Nov21
Nov4
Environmental Inspiration
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.
Nov4
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Nov3
Expanding Public Spaces
In the spirit of embracing temporary, businesses and community leaders can join forces to extend seating (and activities) into the public realm with “parklets” or “pallet parks.” These small, mobile platforms are custom designed to fit into a parking space (or two) and incorporate a variety of available materials (wood, metal, grass, etc.). Suitable for rural or urban landscapes, they have the potential to increase seating, engage visitors and spark interest. Link to Inhabit’s slideshow of alternative designs and creative uses (bikes, pets, exhibits, yoga, gardens, small performances, etc.).
Identify an underused space and start the conversation in your community!
Image obtained online-Spokane, WA
Nov1
Temporary Tourism
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.
Oct26
The Power of Light
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.
Oct20
Embracing Temporary
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
Oct20
Sustainability
I live in the world of community planning and development. Tourism can be viewed both negatively or positively-depending on who is at the table. Mass tourism, historic, medical, agri-tourism are only a few examples of the variety of experiences available to a traveler. The other side of this equation is the site itself and the impacts tourism has on that location and it’s people. I believe that by carefully examining the reason why an attraction is created-the intention, and monitoring its potential effects on the existing community as well as the geographic location can be powerful. To start this conversation, Sustaining Tourism has created a list of questions developers and community leaders should consider throughout the planning process to better navigate tourism development.
Image by Hospitality Times
Sep12
Young Explorers
Traveling is a fantastic opportunity to empower the next generation of explorers to work through some of the inevitable challenges that come with visiting new cities or countries. As a parent/guardian, use your best judgement on when to prep your child before or while in route to your destination. But also consider times when they can take the lead in finding the best route to an attraction, how to navigate local transit or things they should consider packing on single day excursions.
The younger the traveler the less likely they are to remember the trip. That still doesn’t mean that they won’t engage in the experience. Consider having them smell and taste new cuisine, or listen to local musicians or the sounds of the natural environment while in a park. For additional travel advice link to Rough Guides article, 20 Tips for Traveling with Children.
Aug19
Sailing (and life) lesson: Know where you want to go — discover!
Traveling is a fantastic opportunity to empower the next generation of explorers to work through some of the inevitable challenges that come with visiting new cities or countries. As a parent/guardian, use your best judgement on when to prep your child before or while in route to your destination. But also consider times when they can take the lead in finding the best route to an attraction, how to navigate local transit or things they should consider packing on single day excursions.
The younger the traveler the less likely they are to remember the trip. That still doesn’t mean that the won’t engage in the experience. Consider having them smell and taste new cuisine, or listen to local musicians or the sounds of the natural environment while in a park. For additional travel advice link to Rough Guides article, 20 Tips for Traveling with Children.
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