Javonne Kirby fell in love with the Fredericksburg region decades ago. As a peer recovery specialist with the Rappahannock Community Services Board, Kirby moved to the area from New Jersey for work about 23 years ago.
“Out of all the places that I have lived, this has been—by far—the place that I fell in love with,” Kirby said.
The “arty vibe” of the area only solidified her affection. So much so that she now finds herself at the helm of a new art advocacy project for underrepresented members of the community.
While serving as vice chair for Downtown Greens in 2023, Kirby noticed that parents were having a hard time wrangling children while waiting in line for food distributions the program was conducting in the Hazel Hill community.
“I knew we needed to do something with these kids, so I decided to just start doing arts and crafts with them,” she recalled. “That’s the gift that I can give. Other people may be able to do a thousand other things; I can do art. So we sat down and we made some great things.”
(Courtesy Javonne Kirby)
The group crafted an outdoor abstract painting for Angelo Logan’s building. Then they created a tapestry that was featured at the Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts. Kirby led the children on a walk to the center so they could see their creation in a gallery. For some of them, it was the first time they had stepped foot in an art gallery or museum.
“Even though it was right in downtown, within walking distance of their houses, they never had a reason to go in,” Kirby said.
When the food distribution program stopped, Kirby knew she had to find a way to keep the art programs going. “We had adults, parents, coming in to make things and getting involved. Adults turn into little kids when you break out the art supplies,” she said.
Using art in a communal setting was about more than crayons and paint. “Some of the kids that were engaging in the art weren’t necessarily the best of friends,” Kirby said. “Which was strange because they all lived in the same neighborhood. But some of them didn’t even know each other’s names.”
The projects gave the children the opportunity to sit down and work on something collaboratively and nurture the seedlings of friendship.
(Courtesy Javonne Kirby)
“Because if you wanted to participate, you couldn’t be mean to the person sitting next to you. You couldn’t speak negatively about yourself or other people. And for that moment, we were good. For that moment, people were occupied. People were having fun. People were engaging. They were learning more about each other. And they were happy, you know. And I was like, I can’t let that go.”
With support from the Fredericksburg Arts Commission, Kirby connected with MC Morris, Alma Withers and Sophia Constantine to bring the arts program to Fredericksburg Baptist Church. FBC opened its doors to Kirby’s idea in November 2024.
Now with a dedicated indoor space, Community Canvas is opening up creative opportunities to the community twice a week at the church (noon–4 p.m. Monday and Thursday). Adults are invited to create art with the donated supplies or simply share a cup of coffee together. Kirby is also partnering with other organizations to provide needed resources such as health information, GED courses, or guidance on finances or housing.
Meghann Cotter with Micah Ecumenical Ministries appreciates having this kind of resource available downtown. “Community Canvas has been a wonderful opportunity for our differently-abled neighbors to explore their artistic gifts, have a purpose and be part of a community,” she said. “I have been so impressed with some of the artwork coming out of this initiative and it’s exciting to see how it has evolved.”
Kirby sees the program as more than arts and crafts. She’s strengthening community ties. “It’s always been about building people up and getting people to connect. Community Canvas is connection through creativity,” she said. “That’s what it’s always been about. It’s getting people to just sit down with each other for a moment in time and get to know each other. Because we’re not so different when we do that.”
