The goal of Community Stepping Stones sounds simple: take talented, determined kids and give them a job learning to make art. But it's the program's impact that's huge. Kids graduate from high school and go to college, earn money, and learn the value — and challenges — of having a job while a neighborhood becomes a better place. Hillsborough Community College adjunct art professor Ed Ross and artist Michael Parker lead the collaboration with students from Tampa's Sulphur Springs neighborhood. Starting Tuesday, the HCC-Ybor Art Gallery hosts a multifaceted show of the group's latest works, from paintings and drawings to photographs of their recently-completed mural at Rowlett Park. The 80-foot-wide-by-20-foot-high image pays tribute to the neighborhood's strong female role models. This year, Stepping Stones won a "Healthy Hero Award" from the Drs. Kiran and Pallavi Patel Foundation for Global Understanding. I can't think of anyone more deserving. Tampa Neighborhoods Documentary Project featuring Community Stepping Stones, July 10-Aug. 1, with an opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Tues., July 10, HCC-Ybor School of Visual and Performing Arts, Palm Avenue and 15th Street, Ybor City, 813-253-7674.
This article appears in Jul 4-10, 2007.