Large crowds at first library arts fest
Lisa Riley
Published: September 1, 2004
And the crowd goes wild! This is not something one expects to hear in association with the traditionally hushed halls of a library.
But the Thurgood Marshall Library African American Film and Cultural Festival elicited laughter, applause and even stopped Saturday afternoon traffic at one point during its first run August 5-7, 2004, which attracted more than 525 participants.
A stilt-walker leans over to cheat with one of the library's visitors.
Photo: Michael Stanley
Originally conceived as a forum for African American films to be viewed and discussed, the festival grew to be much more.
Over a six-week planning period, the entertainment line-up was expanded to include the ALYO Children's Dance Troupe, which kept the crowd on its feet with its traditional African dance moves, the famous, traffic-stopping Jesse White Tumblers, a jazz band and African drummers.
By the time the festival concluded, residents had also been treated to a rousing poetry slam that featured Red Storm of HBO's Def Poets fame, Tara Betts and other thought-provoking poets, and an arts and crafts exhibit.
This was all in addition to the original line-up of documentary, independent and commercial films that played continually every day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Coinciding with the library's tenth anniversary, the festival idea was conceived by the Arts, Culture and Open Space subcommittee of the Auburn Gresham planning task force to bring awareness to the library's presence.
Attendance at the Thurgood Marshall Library is low, something that came to the attention of subcommittee members as they did their research in the community.
"On a good day, between 60 and 75 people visit the library," said Michael Stanley, NCP organizer for the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corp. "We think that those numbers are far too low for such an important neighborhood resource. The festival was created to promote awareness of the library's existence and to let people know about the many services the library has to offer."
Black Earth Jazz Band was among the live music arts.
Photo: Michael Stanley
Residents who enjoyed the festivities were encouraged to sign up for library cards and offered an opportunity to register to vote. Forty-five new library cards were distributed and the voting election commission added 20 new voters to its rolls.
The majority of attendees of the festival were children as local day camps and day cares attended in large numbers. The difference in numbers between children and adults can also be attributed to the timing of the event, which was held during the day on Thursday, Friday and Saturday—traditional work times. This does not take anything away from the success of the event, said Stanley.
"Many people from the community who came to the festival didn't even know that there was a library here and now they do," he said. "We averaged 143 people a day and if just some of those people who hadn't come before keep coming back, we've accomplished a lot. So yes, I believe we were successful."
The Jesse White Tumblers drew a crowd and temporarily stopped traffic.
Photo: Michael Stanley
So successful, in fact, that the Arts, Culture and Open Space subcommittee is already planning for more. "The festival was a good way to bring families into the library," said Patricia Meyers, chairman of the subcommittee. "We would like to make it an annual event and we're also planning to offer some programs, particularly those for children, more frequently."
The library is located at 7506 S. Racine Ave., (312) 747-5927. Learn more on the Chicago Public Library web site.