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Troost Festival
The Underground Railroad Project
Prior to and during the American Civil War, the ground on which Chameleon facility stands was an area where escaped slaves hid and were nurtured by the students and staff of the Western Bible College. The slaves were then taken across the Missouri River on dark nights to Quindaro, Kansas and freedom as part of the underground railroad.
On April 19, 2008, Chameleon worked with the troost Festival to create a tribute to remember this important history by producing artworks for the route of the festival’s commemorative 5K run. The date also marks the anniversary of Martin Luther King’s death and Earth Day. Father David of the Egypt Orthodox Bookstore and spiritual leader for the 31st and Troost area worked with other committed members of the Troost community to weave these threads into a celebration of the Troost neighborhood.
Artist/Educator Hugh Merrill, working with his community arts class from the Kansas City Art Institute, created large graphic figures of slaves to place in the woods where these remarkable people hid while waiting to escape via the underground railroad to freedom. The students also printed posters to place along the route of the run.
The Festival
Chameleon also provided Happy Feet Dance with Corey Thomas and Ryan McCord-Bey, Damon Patterson and Monica Guthridge, as well as sound and technical support. The Chameleon Arts Caravan provided arts activities.
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