STUN’s Brush and Canvass: a Weekend of Victories and Art
Album cover for Carson B. Davis's Hello, I Am a Hedge Apple Tree, songs from which featured at this months Rent Party event. Image taken from https://soundcloud.com/carsonbdavis.
Think back to the last time you put paint on a canvas, jammed out while playing the guitar, or cozied up to a movie. Art is all around us, and those cathartic moments of expression can amplify our hearts, convey our frustrations at injustice, and strengthen community. For us with STUN, housing justice is at the center of all we do, and as tenants, we have an intimate understanding of the power that our voices hold.
This is all the more effective in tandem with collective action, and during the weekend of September 12th, our community saw a string of reenergizing victories for Springfield tenants. These wins intersected with the art that exists all around us.
Every second Friday of the month, community members gather at the Third Place for Poets’ Corner, an open mic event that offers an environment for both artistic expression and unity. Local writers share their poems and short stories, and on September 12th, creatives focused their passion for the arts into tenant solidarity. Close collaboration between STUN and engaged Springfieldians fostered a one of a kind “Rent Party,” raising $600 to prevent the eviction of one of our neighbors. Filling the audience, there were 42 people in attendance at this event. The generosity of union members, allies, and our community is a reminder that when we fight together, we win together.
Over the course of that weekend, tenants across the city were activated through STUN’s September Mega Canvass. A dozen volunteers were trained on how to participate in door-to-door canvassing, and equipped with an enthusiasm for housing justice, the volunteers engaged in conversations with our neighbors about our Healthy Homes Guarantee (HHG) pilot. We shared our stories and Union goals with the public, building connections across Springfield.
After a busy Saturday afternoon of transformative conversations, STUN tabled at the Royal Music Hall and educated Springfield further while enjoying live performance. Carson B. Davis held a release show for his new album Hello, I Am a Hedge Apple Tree: the soundtrack for our night of deepened community engagement. Special guests Correna Jane Music, Patrick Mureithi, and Rhett Roberson also joined the ticket that evening. Between suggested donations and gifts, this benefit show raised over $500 for the tenant union.
Empowered by the arts, the weekend brought with it outpouring support for our efforts. We were able to prevent eviction, educate the public on the housing justice movement we are inspiring, and enjoy the most core reflection of human expression: art. As STUN continues to express our discontent with the state of housing in Springfield, we are fortunate to have each and every one of you as a part of our village.