by Ciara Spiller, EQ Magazine: Winter 2017
Anthony “Eve” Kemp’s spectrum for, color through artistry, enlightened the hearts and embraced the minds of people across the nation. Native to Flint Michigan, museum exhibit artist and musician; Kemp is committed to rebuilding his community and creating opportunity. Starting a foundation called the S.P.A.R.K. Art Project, Kemp is bringing the spark back to his hometown and community stricken by the lead based water crisis.
Founder of the S.P.A.R.K. Art Project, Kemp is putting the spark bock into deprived neighborhoods specifically Flint. “The project is about rehabilitation, refurbishing and art.. we look at how we can revitalize Flint bring back the morale, belief and to flourish in the 21st century..other than the water crisis..”
The mission of the project is to promote community organization and art. With assistance through the Mott foundation, Ruth Foundation, Michigan Initiatives and other organzations Kemp believes this will help the people of Flint.
Kemp is currently working on a future project called “Flint TED TALK: How to bring communities together from the inside out.” A 20/20 vision utilizing some of the heroes from the community as his mentor Theaster Gates has done in Chicago. Kemp adds, ‘We all feel a calling to go back in our community to give back and reinvent in our community, S.P.A.R.K Art Community
Center is where we become one in our consciousness to facilitate our own. This Ted Talk will become a global conversation for everyone.”
“I saw how much doubt and fear people have in Flint. If we have to live here we have to find out what is true and what is not. We want to give people hope. To pull everyone together to show them how and to bring in the best people to help along the way”
Kemp is also raising funds to open a library in Carriage Town closer towards the north side of the community which will house a donated collection of books from Ebony Magazine’s original Senior Editor Alex Pierre Poinsett. The library will be special in a
way because of the history that will be stored inside of the building.
Kemp is leaning on the community to come together to build, and to start looking out for one another again “It takes a village.”
Yes, it does take a village and our village has been deprived and broken for years. If you would like to know more about Anthony “Eve” Kemp and his art and other projects go to https://spark-art.org or
www.arrowspace11.com for more information.
