Projects for Public Spaces (PPS) is coming out strong as a leader in connecting community and creative placemaking. Link to their most recent post, Creative Communities and Arts-Based Placemaking – illustrating examples of how the arts can make a difference in your community.
A new design has surfaced that engages signage, lighting and much more within the pedestrian walkways in the U.K. Read the full article on The Crosswalk of the Future, posted by Adele Peters, FastCompany (Oct. 2017).
Joe Berry is Vice President for Entrepreneurship with Greater Owensboro Economic Development in Northwestern Kentucky stated that “…Creative placemaking is the marriage of the arts and economic development. When you have a localized arts and culture –you have something that no one else has… an environment that is different than anywhere else.” Learn more about his interview with Pilar McKay on behalf of Next Generation Rural Creative.
Image retrieved offline from Think with Google
Rainworks (video 2:00) encourages whimsy in the shared spaces. See how this inexpensive treatment can bring inspiration and wonder to the streets in your city.
Project for Public Spaces (PPS) released a video (3:15) on the streets as places resource page that allows communities to re-envision the role of the street that engages and connects community and visitors alike.
Richard Rogers, CNN Style Guest Editor
Richard Rogers, offers his thoughts on public spaces stating, “When public spaces are eroded, our civic culture suffers, even our democracy.” Read his full article, on these honored spaces posted by CNN Style (Nov. 2016).
I am captivated by the concept of human-scale (or larger) art that aspires to incorporate found or re-purposed items; which I refer to as environmental public art. Patrick Dougherty ‘s “Stickwork” comes to mind. He weaves a story using found items that are intended to be returned to the land after a period of time.
Monk’s Cradle by Tommy O’Laughlin
James Doran-Webb uses drift wood to create masterful, public art displays along bodies of water. In the image below, each horse is comprised of approximately 400 pieces of driftwood varying in size.
Sometimes threats, outside the control of a community can bring surprising unification such as in the case of a recovering from a natural disaster. In 2010 Christchurch, New Zealand was hit with an earthquake that resulting in $40 billion in damages. As a temporary rebuilding effort to unite residents and visitors in public spaces, the Blue Pallet Pavilion was erected. According to ArchitectureAU, “The idea was stimulated by two separate absences: a lack of small-to-medium-sized venues and community centers in the central city for live music, performances and other events, and a severe lack of imaginative post-quake temporary architecture in Christchurch. Gap Filler’s original concept was a temporary pavilion made from pallets, with basic amenities (lighting, audiovisual equipment, a stage). A small team of architecture graduates, mentored by a range of professionals, turned this concept into a fully developed design that could make it through a building consent process (March, 2014).”
Now after years of service to the community the space is being deconstructed to make way for another development opportunity.
Lights can be an powerful medium in a public art display. It is used to evoke a mood, highlight a key architectural feature, tell a story and so much more. Embrace temporary and shine the light on your community. Here are two examples:
From December 11 to February 2, the Luminous Pathway in the heart of the city is transformed into an illuminated futuristic wheat field created by a multidisciplinary team led by the Kanva architecture firm. Learn more...
Located inside the Virginia Avenue parking garage south of Maryland St., “Swarm Street” by Acconci Studio of New York (pronounced “Uh-KON-chee”), is an interactive light environment that the creators compare to swarms of fireflies. More than 1,000 LED-lights will be embedded below you in the pavement plus another 1,000 will be installed in an open steel-framework above you. Movement from users on the trail will activate light sensors that “swarm” around the user and follow the movement through the space. Read the full post.
At a conference a few years ago, I met Peter Kageyama, author of For the Love of Cities: A love affair between people and their places. Of the many concepts he presented, I wanted to blog about “embracing temporary.” I work in many small communities with big hearts and passionate volunteers. Sometimes outside factors create barriers to a great tourism idea or related project. Raising funds and implementing large projects can take months or even years. I want to encourage community leaders to look for alternative solutions until money or other resources can be identified. By finding new ways to approach the planning process it will allow these ideas, people an spaces to keep the momentum. Over the next week I will blog about temporary ideas for my readers to consider in their community. To be continued…
Image captured online, Peter Kageyama-author
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