missmary's art lab
Project H
Architect, Artist Educator, and youth team up in creating public design projects through a design-build curriculum. Project H believes that “design is a powerful medium that is an active response to a context, a personal expression, a physical challenge, and a social act that builds citizenship in the next generation.” Youth explore the “intersection of physical sciences, engineering, architecture, design, social justice, and community development, projects built by our youth include an award-winning 2,000-square-foot farmers market structure, iconic downtown landmarks, farmstands, playgrounds, school gardens, an obstacle course, public chicken coops, and their own learning facilities.”
–Quotes from mission statement
Emily Pillotan, architect, founded Project H in 2008, believing deeply in the “power of design and building to excite learning and citizenship.” Currently within Project H, there is Studio H, Camp H, and Workshop H. All programs involve youth with design/build public and community based artwork.
Further Information: http://www.projecthdesign.org
Container Classroom
Farmstand
Windsor Super Market
“Beckers specializes in creating site specific natural installations that explore our relationship with the natural world. Much of his site-specific installations and art are to be found in public spaces.
His natural installation work invites the public to interact and experience the artwork, involving the visitor and thus inspiring a reaction. Beckers’ environmental artwork often takes the form of a
bio- sculpture, or a growing organism that stimulate us to challenge the relationship between individuals and our environment, he is confronting Nature with her own materials.”
Taken from Beckers’ website: http://www.willbeckers.com
Will Beckers is an environmental artist whose passion is to follow the evolutionary process of plants and natural forms. “I am a part-time artist, the other part of the time Nature does the work.” he says. I am interested in Beckers’ observation of nature as a powerful tool in creating shelter and beautiful, sculptural architecture. Finally, by allowing the public to interact and experience his artwork, Beckers furthers the reactant from the viewer.
Will Beckers.
Candy Chang.
“Taiwanese-American artist Candy Chang challenges the conventional perception of public space and its role in our well-being as a community and as individuals. Renowned for interactive public installations that provoke civic engagement and emotional introspection, her work has examined issues from criminal justice and the future of vacant buildings to personal aspirations and anxieties. Projects include a vacant high-rise pleading for love, a confessional sanctuary in a Las Vegas casino, a site-specific fable in an apartment complex, and a public wall for personal aspirations.”
-Information taken from Candy Chang’s website: http://candychang.com
I appreciate Chang’s artistic approach by encouraging involvement of unheard individual community voices. This concept is very important in my classroom. I yearn to hear the student’s voices, opinions, and perceptions of what the physical classroom around them is and can be. I wonder if and how Chang’s art pieces moves the participating community members, whether to act physically or further reflect upon the perception of public space.
Tina Freeman.
Tina Freeman is a photographer of architecture, landscape, portraits, and interiors. Artist Spaces seeks to display the relationship between artist and the space in which they work. From this photography project, the artist found that “What results is an indication that each artist's style is often reflected in the quality, character, and aesthetic of their living/working environments--a striking illustration of how deeply personal, all-encompassing, and interconnected are life and art.” (Molthrop, 2014).
I find the connection of self-portraiture and space very intriguing, especially when thinking about students and the physical classroom environment that they learn in. See “Theory Meets Practice” tab under “Inquiry” for a lesson plan inspired my Tina Freeman’s Artist Spaces exhibit.
For more information: http://tinafreeman.com
Lisa Tompkins and Lizzy DuQuette.
Local Cincinnati Artists have a background in illustration and print making. Their three dimensional work aims to encourage play. They state that their collaboration allows them to become “one artist with four arms and one solution with two brains.” Their artwork uses theatrics of play: costume making, interactive installations, and even giant paper mache heads! Their artwork, as shown in THE WOBBLE belo, embraces imperfections like wobbly lines and irregular shapes. THE WOBBLE is a cocoon shaped dwelling that invites visitors to explore, play and daydream. I believe their artwork helps participants increase awareness of our body reactions, surrounding environment, and material exploration. I also believe it s interesting to conclude that not everyone will feel playful in a small space like THE WOBBLE. Some may be claustrophobic, but that is okay. Not everyone likes the same thing and not everyone is comfortable around the same things. I have learned this when teaching students—we must reflect upon our expectations we have of our students.
