Downtown Spaces as Public Pedagogy
"Public pedagogy is cultural practice that produces influential social narratives. Public pedagogy surrounds us, easily absorbed like breathing polluted air unless it is problematized through intervention and through critical participation in creating public pedagogy."
-- Sara Wilson McKay & Karen Keifer-Boyd
Steal this Sign: A Semiotic Expedition into Dynamite Museum's Public Pedagogy (2004)
Since moving to Shreveport, I have become more intrigued by
the downtown. Magnificent old buildings, hollow from years of neglect reside along side modern
towering giants that seem to mock these old timers.
Surveying the landscape, I am
also baffled by the lack of life, especially night-life, in this area. No one
lives down here. No one shops down here (there are not many retail spaces). With very few places to dine, no one eats down here (except business men and women). Only an independent theater (to which we belong) with
a chic bistro that offers a superb culinary experience (and adult beverages for
the movie) serves those eager to frequent the downtown after hours.
While downtown Shreveport is rarely bustling with life outside of
business hours, it houses some of the cities most beautiful pieces of art. Over
the past decade, local and guest artists have begun to revitalize the
appearance of a once neglected downtown. Their efforts have publicized and
advocated for the revitalization of these spaces and many members of the
community. The city has joined in the effort to restore and repurpose abandoned and dilapidating buildings. With the set goal of repurposing and restoring historic buildings, creating and animating public spaces, and safeguarding the authentic cultural significance of the downtown area, the community has slowly turned these common spaces into "Unscene" Shreveport. The life of the downtown is both vibrant and often unseen. As the members of the surrounding community weave their own narratives into the existing story of downtown, the city becomes alive with possibilities for interpretations of space.
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| This is an image of the December 2013 Unscene Project in which members of the community lined up to have their picture taken in a photobooth. Afterward the images were blown up and displayed on the exterior of this building. |
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| “Rolie Polie Olie” by Mike Dean and William Joyce |
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| “Let The Good Times Roll” by Don Alexander, Designer Tama Ripps Nathan |
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| The West Edge Mural Project 2001By Bill Scott, Walter Washington, Willie George Jr., and John Will Young
As a place of public pedagogy, the Shreveport downtown art spaces illustrate how the city of Shreveport and its officials desire the residents and visitors to view and participate within the space. Additionally, they reveal the intended purpose of the art and how it functions as an indicator of growth, change, and revitalization. By enlisting the help of locals, artists and artisans, these artworks signify the culture and heritage of the city and its inhabitants, illustrate the past, and look toward the future as groups are brought together under the purpose of injecting life back into this area of the community.
Resources:
Wilson McKay, S., & Keifer-Boyd, K. (2004). Steal this sign: A semiotic expedition into Dynamite Museum's public pedagogy.
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A great example of how the arts can help revitalize a community not only aesthetically, but also revitalize the personal pride, ownership, and involvement of being a part of a community...I really enjoy the variety of photos you included because they illustrate your point very well. My personal favorite is the 'Unscene!' project....I love the concepts and variety of interpretations that could be made from an artwork that takes individual photos of community and unites them through an artwork installation. It's great to see how many different people volunteered to participate in that project, and how that shows the willingness of community members to participate in artistic visions and raise awareness to the conditions of their community. That particular project reminded me a lot of some of the work by French photographer and installation artist JR :)
ReplyDeleteJackie, I know JR's work and just recently watched him talk about his work photographing Palestinians and Israelis. You are right, the work is very similar to his "inside out project" (http://www.insideoutproject.net/en). I am always so encouraged by the unlikely faces that appear to participate in and support endeavors like this. It illustrates just how important art is and how art is for everyone.
Deletehttps://www.ted.com/talks/jr_s_ted_prize_wish_use_art_to_turn_the_world_inside_out?language=en
This is a really interesting project that seems to have added to the beauty and community in the city. I also like that there is such a diverse collection of murals around the city. I know we have some of the same types of murals in Baltimore and there are some that I pass everyday on my way to work and others that I stumble upon as I enter different parts of the city. I love finding these new pieces of artwork!
ReplyDeleteDanna, I am (somewhat) familiar with Baltimore's Open Walls Project as well as the city's "Graffiti Alley." Public art has always seemed so honest and fresh to me. Using the exterior walls of these spaces seem to break down barriers between formal art and art for/by all people.
Deletehttp://davidmusephoto.com/urban-art-open-walls-baltimore-mural-project/
Public art makes me so happy. I loved your photos of the murals in Shreveport. Reading, PA, which was once named the poorest city in America and continually lands on the list, has a fantastic mural program which pulls together communities to work on revitalizing their own neighborhoods. http://muralsofreading.org/
ReplyDeleteThere is something so inspiring by seeing artwork on such a grand scale- especially when it encourages a community to resist blight. Here is a link to Philadelphia's Mural Arts program- a huge boost to a beautiful old city. http://www.muralarts.org/
Tara, I agree...I find public art honest and fresh...I remember riding public transit during my first visit to Atlanta, Ga (when I was a small child)...I was mesmerized by the graffiti covering the buildings along the train track. (in fact, this is all I remember from the trip). I remember thinking how beautiful the pictures were...vibrant colors, interesting geometric/abstract shapes...I was most impressed by how the artists seemed to "sign" the paintings and began to experiment with different ways of illustrating my name.
DeleteHi Martee,
ReplyDeleteI so agree that public art in downtown spaces can transform the environment as well as the public collective memory (Wilson McKay, S., & Keifer-Boyd, K., 2004.). And I loved your line “ these artworks signify the culture and heritage of the city and its inhabitants, illustrate the past, and look toward the future as groups are brought together under the purpose of injecting life back into this area.” That just about sums up the meaning of public art at its best—what all public art should strive to do.