In an area of Des Moines that has received recent media attention due to gang busts, residents will hold their first block party featuring a renowned Seattle cellist.
Paul Rucker will perform in Midway Park at South 221st Street and 29th Avenue South on Saturday, Aug. 4, from noon to 1 p.m.
Des Moines Police Community Service Officer Tonya Seaberry, who has been working with neighborhood residents, said the block party is the result of their efforts.
Seaberry said they have told her, "This is our way of taking back our community.
"They named their own coordinator, formed a planning committee, and solicited donated food from area businesses as well as the entertainment talents of various area entertainers and musicians," and organized games, she added.
Thirtieth Avenue South will be closed between South 216th and South 219th streets from noon to 4 p.m. to accommodate the block party.
Rucker, who has contracted with King County's 4Culture to play the cello at 50 events this summer, caught the eye of arts-minded Des Moines resident and SoCo Culture Administrator Barbara McMichael when he played at Burien's Strawberry Festival in June.
"I saw him sitting on a stump in the forest of Dottie Harper Park," McMichael said. "He was completely comfortable and could accommodate anyone, be they an older person or a teenager with multiple piercings."
Rucker makes beautiful, interesting music, McMichael added, describing it as "ethereal, weird, atmospheric and wonderful" while also being "classically inspired."
Because Rucker's music is improvisational in nature, every venue will receive a unique performance, she said.
McMichael brought Rucker to the attention of Des Moines Arts Commission members, who passed the information on to Nic Lind of the city's Parks and Recreation Department, a staff liaison for the Art Commission who helps coordinate community events.
When Lind brought up the possibility of having Rucker perform a concert in Des Moines, he said Parks and Rec Director Patrice Thorell thought it would be a nice addition to the block party and immediately suggested working with Seaberry.
