HomeMy WebLinkAboutCover Letter 091825CELEBRATE!
MAYA PROJECT
To: Mr. Torrence Thrower, Development Specialist
Little Rock Planning Commission
From: Janis F. Kearney, President/Founder
Celebrate! Maya Project
RE: Cover Letter for site plan application for Celebrate! Maya Project - future
Dr. Maya Angelou House
Date: September 15, 2025
Thank you for this opportunity to share our plans for the construction of a new building at
1722 Wolfe Street, which currently includes approximately .6 acre of land, and a 2,750 square
foot home — the James Lewis house. Celebrate! Maya Project purchased the property from
Little Rock's Land Bank in November 2021.
In 2023. Celebrate! Maya Project applied for and received a rezoning permit from the Little
Rock Planning Commission, to renovate the existing 100- year old home, which we had plans
of renovating. However, in July 2025, our board voted to revise our plans.
Instead of renovation of the currently uninhabitable house due to toxic chemicals found inside
and outside the home, the agreement is that we construct a new building on the site. (We
continue to raise funds to help us in this effort.)
This new space will consist of a 3,100 square feet, two-story building. Space will be
delegated to 1) a Maya Angelou historical museum, 2) a cross -generational education and
community complex, and 3) an administrative office space.
Our goal is to transform this space within the historic Central High School district into a
thriving center for youth and adult educational events, community/public events,
opportunities for high school and college students to explore and gain career experiences, and
create collaborations with educational, nonprofit and community institutions within the
district.
We are excited about the opportunity to become a viable and contributing resident of the
historic Central High School district, with its rich history of the 1957 Central High School
integration crisis and the site of colleges, universities schools, churches and community
organizations. Our plans are to continue, and expand youth education services, and cross -
generational programs and community services, including:
• Youth writing, literacy, history, poetry art, gardening & sustainability programs
• After school tutoring, mentoring and summer camps
• A computer lab/library for students needing a place for afterschool studies or use of
computers.
• Cross -generational cultural arts events
• A Dr. Maya Angelou historical Museum and art gallery, available to global, national
and local visitors and students to learn more about this global icon. We have begun
discussions with the Little Rock Bureau of Visitors about including the Maya
Angelou Museum and Art gallery on their list of visitors sites.
• Public forums including community conversations, art exhibits, musical performances,
lectures, book talks and writing workshops
Administrative office space for program administrators, interns, volunteers and visitors
About the Celebrate! Maya Project: The Celebrate! Maya Project was established in
2014 after the death of Dr. Maya Angelou, iconic poet, author, educator and humanist
who spent much of her developmental years in Stamps, Arkansas. Shortly after her
Death in May 2014, a small group of women came together to create an organization
that would honor the memory, contributions and legacy of Mrs. Angelou through our
work with youths and small communities around the state of Arkansas --with a special
focus on Arkansas' most socially and economically challenged communities.
Celebrate! Maya Project was created to make a difference for Arkansas' children of
all cultures, backgrounds, and ethnicities. We are fully vested in reaching the whole
child, with special focus on their social -emotional growth; and working closely
with the "villages" who are their first nurturers. For the past decade, we have
served youth throughout Arkansas through literacy, writing, poetry, history, art and
publishing projects. We have also introduced youths and adults to nationally and
locally recognized artists, authors, historians, musicians and poets, through public
forums, programs and special events.
In keeping with Dr. Angelou's philosophy of lifelong learning, we seek
opportunities to create open learning for both youth and adults.
In 2020, during the height of the COVID Pandemic, Celebrate! Maya Project was
one of 12 local nonprofits selected to participate in a one-year cohort funded and
implemented by ArtSpace USA, a national consulting organization that works with
small organizations around the country, imparting information and resources to
help small organizations work toward attaining their own space.
Our decision to purchase property was part of our expanded vision for how we will
continue to serve Arkansas youth. While we have enjoyed amazing relationships
and partnerships with schools, community organizations and nonprofits around the
state, our work was, to a great extent, dependent on use of others' spaces based on
availability. We realized that to be most impactful in helping youth and their
communities, we need our own space to deliver the kinds of services that will be
most intentional and long lasting.
Our Long term Vision for the Maya Angelou House: Our initial purpose in creating a
home for Celebrate! Maya Project, was to establish a central work site for CMP to grow
and expand our service to youths. Secondary was our hope to become one link in
Arkansas' network of safety nets for youth during times of educational, economic and
social trauma as we experienced during the COVID pandemic.
The COVID-19 Pandemic not only impacted communities, families and children for the two-
year duration of its most traumatic era, but the ramifications of the pandemic continues to
reverberate for Arkansas' most vulnerable communities. Even today, there remains the need
to create educational programming and safe spaces that address the needs of youths and
communities. it is critical that schools, churches, communities and nonprofits create
programming that address children's ongoing learning and social needs. In that vein, we
seek to partner with children's "villages," which are critical to helping youth grow, learn
and thrive.
Our plans for expanded and more intentional programming at the Maya House, located
within the Central High School Historic District, will include:
• Summer Camps
• After -School Tutoring and Mentoring
• Cross -generational forums and community conversations (interactions inclusive of
youth and seniors)
0 public/community partnerships
• Presentations on Arkansas and Maya Angelou history for schools and visitors
• Educational partnerships (public schools, colleges and universities)
• public forums - book talks, Poetry Readings, history presentations, art and
photographic exhibits, Community Panel Discussions
The Celebrate! Maya Project subscribes to Dr. Angelou's words: "When you learn,
Teach. When you get, Give." Her message of hope and resilience is the center piece of our
message for youth in Arkansas' rural and urban communities - where young people most
need to hear her story, and to see their reflections in her achievements.
As was chronicled in her memoir, / Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, her childhood was
rife with racial and social challenges. Yet, she found ways to rise above her surroundings,
and to help lift others as she rose. We want to help our youth realize these same successes in
life, and that same sense of humanity and responsibility to others.
Addendums Enclosed:
-Land Survey
-Bill of Assurance ordered — not arrived yet
-Site plan