DIANE LEWIS

Diane Lewis is a community organizer and outreach advocate. She has directed several outreach initiatives including: the "Martin Luther King Jr. Day" winter wear and coat distribution; "This City Reads" site coordinator; Keep Akron Beautiful neighborhood beautification project and We Care Community Garden; "Souls to the Polls" voter drive, and founding director of "College Coming 2U," a financial aid and access program for under-served and underrepresented students.  She is passionate about finding ways to encourage, educate and empower others. A counselor by trade and a minister by calling, Diane utilizes this three tiered principle to, in the words of Mary Church Terrell, "lift as we climb."  Most recently, Diane has used visual arts and story-telling to bridge the gap between generations. She revisited the oral tradition of testimony as a means of passing down healthy narratives to help those struggling, move beyond negative circumstances. Diane is excited to continue her work by joining the League of Creative Interventionist to move beyond neighborhood, and connect as a community. 

DIANE'S PROJECT MENTOR:
Shane Wynn, Photographer and Artistic Director

2018 FELLOW PROJECT
POLAROIDS TO SELFIES: THE INTERGENERATIONAL STORY

Polaroids to Selfies captured stories of resilience, reconciliation, redemption and recovery in the East Akron Arlington St corridor. The project brought together program participants of varying demographic backgrounds to share via live on stage storytelling about their history, present, and future. The project spurred the formation of a consortium to address the lack of neighborhood resources. The project also moved foundation leaders to commit coming together once per month to formulate strategic plans to address local issues.