As part of the closing session of the eight-week L.A. County Jazzed and Motivated (J.A.M) program, local artists recently invited the community to share their recipes and learn Bollywood dance at the Martin Luther King Jr. Multi-service Ambulatory Care Center.
Presented by the Ford Theatre Foundation, the program was held in conjunction with the start of a mural project at the medical center. Commissioned through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission as part of the upgrade and expansion of the Martin Luther King Jr. Medical Center campus, local artists PeQue Brown, Amanda Ferrell-Hall, Ronald Jackson, Toni Love and Carlos Spivey are participating in creating a temporary mural.
During the event, artists hosted a community dining table where different cultural foods were prepared and recipes were exchanged, gaining inspiration for the mural’s design.
The final mural will explore the relationships between art, culture and healthy communities.
Artists took time out to share their work with guests by drawing a self-portrait of each individual who wanted to participate. The final kick off also included an opportunity to learn and participate in Bollywood and Bahangra, which are forms of Indian-style dancing.
Achinta McDaniel, instructor from Blue 13 Dance Company, led the final session of dance and had everyone from toddlers to adults up on their feet.
“Culture music is God’s greatest gift to men,” said McDaniel.
