As protests over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis continue across the country, a group of local Greenville artists has banded together to put socially-minded poems on buildings across Greenville County. Muralist Adam Schrimmer of Blank Canvas Murals teamed up with poet Kimberly Simms of Wits End Poetry to develop the OneGVLarts project to create art that raises awareness about social equity issues in the Upstate of SC. While Schrimmer secured the locations and painted the murals with fellow muralist Alexa Ternes, Kimberly Simms curated the poets and selections which include herself as well as local African-American poets Moody Black, Bittersweet, Black Phoenix, Jenice Pleasant, and Glenis Redmond. The project was born out of the artists’ desire to shine a light on the inequality that people of color live under but also to celebrate the beautiful, diverse voices of Greenville, SC.
The project is also an opportunity for local artists and poets to be part of the recent protests in a way that impacts their local community. “The OneGVLarts project is bringing together artists of all walks of life to collaborate on the theme of social justice and to create a platform for artists to tell their stories in their own voices,” said Kimberly Simms, Director of Wits End Poetry. The funding for the project came from Wits End Poetry who recently received funding as part of the federal CARES relief. “These pieces are intended to spur on the conversation about racism. I want people to read them out loud. A person’s truth is a powerful thing, it can make you uncomfortable, which is a sign of growth. Public art can be used for beautification, but it is also a tool for social change,” said Adam Schrimmer who is a community-engagement artist. More information about the project is available at www.OneGVLarts.com or on social media @oneGVLarts @witsendpoetry.
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