Dollie ladies joined hundreds of other volunteers at a huge warehouse in Playa Vista to participate in an “unprecedented public art and civic initiative” put on by the organization Projects of Hope (POH).  We participated in painting several of the 10,000 one-of-a-kind vinyl spheres – huge beach balls – which will soon be floating in MacArthur Park Lake in downtown Los Angeles.  POH co-founder Ed Massey says, “These fish and flower spheres are meant to beautify and revitalize an area that needs a little bit of love, and draw attention to an urban park that many Angelenos have not visited.”
Beginning in May 2015 when Mayor Eric Garcetti gave the stamp of approval, over 7,000 children and adults from all walks of life have joined together in painting the spheres.  School children, hospital patients, camp groups, church members, and police and firemen have picked up a paintbrush!  Community organizations such as Best Buddies, Boys and Girls Clubs, Habitat for Humanity, and the YMCA have sent volunteers, as have businesses such as Price Waterhouse and Bank of America.
There was plenty of great music to keep us motivated, and at times it was difficult to “stay within the lines”… especially when the BeeGee’s came on! It was fun and really rewarding to be a part of something so big in the making.
The spheres will be dropped into MacArthur Park Lake in mid-August for a four week stay.  We will be organizing a Dollies Making A Difference Field Trip to MacArthur Park to see if we can spot those six spheres (out of 10,000 !) which we painted today!!! www.portraitsofhope.org
Where MacArthur Park is located in Los Angeles
