Make Art. Spread Joy
Donate
The People's Joy Parade is a free event. Individuals, families, schools and community groups don't have to pay a big fee to participate.
People's Joy Parade does needs a staff to make the parade happen each year. We hire teaching artists and do free art workshops in schools, community centers and other spaces to provide unique art making opportunities to children and adults.
PJP provides art materials and donated supplies for creating art at the workshops it organizes. The People's Joy Parade thinks that it is very important to pay art teachers for their work, so we ask for donations every year. Some can give a little and some people can give a lot.
Thank you for donating to this art parade!
About
The People's Joy Parade was originally conceived by a group of artist in 2009, they started small with big joy.
Fellow collaborator Celia Shacklett started the FootBEAT choir, singing songs in the street. In 2010, Jennifer Callen (Shriner) moved to Saint Louis and joined the fun with Scott, Shacklett and Paulsen.
In 2011, Jennifer was asked to collaborate by coordinating the parade and she happily agreed. Many years later, Jennifer Callen is still currently coordinating this labor of love as the Executive Director. In 2017 Holly Lammert stepped up to fulfill a support position of Artistic Director and co coordinator. She was a member of the founding group of artist and other creatives that sat in the art space and brainstormed how to make it work in the very beginning. Through the years our many collaborators have made so much art with the community and for the community. The People's Joy Parade ebbs and flows each year with new faces and original performance art. It's popularity has made Cherokee street well known.
In 2022 People's Parade started to collaborate with Tower Grove Pride to do a New Orleans style parade down the middle of the festival. This year (2023) it has become know as "Pride and Joy". Now there are two festivals that this group collaborates with to bring Joy to the city!
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Many great minds have supported this project in countless ways! IF YOU ARE ONE OF THEM THANK YOU!!!
Thank you for making art and spreading joy.