the Frederick Center brought their artistic talents to Colors of Pride by facilitating a clay face making workshop that encouraged self-expression, allowing attendees to tap into their inner artists and share their unique perspectives. Although it was a clay face making workshop, participants allowed their creativity and self-expression to take them even further, creating animals, landscapes, and even used the other materials around them to form the clay, such as sticky notes and markers.
On behalf of all those involved in From the Heart, we extend our heartfelt thanks to the Frederick Center, Community of Grace Organization Inc., Frederick County Public Libraries, and UNESCO BMW for graciously sharing their organization’s resources and support. We are also so grateful for Chef Trini from Taste of the Island for the delicious spread of food ranging from fresh fruit to macaroons to fried chicken and waffles!
Colors of Pride was a beautiful reminder of the power of art to bring people together, foster understanding, and promote mental wellness. Thank you to everyone who celebrated with us to kick off Pride Month in style. We look forward to continuing this journey of breaking down barriers and uplifting each and every voice in our community.