Stratton Academy of the Arts has been recognized with a $20,000 grant from Healing Illinois to support a new, arts-integrated initiative designed to foster racial healing, community connection, and a strong sense of belonging for students and the surrounding community.
The grant supports Healing Through Place, a collaborative project between Stratton Academy of the Arts and Dr. Jennifer Bergmark from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign School of Art + Design. The initiative will engage students in exploring local history, storytelling, and public art through four major components: a historical zine project, a school mural, a student-led oral history project and website, and a large-scale basketball court mural.
One major focus of the project is Stratton Academy’s namesake, Kenneth Stratton, who in 1961 became the first Black councilman in the City of Champaign. Through an arts-based research project, students will create posters and zines sharing the school’s history. Because Stratton Academy of the Arts is a designated “Point of Pride” on the African American Heritage Trail, this student research will also support the development of an official heritage marker.
Additional project components include a collaborative school mural created with artist Oscar Joyo, who will work alongside students to design artwork celebrating African American culture and local history. Joyo’s visit to Stratton is scheduled for the week of February 23rd. Students will also participate in an oral history project led by a local artist-educator, developing interviewing skills and creating audio documentation of community narratives. The project will culminate with the creation of a 58-foot by 101-foot basketball court mural by a local artist, transforming a shared space into a powerful visual symbol of community and pride.
Together, these experiences are designed to help students explore the role of art as public pedagogy while strengthening connections between school, history, and community.
Healing Illinois is funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services in partnership with The Field Foundation of Illinois and United Way of Champaign County. The statewide initiative supports projects that foster racial healing and community healing by honoring the histories, experiences, and voices of Illinois communities.