Mayor Malik D.

Evans – BRIEFING and TALKING POINTS

Blanche Calloway Plaza and Sculpture Unveiling
12 p.m. – Saturday, June 17, 2023
Otto Henderberg Park – At Sycamore and Fountain Streets
Onsite Contact: Reverend Judy Hay, cell: 585-738-4871
Communications Contact: Hannah Barry, cell: 585-645-8985

TIME:

● Event Begins: 12 p.m.

● Remarks Begin: 1 p.m.
● Mayor to Speak at: 1:30 p.m.

AGENDA:

● At noon, the event starts with Bubby’s BBQ, children’s activities

● Dedication of the sculpture and plaza (1-1:30 p.m.)
- Brigitte Wales (Swillburg Neighborhood Association)
- Stacey Mrva (Sculpture Artist)
- Sara Scott (Dept. of Parks and Recreation)
- Simeon Bannister (Rochester Area Community Foundation)
- Eric Van Dussen (ESL)
- Mayor Malik Evans, remarks and unveil sculpture

LOGISTICS:

● Parking: 58 Avon Place, circular driveway

● Entrance: The plaza is on the north end of Sycamore
● Seating Arrangements: Seating provided outside by sculpture
● Podium/Mic Details/Etc.: podium, microphone, and speaker
system provided
BACKGROUND:

● Artist Stacey Mrva, Stone Mason Mike Santini, the Dept. of

Recreation and Human Services, The Rochester Area Community
Foundation, and ESL have collaborated to design and implement a
small plaza and sculpture in Otto Henderberg Park honoring jazz
musician Blanche Calloway (1902- 1978).
● This is an event to reveal the statue of Blanche Calloway.
● In 1906, Calloway and her family moved to Rochester, NY.
● Calloway was the first black woman to lead an all-male orchestra
called “Blanche Calloway and Her Joy Boys” and later called
“Blanche Calloway and Her Orchestra”.
OBJECTIVES

● Promote a new landmark honoring an important historical figure in

Rochester.
● Celebrate Blanche Calloway’s legacy and all of the people who’ve
worked on this project.
TALKING POINTS:

Thank you, Reverend Judy, for inviting me to

celebrate the legacy of Blanche Calloway.

Ms. Calloway was an amazingly accomplished

woman. Not only was she a talented musician,

she was a fierce civil rights activist, being a

member of the NAACP, the Congress for Racial

Equity, and the National Urban League.

Throughout her career, Blanche had to deal with

a male-dominated and racially segregated music

industry. Yet, she never hid her talents, nor did

she back away from the pressing social issues of

her time.
And here we are, decades later, still working to

overcome the challenges of injustice. I hope that

Blanche Calloway’s legacy and this beautiful

sculpture will inspire our youth and residents to

always stand up against injustice and advocate

for what is right.

Blanche overcame tremendous obstacles to

become not only a successful jazz musician, but

also, as many recognize, to become the first

Black woman to conduct an all-male orchestra.

Thanks to this sculpture, Blanche’s love for jazz

music will live on in Rochester forever. And that

is appropriate because jazz is an integral part of

our heritage. We’re very proud of our annual Jazz

Festival, which starts next week.

Rochester was home to a number of jazz clubs in

the ‘40s and ‘50s. Duke Ellington and Dizzy

Gillespie played at the Squeezers Club located in

High Falls.
We had The Pythodd from 1953 to 1973 in the

heart of Corn Hill’s African American

community. Our most remembered jazz club, the

Pythodd was a place where the torch was passed

from established jazz veterans to Rochester’s

most talented musicians.

And we’re home to the Eastman, which has also

helped jazz grow in Rochester.

I am thrilled that our city now has this landmark

to commemorate the life and contributions of

Blanche Calloway.
Thank you to everyone for your hard work and

dedication on this project! Now let’s unveil the

sculpture!

(end)