Takema Robinson

2004

Takema Robinson

The Laundromat Project (TLP)

http://www.laundromatproject.org/

Brooklyn, New York, United States

Arts, Culture, Humanities

The Bold Idea:

Creating personal and social transformation by using the space in local coin-ops of communities of color to create and display art.

Rooted in the belief that art and cultural participation serves as an important pathway to civic engagement, The Laundromat Project aims to create socially relevant arts programming that is physically, conceptually and financially accessible to residents of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn by offering the programming in a functioning laundromat. Bedford-Stuyvesant is a neighborhood facing a host of social challenges -- from unemployment, to an HIV/AIDS pandemic, to gentrification.

Believing that tools of self-determination lie within creative practices, The Laundromat Project uses the space of local coin-ops to provide communities of color living on modest incomes with broad access to visual art as a tool of personal and social transformation. The Laundromat Project capitalizes on the "open space" of the laundromat to engage people that may not actively seek out an arts experience and/or those who may not be involved in social change initiatives. Through programs and workshops that focus on visual literacy, art making and exhibition, The Laundromat Project raises awareness around the issues affecting its community and create substantial opportunities for social critiques that lead to action. As a social enterprise, The Laundromat Project employs an innovative funding model, whereby income from the laundromat will provide a source of sustained revenue for the arts organization.

Biography:

Takema received her Master of Arts Degree in Art History and Visual Culture from Howard University in 2004. She has worked at numerous social service and arts organizations. Most recently, Takema coordinated Expanding the Walls, a program of the Studio Museum in Harlem.

In an interview with Echoing Green, Takema talks about starting The Laundromat Project and her hopes for the future.

Moment of Obligation: When and why did you decide to start your organization?
I’ve been involved in social change initiatives since I was a teenager. It was always clear to me that my path would involve service to others but I wasn’t always clear exactly how. The discovery of my own creativity through photography and the loss of a mentor who had committed her life to positive change sealed my decision to work with Risë on bringing The Laundromat Project to fruition.

Who do you look up to and why?
I admire my grandmother and my mother who are both educators and advocates. Without fellowships, grants, or great accolades, they committed their lives to the growth and development of others and they expect nothing less of me.

A snapshot in ten years: What is your dream of what's happening? What impact has your organization had?
When I dream about The Laundromat Project in ten years, I see a community full of artists who are not only creating provocative works of art but who are creating the positive change we all want to see in Bed-Stuy. I also see Risë and I opening new Laundromat Projects in Compton, Birmingham, West Philly, Bahia, Jo-burg…

What's in your CD player right now?
Dinah Washington, Mariam Makeba and Stevie Wonder.

What are a few book recommendations (pleasure, work and anything in between)?
Browngirls, Brownstones by Paule Marshall. The book is set in Bedford-Stuyvesant and tells a story of a young girl coming of age in our beautiful brownstone-lined neighborhood.

What websites do you go to often (work and personal)?
Blue Ridge Foundation’s (www.brfny.org) and New York Foundation for the Arts’ (www.nyfa.org/) websites are excellent resources for nonprofit development.

Quick piece of advice for people starting social change organizations:
Talk to lots of people about your idea. Be open. Be flexible. Be humble. Know that the mission is bigger than YOU!