Pride Fest, MLK39 Mural, & Library of Things

It's a very busy month in Hamden and at the library. In this episode, we talk to Jacky Forcucci, a co-founder of Hamden Pride Fest (which takes place on June 10th) and Emida Roller, the artist who created the MLK39 mural that will be unveiled before the  Hamden Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom on the 17th. Our head of technical services Jessica returns to tell us all about our new Library of Things. And Michael Wheatley spirits us away in an overview of the animated film creations of director Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli.

Transcript

Michael Pierry
Hello, and welcome to the Hamden Library podcast. I'm your host, Michael Pierry. And this is a very busy month in Hamden and at the library, in addition to Hamden Fest, which will already have happened by the time this episode goes live. There's also Pride Fest on June 10, and the Juneteenth Celebration on the 17th. For this episode, I spoke with Jacky Forcucci, the head organizer of pride fest, as well as Emida Roller, the artist who created the special Martin Luther King mural that will be unveiled on June 17. Here at the library, plus our head of technical services, Jessica Dans returned to the podcast to tell me all about our brand new Library of Things. And Mike Wheatley spirits as a way to Japan and one of his favorite animation companies. Studio Ghibli.

Michael Pierry
Jacky Forcucci works as a contract administrator for the Department of Defense, and is a founding member of Hamden Pride. Her wife, Amanda, also a founding member, has lived and worked in Hamden since 2006. They have three children, Johnny, Sawyer and Fitzgerald. Jacky's goal in creating Hamden Pride is to connect members of the LGBTQ+ community and provide them with resources. An equally important goal is to raise awareness, foster acceptance, and strengthen partnerships within the local community. Jacky Forcucci, thank you for being here.

Jacky Forcucci
Thanks for having me.

Michael Pierry
So what is the message of Pride? And what does it mean to you personally?

Jacky Forcucci
Um, the message of Pride is celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, and being proud of who they are, who we are, and living openly and authentically as ourselves. And what it means to me personally, is being able to be proud that I am married to a woman and have three beautiful children being proud and secure of marriage I have in the family I have.

Michael Pierry
That's awesome. And I think that leads into the next question, which is, why is Pride important, not just for adults, but for kids and families?

Jacky Forcucci
I think there's a lot of things that are learned behavior. So you know, we've often heard that hate is behavior. So the opposite of hate would be, you know, acceptance and embracing somebody for their differences. So, you know, that kind of behavior is learned at a young age. So I think it's important to expose families and children to Pride, and the LGBTQ+ community.

I think, you know, you can imprint children from a young age by bringing them to Pride events, and just, you know, connecting with members of the community, you know, even for like a playground meet up. You know, in order to see that all families look different, I think allowing educators to teach children within even elementary school all the way up through high school about what it means to be part of the LGBTQ+ community. I think when children are exposed to what the LGBT community looks like, it teaches children how they can be powerful allies, as adults, not only as adults, but for example, my 12 year old autistic son, he is very, very proud to be an ally, he does not identify as, you know, queer, you know, he's, he's young, so you know, his, who knows his gender identity, his sexual orientation could change. And of course, we embrace that. But he is part of the rainbow club at Hamden Middle School. It's a club of about six peers and a teacher that leads it and you know, members of that club either identify as LGBTQ+, or an ally, although I don't even think I have to say LGBTQ+ or an ally, because as we all know, LGBTQIA+ includes our allies. So even our allies really are part of the LGBTQ community.

I think that's an important focus to kind of hit home with is you don't have to identify as LGBTQ to be part of the community, just being a powerful ally, entitles you to being part of the community. So yeah, I think I think it teaches children how to be allies when they're exposed to Pride and expose to the LGBTQ community in a positive manner. But also, you know, young children age four or five, six, you know, they go through puberty and they go through, you know, teenage years and they go through life trying to discover who they are, what their interests are, who they see themselves as you know, that includes their pronouns. That includes their sexual orientation as they get older. And I think, you know, a family that doesn't allow their children to see what our community looks like, because they might think it's not relevant to them. Because who knows, you know, if they live in a traditional family with mom, dad, brother, sister, and no queer uncles, no queer aunts, or relatives or friends, and they think it's not necessary, or it's inappropriate to, you know, expose them to the LGBTQ+ community, they're doing them a disservice, because you don't know who your child is going to become. You really don't. And the best thing you can do is expose your children from a young age, and just accept and embrace who they become and also the people that you meet in that journey.

Michael Pierry
Yeah, I think that's very well said. We know the statistics and trends out there as far as LGBTQ kids being at risk, yes. So we want to encourage them towards self acceptance, for sure.

Jacky Forcucci
Agreed. And one of our vendors that are coming to Pride this year is the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, because of the fact that LGBTQ+ youth are at risk for suicide. So there'll be tabling at the event on the 10th. And we also Hamden Pride committee, we walked in their Out of the Darkness walk in the past, past October, it was in support of the American Federation for Suicide Prevention.

Michael Pierry
Excellent. What else can we expect at this year's Pride Fest?

Jacky Forcucci
So we're going to have all the same awesome kid activities that we had last year that will include some sort of inflatable to be determined if that will be a bounce house or some other sort of inflatable, such as an obstacle course, we'll have face painting again, potentially tie dye. And this year, which is a little different, we're also going to have drag queens posting and performing at our pride event.

And I know that for some is a controversial matter. Unfortunately, the drag community has been very misunderstood and misrepresented by people who you know, choose hate instead of love and you know, spew inaccurate information. But you know, we have Barbra Jean St. Sand and summer Orlando hosting and performing, they'll be doing a storytime. There'll be doing a number of Disney Kids Songs and performances. So it will all be PG family friendly. So you know, we're excited for that for the kids to be exposed what drag is and what drag can be, you know, and then in addition to that, we have Carrie Ashton performing as well again this year, she came last year and was a big hit. So she's coming back to perform with us. And Ro de Silva is another performer who will be performing.

And I think just a bunch of vendors we're excited to have yet again, you know, 35 to 40, possibly more vendors that include nonprofit organizations, community organizations, craft businesses, and of course, your food trucks, which, you know, we're excited. We have one vendor, that is a food truck. We have several but one that I'd like to point out. It's called Nibbles and Noms food truck. They're a gourmet taco truck, and they are LGBTQ owned and operated. So that's exciting. Nice. Yeah.

Michael Pierry
So besides attending Pride Fest, what can people do if they want to support LGBTQ+ rights in Hamden?

Jacky Forcucci
So this is this one? I feel like it's a little trickier. I, you know, when I think about that, I don't really get down to a very detailed, specific level of when I think about my rights, you know, but I think that question made me pause and I need to do some further research on my own even. But I think it starts by just simply taking the time out to ask questions and to understand something before you spread misinformation. I think that could be some thing as small as like, last year, we had a crosswalk painted near the middle school, rainbow. And unfortunately, it brought about a lot of criticism and even hate towards the LGBTQ+ community.

We hope that we can uncover what's under that hate, which is often just, you know, misunderstanding in order to kind of solve that problem, but something as simple as asking questions before coming to accusations. For example, the town got some slack for the community. Some community members thought that the town paid for that crosswalk and Fiscal Responsibility is a hot topic in the town. And you know, it was just something as simple as communicating that all the time and materials were donated by Guidelines LLC, which is a business, instead of the town funding it. So, you know, you had some hateful comments, unfortunately, that were just inaccurate. You know. And so I think one way to support LGBTQ+ rights are just to do your research and to really find out what's going on before spreading gossip and not fully understanding the issues and the scenarios.

I think it also goes towards, you know, just voting for any legislation and political candidates that have a platform that support the LGBTQ+ community, I think it's great to see diversity in your town representatives as well. Diversity in all matters, not just LGBTQ+, but in other, you know, races, ethnicities, I think, you know, one way to do that is in the educational system, I think, allowing our amazing educators to, you know, make decisions for your children, that touch upon health education, and allowing them to teach about gender identity and sexual orientation and teach about the LGBTQ+ community because that goes back to what I was saying about children and, and understanding what that looks like, and all the benefits that come from that.

So I think it's just trusting the education system to do what they were hired to do. And that's educate, I think, you, you can ensure that your workplace does not have discriminatory practices in place and ensure that your workplace, you know, doesn't fire or, you know, improperly treat somebody based upon their sexual orientation. You know, I think it's just but you know, the most important thing is getting out and voting for platforms that don't hurt our community, and just educating yourself on the issues and the political candidates that are running for office.

Michael Pierry
Yeah, I think, as you said, there are a lot of sort of hateful or ignorant comments that are made, especially on social media platforms. And yes, it's very easy to just go online and say whatever you want to say, without doing any kind of research, as you said, so yeah,

Jacky Forcucci
it isn't exactly right. I mean, but you know, I was even targeted with some hateful comments that all came out of social media, for example, last year after the fundraising, somebody behind a computer had the audacity to say to me after other comments were made that were inaccurate, like how, basically, the LGBTQ+ community doesn't need representation, we don't need our own special events that we're not, we're not targeted, yada, yada, yada. But somebody made the comment to me that my wife was not having the rights that I do as a mother -- and I'm going to just paraphrasing -- because she's not the biological mother of our children. And I had to laugh in a way because just a little side fact about my family, we went through a process called reciprocal IVF. And we actually transferred my wife's embryos, and I carried the pregnancy. So my daughter is literally if you see her the spitting image of my wife, and very much biologically hers, and had somebody seen us face to face, they may have even made that connection, you can just tell by their eyes. It's amazing.

And not that, you know, not that biological even matters, I come from a very blended family, I have adopted siblings of my own. And so it to put any sort of biological argument into it is completely, you know, irrelevant, in my mind anyway, and doesn't make you any less or more of a parent or a sibling. But just the fact that this person had no basis of an argument, first of all, and was hiding behind a computer, I just had to shake my head. And at a certain point, my wife was even, like, "just step away from your computer", because these people, unfortunately, on social media, they don't care what they say, because they're not held accountable to it. Because, you know, they only go looking for confirmation of their own unfortunate, hateful thoughts. And they're not exposing themselves to a world in which conversation flows in favor of trying to, to kind of shed some light on the things they don't understand.

Michael Pierry
Yeah, that's very true. They are. They're generally looking for just more confirmation. 

Jacky Forcucci
Yeah.

Michael Pierry
Well, I'm, I'm, yeah, I'm sorry that you were the target of that. That sounds not fun. But I think your wife is right that you just have to step back and let it let it roll over you at some point because there's really not too much -- There's no real accountability for what people say, on Facebook or the like.

Jacky Forcucci
Agree, agreed and, and you're always gonna have some people that don't support you. And, you know, it's just a matter of unfortunately coming to terms with that. And, you know, I do feel like I have a lot of friends in the community. The teachers are very supportive, the mayor is very supportive of the community, you know, business owners that my wife and I walk in, you know, and they don't, you know, they don't care that it's a two mom family coming in, they just like, "Oh, your kids are so cute". And you know, it's just so yeah, you're always gonna have a few that don't support you. But hopefully, one less each day, if we can make a positive impact to change one person's mind each day, and slowly, maybe hundreds of years from now we can see a different future.

Michael Pierry
I think it's a great goal, to do it that way. So the last question I wanted to ask was sort of the flip of the previous, which is, what kind of support is available in Hamden for LGBTQ people.

Jacky Forcucci
So I'm sure there are so many that I'm not even aware of, unfortunately. Like we mentioned, at the beginning of this interview, I only moved to Hamden in 2019. I was pregnant with our daughter, when we moved, you know, gave birth to her kind of sheltered us in just through the early stages of motherhood. And then COVID changed our world completely, and things shut down.

Jacky Forcucci
So it wasn't really until last year, 2022, that I felt like we were starting to get out and about, which included going out to more restaurants, making connections in the community. That's when the committee began; the Hamden pride committee was 2022. And since then, I've learned about a lot of great organizations. But again, just disclaimer, I know there's a lot of other ones out there that I'm just not informed of, but a few that I hope to shed some light about and just share. One would be Anchor Health. It's an organization within Hamden, it's Connecticut's, leading health care center for the LGBTQ+ community. They had a table at our Pride event last year, I have reached out to see if they can return again this year to share some resources with the community. But they are right here in Hamden. You know, and then there's some where -- then there's other organizations, where maybe not their sole customer base or their sole clientele, identify as LGBTQ+, but they certainly embrace the LGBTQ+ community in various roles.

One, for example, is a doula company, company's a poor choice of word, but a doula network called Empowered Beginnings, and they are right here in Hamden as well. When I gave birth to our son, I decided, "Hey, what the heck, I'm gonna hire a doula". The doula was, you know, one of the Empowered Beginnings doulas, and she was amazing, completely accepted my wife and I, and our, you know, our marriage and what our family looks like, and come to find out, you know, kind of in the dark times of postpartum that many mothers face and not just mothers, but you know, fathers and, and any parent, there was an LGBTQ+ parent group, just within Empowered Beginnings. So there are a dozen, maybe more parents that identify as LGBTQ+ parents. They don't all live in Hamden, but we meet in Hamden. And so that's a great resource for any LGBTQ+ expecting parent to look into, because they, they completely embrace the LGBTQ+ community.

I know, there's just great organizations in general, like Best Video was, you know, had a film series this past winter that Hamden Pride collaborated with East Rock House and North Haven Pride Center, I'm sorry, New Haven Pride Center. We partnered with those two organizations, and we featured a four-film film series at Best Video in Hamden, and we hope to partner with Best Video for other LGBTQ+ films and events in the future. So they're a great business that, you know, certainly supports our community and we'll hope to have more programming just for the LGBTQ+ community. And then even outside of Hamden, you know, in nearby towns and the New Haven County, there's great groups such as, you know, an LGBTQ+ bowling group, Q Plus is an organization. There's just so many great organizations. And then there's Another Octave, which is a fe- -- a lesbian chorus that are based out of Hamden. They were at our event last year, I'm not sure if they'll be attending this year, but you know, they're right out of Hamden as well, so. And I think there's more. And if I can learn about one or two more each year, then that's kind of my goal because we're a nice big town with a lot to offer for everyone and, and our community in specific.

Michael Pierry
That's excellent. Well, thank you so much, Jacky. This has been a really great conversation. I've really enjoyed it. And I hope that people will, will come out and you get a great, great crowd for Pride Fest; even better than last year.

Jacky Forcucci
Thanks. That's our -- We hope so, too.

Michael Pierry
All right, thanks.

Jacky Forcucci
Alright, thanks. Take care.

Michael Pierry
Jessica Dans is Hamden Public Library's head of Technical Services. Among many other things, she is responsible for cataloging the bulk of what we call our Library of Things, a brand new collection that we began offering to patrons recently, Jessica Dans, welcome back to the podcast.

Jessica Dans
Thank you for having me. It's good to be back.

Michael Pierry
So what is a Library of Things?

Jessica Dans
A Library of Things is a collection of nontraditional library items that you can borrow. So instead of books and DVDs, you've got equipment, games, and gadgets. The idea behind it is that we want to be able to offer people things they could either try before buying, or let them borrow things that they may use infrequently, rather than purchase it. So even though the idea even though the items are non traditional, the idea itself is very much in keeping with the tradition of libraries of resource sharing and reducing waste.

Michael Pierry
Yeah, absolutely. Makes perfect sense. So what makes Hamden Library of Things special? Are there any unique items being offered?

Jessica Dans
We've got the collection broken down into a few different categories right now. So we have audiovisual and technology, automotive, crafts and hobbies, games, health and wellness, and home. So that's what we have now. And as the collection grows, we may branch out into more categories.

So for the audiovisual category, we have some items for photography, if you're a blogger or Instagram or if you're looking to sell something on eBay or Facebook Marketplace, these things can help you elevate your photos and make them more appealing. We have a tripod that you can use with either a 35 millimeter camera or phone camera. And we also have a 12 inch life studio box so you can get professional looking lighting on your smaller objects that you may be trying to sell. We have a specialty lens set for phone cameras, and that will give you effects like telephoto wide angle fisheye lens for your camera that works on both Android and iPhone single lens cameras. Some other audiovisual equipment we have includes old media converters, so if you have like old VHS tapes that you want to convert to digital or even old slides or film negatives you'd like to convert, we have a couple of different devices that will help you with that.

Also, we've got some handy automotive tools we have a diagnostic car code reader, which if you got when those lights on your dashboard that's lighting up you can just plug that in to your car and it'll help you identify common issues or fix malfunctioning indicator lights or maybe even save you the cost of going to the shop for a diagnostic. We have an air compressor to inflate tires and you can use that on bike tires, air mattresses, pool toys as well. And we have a battery charger, it won't jumpstart your car but if you have a low battery, it could bring you to a full charge. You can also use that on other batteries as well. So like if you have your lawnmower in the in the garage all winter and you want to charge that battery you can use that for that as well.

Michael Pierry
Ah, okay.

Jessica Dans
We have some fun craft and hobby kits. We have beginner kits if you want to learn how to knit, crochet, or learn or origami. And now the weather is getting nice. We have a hiking kit, which is a backpack filled with equipment you can use on a hike as well as a copy of a Connecticut hiking guide.

And then we have our collection of games. Again, the weather's getting nice and people are hosting holidays and graduation parties. So we have some yard games you can check out right now. We've got lawn darts, bocce, cornhole and a giant Connect Four, and if your party gets rained out, we have plenty of indoor games as well. We've got Apples to Apples,  Telestrations, and a bunch of other games. Those we keep adding to daily so you can come in and check those out.

Michael Pierry
Yeah, I've seen that. I've seen it grow.

Jessica Dans
Yeah. [Laughter]

Jessica Dans
For health and wellness, there is a foam roller which can help you loosen your muscles, a light therapy lamp, maybe use that in the wintertime and a white noise machine. Like, for me the white noise machine I think is a perfect example of something you might want to try before you buy because some people says "Oh, the white noise machine, it really helps me sleep". Other people find it really annoying. And this way you can find out what your response to it will be before you spend any money on it.

Michael Pierry
Exactly.

Jessica Dans
Yes. In the home category, we've got some tools for DIY projects like a laser level and stud finder, and then a laser measure. We also have a light bulb changer with an 11 foot telescopic pole. So you have, if you have indoor or outdoor lights that are up high, you can use this and stop having to climb up a ladder. And finally, we've got the pizza oven, which everyone on the staff has been super excited about. And I hope that our patrons will be excited for as well.

Michael Pierry
Yeah. Well, that all sounds really awesome. I'm excited to check some of those things out myself.

Jessica Dans
Yeah.

Michael Pierry
Including the pizza at some point.

Jessica Dans
I'm a little afraid. I mean, it gets really hot.

Michael Pierry
Yeah, that's true. So how can people use the Library of Things? Is it easy?

Jessica Dans
It is easy. We have a display set up now. It's --  right now we just have it atour main branch Miller library on Dixwell Avenue. And we have a display on the first floor. We have, you know, limited space. So right now we just have old DVD cases with a picture of the item and what it is and a brief description. And you can just take that box to the checkout desk. And the library staff will get the item for you and check it out the items caught for three weeks, and you can only check out one item from the Library of Things at a time.

Jessica Dans
There are a few extra rules for this collection. Checkouts are limited to adults 18 years or older with a library card in good standing, and you also need to sign a lending agreement when you check out. Some of the things have multiple pieces, and you're responsible for all the parts when you return it, so we've included a list of parts on the bags when you check it out. So when you're getting everything ready to come back to the library, you can just go through the checklist and make sure you have everything and the things do need to be returned in person at the desk where they were checked out. You cannot leave them in the bookshop.

Michael Pierry
That all makes sense. So when can I come in and check something out?

Jessica Dans
Well, Library of Things is up and running. So you can stop by Miller Library during open hours and find your thing.

Michael Pierry
Yay.

Jessica Dans
Yay!

Michael Pierry
That's great. Thank you, Jessica.

Jessica Dans
Thank you.

Mike Wheatley
My name is Michael Wheatley, and in addition to having worked at the Hamden Public Library for 17 years, I've been affiliated with Best Video Film and Cultural Center here in Hamden since 1985. June is among other things, the month of Father's Day. In May I shared a list of some of my favorite Mother's Day films. This month, I'm going to focus on several films and the film company that made them. The first highlights my favorite cinema Father.

What would you say of a man who completely upends his life, moves to the country with his two young daughters away from the city, and is forced to bus every day to his university position because he wants to be in a more healing environment for his wife in the hospital? The film is the 1988 Japanese animation "My Neighbor Totoro", and the father Tetsuo Kusakabi, and his daughters Satsuki and Mei, approximately 10 and four years old, respectively.

Fathers in animation, especially American animation, tend to be more like Homer Simpson, film critic Roger Ebert of Chicago Sun-Times said of "My Neighbor Totoro", "one of the most lovingly handcrafted works of Hayao Miyazaki". In his review, Ebert said the film is based on experience, situation and exploration, not on conflict and threat, and added "it would never have won its worldwide audience just because of its warm heart. It is also rich with human comedy in the way it observes the two remarkably convincing, lifelike little girls. It is a little sad, a little scary, a little surprising, and a little informative, just like life itself. It depends on a situation instead of a plot and suggests that the wonder of life and the resources of imagination supply all the adventure you need".

This is one of my favorite films, not just animated films. But where did it come from? Why has Hayao Miyazaki been compared to the Disney of Japan and his Studio Ghibli a national treasure in Japan with a museum in Tokyo and reproduction of the country house that Sazuki and Mei and their father lived in in the movie as the sole remnant of the 2005 Aichi World Expo? On the 30th anniversary of "My Neighbor Totoro", in an interview, Miyazaki said "entertainment back then was all without guns, action and speed, I wanted my movie to be peaceful, tranquil and innocent. I wanted to create that kind of world. Also, I wanted to prove that a movie like this could be successful".

Studio Ghibli was founded on June 15 1985 by the directors Hayao Miyazaki, and Isao Takahata and producer Toshio Suzuki after acquiring Topcraft's assets, the company that produced "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind" in 1984, Miyazaki, his masterpiece adaptation of his manga series. "Nausicaä" was my first intro into Miyazaki, by way of a terribly edited VHS tape edition released by New World Pictures called "Warriors of the Wind" that we still might have at Hamden's own Best Video. The restored DVD US release distributed by Disney is voiced by actors such as Patrick Stewart, Uma Thurman and Alison Lohman. It is an engagingly beautiful story of environmental disaster, national greed and the bravery and intelligence of a young princess.

In 1997, Studio Ghibli released "Princess Mononoke". There was a small independent art theater in downtown New Haven that some of our listeners may remember called York Square Cinema that deserves a podcast unto itself. I remember seeing "Princess Mononoke" a there my first Ghibli film on a big screen, I was blown away. I do recommend this to be shown to a slightly older crowd as opposed "Totoro" which is a perfect animation that can be appreciated by the very young and adult alike.

"Spirited Away" won the 2003 Academy Award for Best Animated Film along with a slew of other prestigious awards. It is considered by many to be Miyazki and Studio Ghibli his finest films. I have seen it many times and next to the original Disney's animated Pinocchio consider it to be one of my favorite animations on the screen. It is a story of a 10 year old girl unhappy about leaving her old lifestyle she's traveling in a car to her new home with her parents and discovers and abandon amusement park filled with spirits or parents violate a ritual by eating food set out for the spirits and are punished along the way to freeing her parents from a witch's spell. She has amazing adventures centered around a bathhouse for spirits. One of the interesting themes is the cleansing of a fearsome river spirit that rewards her with a magical item. As a teen one of Miyazaki Jobs was helping clean polluted rivers there are so many environmental references in Miyazaki and studio Jim Lee's work be prepared in spirited away to be carried away by a Japanese mythology.

There are 25 works attributed to Studio Ghibli. Amazing work. Miyazaki has retired several time the last time was "After the Wind Rises" in 2013, a semiautobiographical film about an aeronautical engineer working before the Second World War, who contributes to developing what becomes a fighter plane without realizing. This year he will be releasing a new film, "How Do You Live". It's described as inspired by the 1937 novel of the same name by  Genzaburo Yoshino, but has an original story that is not a direct adaptation of the novel. The book exists in the film as a story within a story. Who knows? Maybe this will be my new favorite Studio Ghibli film.

Michael Pierry
When Emida Roller says that art is in her blood, it's not a figure of speech. She had the good fortune to be mentored by her father, the renowned Nigerian artist Solomon Irein Wangboje. Emida received her formal training at the University of Benin, Nigeria, in Fine and Applied Arts. She also earned an MFA and an MA in art education from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. She started her mural painting business wall designs by Amita. In 2003. As a Rise Up For arts creative team member she has painted murals across the state of Connecticut. Emida Roller, welcome to the podcast.

Emida Roller
Thank you.

Michael Pierry
So what inspired you to become a mural artist?

Emida Roller
Well, about two decades ago, I had four little children running around the house. So I actually have a degree in metal design. I do love 3d sculptures. But at that stage in my life, I just couldn't deal with fire and metal and hammers and all that stuff. So I switched back into painting. I went to a Parade of Home once, and they was a spec home, and they had this beautiful murals in the children's room. And I thought, you know, "I could do that in between my children schedule it". So that sparked an interest. And I thought, "Well, I'm gonna do it". And I started it. And I was able to do it between, you know, running the kids, wherever they need to be and make an appointment with builders and homeowners. And that's how I started.

Michael Pierry
So were you always interested in creating collaborative art in public spaces,

Emida Roller
I think, let's see. In 2014, is when I started doing more of a collaborative kind of mural projects. Before that, I just worked by myself, neh. And then I joined the a nonprofit mural program that were just getting started. And it was working with the community working with at risk youth. And we worked with a fabric, which is what I use now called Polytab. And it's a mural fabric where you can create a mural on the fabric without being at the wall, and then install it later. So it made it very easy to roll the fabric up with all -- everything prepped and ready to go, most like paint by number, kind of the. And then take it to the schools, take it to the community centers, meet the people where they are by an unnecessary.

Know, because sometimes it's busy streets, and they have scaffolding ladders, and all that, it just becomes a little chaotic. But going to a community center, putting the fabric on the table, painting with everybody. Going to the schools to take look for alternative high schools where a lot of the time they just got reading, math, and whatever, they never got art. So we brought the mural in and once a week, they got to paint with us. And then we install it. I usually will finesse and finish it and make it look professional when it's all done, but it was about the collaboration. It was about doing it with the community or the students. So you know, and them owning it they think, well look at this, I was a part of this. And it's bigger than just the little piece I did on the table, but it's a part. My part helps complete this big piece. So it was, it was fun. And I just really fell in love with it. And I just thought that this is what I want to do. I want to work with people I want to I want to bring the fun and the joy of doing art to the community. And yeah, I've been doing that ever since.

Michael Pierry
That does sound really fun. I could see why you kind of become addicted to it and want to keep doing it. And so was that when you were still in the, in the Midwest?

Emida Roller
Yes. When I was, I worked in Madison, Wisconsin.

Michael Pierry
That's right.

Emida Roller
Yes. And then I moved here about three years ago.

Michael Pierry
Okay. And then how did you get involved with Rise Up for Arts?

Emida Roller
So I moved here in 2020. And everything was shut down.

Michael Pierry
Right.

Emida Roller
I didn't know anybody. We luckily found a place to live and you know, but I didn't know anybody. So somebody asked me, asked me if I'd joined the art group, the art guild. And I thought "really, ther's an art guild?"

And that's northwest, the quiet corner. And I went "sure I will join the art guild", and I did and it was all via Zoom. So I met all the ladies and gentlemen via Zoom. And right away they put me on the board, which is cool because they realized I had some skill and I'd been doing stuff professionally for a while. So I'm part of the board. And then I heard through them that a mural -- Putnam had the chance to have the MLK 39 mural and they opted in because they said "well, we have a muralist here so we can do one here" and, and that's how I got to meet Matt Conway. And while we prepare for the Putnam MLK 39, other cities were ready to go but didn't have muralists so Matt asked that, "would you be willing to?" I was like, "yes". I don't know anybody around here. I'm new. And I'm just glad to start over because I left everything behind when I left Madison. I thought "wow, how do I start all over again?"

And it's been a blessing just being able to do what I do and love to do, and there was a need for it. And I jumped this my first one was Southington, Connecticut. That was my first MLK (mural).

Michael Pierry
Oh really? Yes. That's actually my hometown.

Emida Roller
Really? That's the -- Have you seen the mural yet? It's right on High Street, I think. It's right next to the YMCA.

Michael Pierry
Okay. All I haven't seen it. I'll have to check it out. That's awesome

Emida Roller
That was my first one. It was really excited to work with the community out there and get it done was also a lot of fun.

Michael Pierry
That's wonderful. So, actually one of our own library staff members is represented in the mural, I believe. How did that come about?

Emida Roller
So when we decided what, what portraits will end up on the books on the library shelf, in this mural design, I like stock photos for the we need a librarian, we need somebody reading to children because it's about library and what happens in here. And I said, "Well, do we have somebody we can use rather than using a stock photo, can we?" And they're like, "Sure". And that's how her name came up. And like, I'd rather have somebody we know be on here rather than just in a generic photo. And then we chose the lady, the girl on the corner on the left there -- I think her name is Anaya.

Michael Pierry
Mmmhmm.

Emida Roller
So when we're talking about I want a one, one child smiling back at whoever's viewing the mural. Do we have anybody local that we can just ask her parent.

Michael Pierry
Yeah

Emida Roller
And she happened to be the student of the month, that month, we're talking about it. So we asked her mom, and mom's like, "Sure". And so I wanted, I wanted her looking back looking back at the audience, even though she's part of the reading group, but she's smiling at us. So Mom took that pose. And she's gonna be, she got to paint with me during the community engagement effort. That was so nice to have her there painting with her family. So --

Michael Pierry
Wow, that's great.

Emida Roller
Yeah, it was nice to be able to bring the human local, just I mean, we talked about this is all historical. This is yeah, this happened.

Michael Pierry
Yeah.

Emida Roller
But to bring the now --

Michael Pierry
The now. Yeah, yeah, exactly. So um, what is it? What's sort of what's the process of sort of like -- because I know you had two days of people coming to, to paint. And what's it like, sort of managing all that?

Emida Roller
Well, it's, it's imperative to be prepared. Yeah, didn't do all the work. Yeah, we have that. Because if I'm the one running it, and I have 60 people show up, I have to be ready. So I prep the fabric. And if it's, if it has images, I have images already drawn on it; if it's just the book spine, and I just have the strip of fabric ready for that book spine. And I have the paints already poured out into smaller containers with brushes ready to go.

So somebody comes up, "I want to paint", the tables are ready, the fabrics are on the table already, I have all the little containers, and they have even smaller containers already ready for pouring. And people can pour themselves without pouring from a can. I put them in smaller, easy to pour containers. And it's labeled and you see everything. So if I can't be at every table at every moment, I know that people can take whatever they need, and I give them instruction. And I let go of it because I realize that it's community engagement.

Now, people who come to paint, the most of them are not artists. The purpose is not the paintbrush, and who knows how long, but I tell them that it's just applying the paint, we just we blend the colors, if you see the pieces we've done so far, just magnificent. I mean, these are books' spine, and they're so cool. It's not like a boring book spine, it is multiple colors all smooshed and mixed in there. Just let everybody just run with ever -- whatever they wanted to do. And I think they were happy with that. Because all I have to do is, is cut out the shape I need from that piece of fabric and then write in the words on the book spine. And so the work they've done is the background of, of the box. So --

Michael Pierry
Yeah.

Emida Roller
So it's been prepared and just knowing that, just kind of go with the flow, and people are usually pretty patient to knowing that, you know, they wait their turn. I'm like, "Okay, what should we do next?" And, everybody was happy, happy to, to be a part of it.

Michael Pierry
Sounds wonderful. So I think the mural is going to be unveiled to the public on the 17th. Yeah,

Emida Roller
Noon, that's when we're planning to do it, I think.

Michael Pierry
Right, and I just wanted to ask you if Juneteenth and the legacy of Martin Luther King mean anything, particularly to you.

Emida Roller
Yeah, so I was born in this country, but I grew up in a different country. So I didn't get to that history of until I came back here and I got to understand the history and I think -- the way I look at Juneteeth is: think of Fourth of July 1776 when they sign that. Okay, that was just a start. It wasn't okay. We're not a nation. No, we have to fight for it, right? That's what I'm thinking of Juneteenth.

Okay, so that was the last of the enslaved people got to find out that they were free. Okay, now they're free. Now what? And that's what we're still fighting. That's -- even though we're going we're, we're moving forward to it's just like an uphill climb. But we're moving forward. And that's the way I see it. Because it's, it's not like "Okay, now it's done" and it's done. We're all, everything's all fine. No, it got even more dangerous, because now they were free.

So it's, that's the way I look at it. It's a celebration. I think that it should be part of the history, because I don't think a lot of people even knew what that meant until now. We were celebrating and we're talking about it like, "Really? There were still some people enslaved, even though they were supposed to be free already?"

You know, all that stuff. But this was the last group that got to find out that we are free. And so it's still it's great that great that this, you know, the conversation goes on, and we're moving forward. But it's such a slow pace, and it's just what it is. Um, I think this helps just having a mural.

The dream Dr. Martin Luther King had in the 60s, we're still talking about that now. I mean, it's like, this is 50 something years later, we're still talking about it. No. And so it is what it is. And I'm hoping that when we do this murals, and when people I think it's not just beautifying but its history and what has happened and how we're moving forward.

Michael Pierry
Yeah, absolutely. You know, so it's, it's a reminder that we've, we're still, we're still in it, like you said, yeah. Absolutely. Well, thank you so much for taking the time. I know you're, you're busy right now making it happen.

Emida Roller
I know everyone's like, Oh, it's gonna be beautiful. When it's done. I say, Yeah, because in my mind, I have designed it, but I still want to see what it looks like when it's done.

Michael Pierry
Yeah.

Emida Roller
And it's a big mural. And it has a lot going on. It's not a mural, you just want to drive by you want to stop and look at each piece and say, Okay, who are these people? What do they mean to Hamden?

Michael Pierry
Yeah, absolutely. I hope people do. Well, thank you again, thank you again, Emida.

Emida Roller
Thank you.

Michael Pierry
That's it for this month's episode of The Hamden Library Podcast. Look for a special bonus episode later this month. Talk to you then.