What a Journey

What a journey we have had doing this wonderful community project.  I will just include several images form the process.

                                          

From the people to the creatives

Yes we are up and producing the actual images for the library project.  The steel sheets have been cut, sanded down cleaned, ground coated and cover coated. Whew!!! Oh yeah that's all before we start the artwork for this project.  We have somewhere around 30 metal plates for this project.  Our next process is determining the images and ideas that are critical in the inclusion process from the community engagement events.  Those drawings we received from the public are critical to sharing the community vision and Boise.  Very exciting,  the critique, discussion about perception, color, design and combination of styles are hours of discussion and diplomacy.  

Ta Coumba and christopheraaron are working long hours to determine what represents the neighborhood best without dis re guarding any previous sketches and considering all areas of progression.  We thought about youth and playfulness ( the checkered pattern entered the conversation as play, checkers.... get it).  This was on of the first things we discussed but to allow images to be abedetrous and play more than one role in several areas, then the checkers also became and extension of water.

Stay updated with us we will likely post a new update next week as well, thank you.

Engagement with the Community:

Ta Coumba and I did a three day community engagement event with the Camden Webber Area community and the Hennepin County Webber Park Library.  This experience proved to be a very eye opening experience for the creation of incredible community lead art.  We started by creating a drawing of the platform that was used to create the final stages (i.e. Engagement Sketches).  These "engagement-sketches" had the community draw on their understandings of who this community is.  I intentionally left black out of the options for people because this color is usually thought of as a defining color.  I want the community to have its own defining palette.

The neighbors that attended the sessions were young and old, different races, and different cultures.  The first connection was with a youth lady, Viola, who is autistic and her health care aide.  They talked to me about the neighborhood the trees, nature and the food that you can experience here.  Secondly,  I was introduced to an young lady, Yareli, who is the sweetest sixth grader in our neighborhood,  who spoke to me about feeling safe in this neighborhood and the how she wanted to honor Jamal Clark ( there a lot of there that she shared about this). Then there was a man, Tim,  who spoke about the history of Native Americans in the area he talked about the Native Court, a historic apartment complex that housed Native Americans  mainly but was shut down several years ago .  He additionally spoke about the history of his family in the areas, and mentioned that he has a brother who is an artist as well.

On the last two days of community engagement TaCoumba and I asked folks to discuss and draw what they felt about the community without trying to steer them.

The experiences increased and the diversity kept rolling as the images that people drew and the stories they told were all so rich and interesting.  Some where individual, historical and relational.  The consistency that spoke out of the engagement session were about the people and how this space has experienced a wave of culture.  

This cultural wave is best described in the BBQ's that exist in the park during the summers, the elderly home that brings rich peace and transcendent character, the memorial parkway that that hold pride placement and the people who bring this all together.

Community Engagement: Come out and join us!!!

Ideas emerged from...

Ta coumba and Christopheraaron were trained by Dave Berfield, Nationally renowned enamel artist in Seattle Washington. Berfield who worked with Jacob Lawrence, acclaimed African American artist who is known for his portrayal of the black narrative, in many capacities fixing enamel to steel plates to create very lasting public art works.  Dave trained these two artist in 2015.  Ta coumba was in the thick of leading a team of artists working on the SEED project will be released to the public in 2018, this project is currently still being fabricated.  

 Ta coumba Aiken has done work with the libraries before.

He completed this fireplace at the Hennepin County Library—Minneapolis Central in 2007.

                                                    TA COUMBA AIKEN               

We have been selected for a One Percent for Public Art project at the new Hennepin County Library—Webber Park            

Webber Park Library: February conversations

We have been selected for a One Percent for Public Art project at the new Hennepin County Library—Webber Park.

There is a new exciting adventure in store for the vestibule at the New Webber Park Library that    
Ta coumba Aiken and Christopheraaron Deanes are collaborating to design.  This project will entail large enamel panels that will be mounted on wooden ramps that will protruded from the wall at certain points.  This sculptural enamel scape will dance off the walls like waves representing the Mississippi River, the people and history of the community.  We are in the beginning stages of the community engagement that will take place in the next few weeks please stay posted to connect with us about his project.

                                         CHRISTOPHERAARON DEANES