Legacies Feed Future Flowers

Twelve honorees who have left their mark on Frogtown will get their flowers at the Aug. 16 Frogtown Arts festival. Nominees are honored in three categories: Eternal Impact, Living Legends, and Legacy Builders. During the festival’s opening ceremonies, they’ll receive public recognition and custom awards honoring their service and vision. Community members will also have a chance to recognize other folx who have left a legacy via a public art project on a community legacy wall, ensuring all contributions are visibly celebrated. Those honored include: Eternal Impact: Melvin Giles (shown at right); Living Legends: Seitu Jones, Jan Mandell, Dr. Darlene Fry, T Mychal Rambo, Jose Figueroa Lynne Graham, Metric Giles, Toua Xiong; Legacy Builders: MK Nguyen, Davu Seru, and Tish Jones.

“Honoring legacies connects generations, preserves cultural knowledge, and uplifts changemakers working for justice, equity, and representation,” says Tou SaiK Lee. “Through these awards, we want to celebrate intergenerational collaboration and community resilience.” The Frogtown Arts Festival is a collaboration between the Frogtown Neighborhood Association and 825 Arts. In 2009, the community joined together to save 825 University Avenue from being turned into a parking lot. That effort continued for 15 years, and 825 Arts will be celebrating their first year anniversary on Aug. 25, 2025.