RIffRaff Arts Collective spearheads community music video program

Jan. 24—A new initiative by the RiffRaff Arts Collective (RRAC) in Princeton is giving local talent a chance to create and perform, as well as promote community cohesiveness.

The program, "We Need to Talk," is a movement "using music videos and docu-shorts to build bridges and catalyze community healing," said Lori McKinney, Co-Founder and Executive Director of RRAC.

"We designed this project to empower and uplift voices in our community that need to be heard, sharing stories through the powerful medium of music video," she said. "We believe in the power of music to heal, and we know that these works of art and community conversation experiences are going to connect people, and inspire empathy and compassion. The timing is right, and we're ready for this."

The music videos feature original music by artists within the community who have written songs about issues they are passionate about, or ways they see the world that they wish the community could open their hearts to, she said, adding that the videos "stoke community dialogue, build relationships, and create a culture of listening."

The project aims to empower community members to tell their stories and raise their voices, McKinney said. Featured songs include themes of change and empowerment, and docu-shorts explore issues that inspired their creation. The pieces will be showcased and followed by discussion at City Hall during council meetings.

The first of seven was released last weekend and features the original song by Option 22, "The Time is Now."

McKinney said the video "explores the value and impact of kindness, and demonstrates that the ways we treat each other, matter. The song encourages opening our hearts and minds to varying perspectives, and urges that it matters now, more than ever."

Local actors include Brady Walker and Julie McCullough, and popular locations such as Dolly's Diner, Grants Supermarket and Mercer Street Grassroots District.

McKinney said the video is dedicated "in loving memory of Rylee Neveah Odle, who believed deeply in spreading kindness. She said, 'If you can't find the sunshine, #bethesunshine.'"

This music video and the others in the series, along with their accompanying short documentaries, will also be showcased in various settings around the community, including at Rotary, the Chuck Mathena Center, in county commission meetings, at open public gatherings, and more.

McKinney said the project is supported by an "Our Town" grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and is one of 63 grants nationwide that the agency approved in this category to support projects that integrate arts, culture, and design activities into efforts that strengthen communities by advancing local economic, physical, and/or social outcomes; ultimately laying the groundwork for sustainable systems change.

"We are incredibly grateful for the support of NEA; this is a true milestone for us after nearly 20 years of work," McKinney said. "It is wonderful to be embraced and fueled to bring our creativity to this next level we've been envisioning."

"As the country and the arts sector begin to work towards a post-pandemic world, the National Endowment for the Arts is proud to announce this Our Town funding. These awards support cross-sector partnerships such as the one led by RiffRaff Arts Collective that demonstrate the power of the arts to help communities create a better future for themselves." said NEA Former Chairman Ann Eilers in the announcement of the program.

McKinney said "We Need to Talk" builds on established cultural infrastructure "and a community of gifted artists who have been working for nearly 20 years in downtown Princeton to bring about change through music and the arts."

Formerly a thriving town center, Princeton's Mercer Street had become a "microcosm of West Virginia's woes, suffering from decades of decay," she said, and RRAC planted roots in a historic structure when downtown was at 80 percent vacancy and, "fueled by relentless optimism, pumped life into the neighborhood."

The collective began its creative placemaking mission with Culturefest World Music & Arts Festival in 2004, promoting unity and respect for diversity and, since then, has brought people together through weekly open stage nights, concerts and several annual traditions like All Together Arts Week—a county-wide celebration designed to inspire collaboration. In 2013, RRAC teamed with local nonprofit Community Connections and The City on Princeton Renaissance Project, which yielded over 40 public works of art, a community garden, dozens of creative businesses, youth engagement and several traditions, like The Downtown Countdown, a multi-stage music & arts festival on New Year's Eve. McKinney said the Mercer Street Grassroots District is now "flourishing with life and nearing maximum capacity."

This arts-driven transformation has become a "model," she said, and RRAC also developed the Create Your State program to share this knowledge and empower other communities. The musical, multi-media program has traveled to 25 West Virginia towns and a dozen events around Appalachia, offering ongoing mentorship to participants.

McKinney said that after nearly 20 years of collaboration with artists, city government and community partners, RRAC has demonstrated the arts "as a force for economic transition. Now, they are ready to deepen their practice, and use the power of the arts to create a culture of listening, broaden civic engagement, and make their town a more inclusive place."

Information about the community conversation dates, times and locations will be located at theriffraff.net, along with the videos as they are released.

— Contact Charles Boothe at cboothe@bdtonline.com

Contact Charles Boothe at cboothe@bdtonline.com