Finding Phoenix at ASU

Everyone has a story. Every city has a history. In the spirit of community building, the Herberger College of Fine Arts Community Partnerships Office will launch its Finding Phoenix project this summer. Community members are invited to come to the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center in downtown Phoenix on June 26 to share stories about the former George Washington Carver High School and its place in the history of the Phoenix community. The Finding Phoenix project is designed to bring together individuals and communities to engage in dialogue about Phoenix's past, present and future. Inspired by the history-based civic dialogue projects of the Animating Democracy Initiative, project director and ASU alum, Kate Collins, wanted to explore how a similar history-based community engagement project might take shape in her current home of Phoenix. "Finding Phoenix celebrates the historical richness of our city. When we enter a place, such as the Carver, we enter the lives of people, individuals and communities, who deeply affected the life of our ciy's past and present," says Melanie Ohm, director of Community Partnerships in the Herberger College of Fine Arts. "Finding Phoenix is a long-term project that invites us to rediscover Phoenix and our connection to it." Finding Phoenix project sites selected focus on the Hispanic, Asian American and Native American historic properties in Phoenix.