Displaying items by tag: mlk

Photos by SuperSource Media, LLC.

SARATOGA SPRINGS  — Ashley Campbell utilizes her artistic business to encourage local children to express gratitude for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) at the Saratoga Children’s Museum’s “Day of Gratitude.”

On Jan. 2, Coral and Blue Paper Co. partnered with the Saratoga Children’s Museum to honor MLK with hand-written thank you cards. Campbell, the founder of Coral and Blue Paper Co., began by reading My Uncle Martin’s Words for America to the children, and led a discussion of MLK’s use of love and peace to fight for African Americans’ civil rights. They concluded by hand-writing personal thank you letters, which will be hung at the museum all through February to commemorate Black History Month.

“I thought it would be really great to have kids write thank you notes to show gratitude for somebody who did something, not just a gift that they received,” said Campbell.

Campbell founded her company in 2017, when she realized there was a need for stationary for pre-K through 2nd grade kids. “I really wanted stationary with elementary lines and a creative space for artwork. I started looking for stationary stuff, kid-friendly stationary and couldn’t find any on the market.”

Her business has allowed her to flourish a mentality of dedicating gratitude among the youth. “It’s my mission to encourage gratitude, thoughtfulness and creativity though note-writing.  It’s also my mission to help parents by making it simpler for kids.”

Campbell explains, “Elementary-aged kids need space to write, elementary lines to help keep sentences straight, and an area to get creative.” 

The stationary has a line for boys and girls, where the front of each has a colorful silhouette of either a boy or girl writing at a desk.

“So, I went with a silhouette for every card. It goes back to a time when people did write their thank you notes.”

As for the inside, there is a blank canvas dedicated to the children’s artwork, with elementary lines below where they can neatly write their heartfelt thoughts.

“I wanted to keep it really classic and simple on the front because I wanted what was most important to be on the inside the card; what the kids had to say.”

Coral and Blue Paper Co. Stationary can be found in Northshire Bookstore and Paper Dolls of Saratoga, three storefronts in Boston and is sold online, nationally.

Friday, Jan. 18 

The 4th Annual Dr. King Challenge, Win and Place Room, at The Holiday Inn, 232 Broadway.  7 p.m.
Opening Reception, light finger foods and cash bar.  8- 10 p.m. - Micro-performances in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., expressing the critical, "in-our-face" realities of our time - by regional performance artists, followed by dancing to the world jazz beat sound of Heard.

Saturday, Jan. 19

Caffé Lena, 47 Phila St. -   3 p.m. “Shout It Out!” with Garland Nelson. A historical, interactive African-American musical experience; 5 p.m.
Yaddo Presents: "Empowering Artists of Color" A Conversation with Kima Jones; 7:30 p.m. Creative Action Unlimited: a 40-minute staged reading performed by a cast of women who share their personal experience with issues of race, class and gender.  

Sunday, Jan. 20

Workshop:  Equity, Inclusion, and Understanding Implicit Bias with Ray Anderson, 2 -p.m. at Saratoga Springs Public Library, 49 Henry St.

Aretha Franklin Tribute and The Heavenly Echoes, 7 p.m. at The Parting Glass, 40 Lake Ave.

Monday, Jan. 21

Day of Service Volunteer Project, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at Dutcher Community Room, Saratoga Springs Public Library.

CommUnity Celebration with Special Guest Artist/Activist Daryl Davis, 2 p.m. at Presbyterian New England Congregational Church, 24 Circular St.

An Evening of Music and Conversation with Daryl Davis, 7:30 p.m. at Caffe Lena. Tickets $15, to benefit MLK Saratoga. Advance purchase recommended for this event.

Events are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted. For more information, go to: https://www.mlksaratoga.org/celebration/