Timberland Corporation, our first corporate partner, has awarded ALRI a large grant to underwrite the 02863 Boot Project. This project entails volunteer ALRI artists mentoring students at the Central Falls High School, Central Falls, RI to use Timberland boots as a canvas for paintings. The ALRI artists will work with the art and technology teachers at Central Falls High School to lead the students through a design and execution process to paint their own pair of boots. In addition to the painters mentoring the students, volunteer photographers will document the project.

The students’ boots will be raffled at a community celebration in Central Falls in December 2007. Central Falls High School will use the funds raised for its arts program. Each participating ALRI artist will also paint a pair of boots. These boots will be auctioned at a celebration in Warren, RI, in spring 2008. The funds raised at this show will support future ALRI community based arts efforts. A photographic record will document the ALRI-Timberland 02863 Boot Project and will be on display at this event. In early 2007, the Development Committee of the Board of ALRI wrote and submitted a proposal to Timberland for a community arts project after hearing about the Timberland 10061 graffiti project in New York. In this project, imberland installed billboards made of boot leather as a canvas for graffiti artists from the New York boroughs. During the course of the 02863 project, Timberland may bring these billboards to Rhode Island to promote the ALRI-Timberland 02863 Boot Project. The billboards were a part of the 10061 project which linked urban activism with community arts. Along with the billboards, the 10061 project included a website with boots designed by hip hop artists, videos, a “DYOB” (design your own boot) section, and, most importantly, an area where community members could upload their own artwork for comments and rankings from other members.

The ALRI Timberland 02863 project expands the spirit of community involvement to an underserved, urban high school in Rhode Island. Not only is Timberland donating the boots and underwriting the material costs, they are also committed to publicizing the activities and events associated with the project. To assist them with public relations, Timberland will use an intern from Roger Williams University. This will mark the first three way collaboration between ALRI, a corporation, and a Rhode Island university. In order to make the raffle of the student boots in Central Falls a success, the project team, and Central Falls High School teachers and students will solicit sponsorship of a boot or boots from individuals or companies. If anyone knows of a potential sponsor or is interested in assisting with the project, please contact Johanna McKenzie at (401) 635-8958 (preferred) or johanna@mollynook.com.