Is this Art? Project - Summer 2013
Over the summer of 2013, thanks to a grant from the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) in partnership with the Standish-Ericsson Neighborhood Association (SENA) and Forecast Public Art, the Youth Advisory Board was tasked with creating a community-based art project that shared their perspective with the surrounding community. After brainstorming dozens of ideas, they landed on the topic of street art.
This topic became a rich source of conversation as youth grappled with the positive and negative aspects of this potentially divisive issue. Their questions piled up as they examined the the meaning of words, considered the role of power, and engaged in the dichotomy of this sometimes destructive and sometimes healing form of expression. Instead of creating a project that gave an answer to these questions, the Youth Advisory Board decided to engage the community in a dialogue through an installation called "Is This Art?" Five questions were asked and answers were gathered through a mosaic of colored stickers-- each color represented a different question:
RED: Who decides what art is?
GREEN: Define street art.
PINK: When do you think (if ever) street art is ok?
YELLOW: What is the effect or impact of graffiti on communities?
ORANGE: What do you think when you hear the word graffiti?
This topic became a rich source of conversation as youth grappled with the positive and negative aspects of this potentially divisive issue. Their questions piled up as they examined the the meaning of words, considered the role of power, and engaged in the dichotomy of this sometimes destructive and sometimes healing form of expression. Instead of creating a project that gave an answer to these questions, the Youth Advisory Board decided to engage the community in a dialogue through an installation called "Is This Art?" Five questions were asked and answers were gathered through a mosaic of colored stickers-- each color represented a different question:
RED: Who decides what art is?
GREEN: Define street art.
PINK: When do you think (if ever) street art is ok?
YELLOW: What is the effect or impact of graffiti on communities?
ORANGE: What do you think when you hear the word graffiti?
