Color Choices

Ava has been busy working on color schemes for the keeper. She ended up producing twenty two different color "swatches." Out of the set these three are our favorite. We tried to keep the large building directly behind our creature in mind, as its painted a bright salmon.

We agreed that our serpent like form gives way to a green color scheme. Reptiles tend to evoke a wide range of green hues.

Yellow could be a nice way to accent the green, but some are concerned that it could look like a traffic sign (something safety themed).

A blue and green scheme could be nice because a lot of green might blend in to the grassy creek too well.

...and here they are folks, the final color swatches!

No going back now, we already ordered the paint!

Sealing the Deal: Buying Steel

We picked up our steel materials from Mack Bros over on the West Side of Syracuse yesterday. The team is using steel for the upper body of the keeper, while cement will be used for the base for securing it to the soft ground.

Mack Bros agreed to help us out, doing a lot of the larger welding work that our team isn't as skilled in. Last Wednesday a few from their team guided us through the process of assembly on the head piece. Thanks guys, we couldn't do this without you!

From our full scale cardboard mockups we moved right into final production. Here we are in transition.

Jeff measures out steel with chalk and yardsticks at Mack Bros.

Jim at Mack Bros helps us out cutting sections for the head piece of the keeper.

Caught a smile from public artist, Brendan Rose.

The Name Game

Here is a list of names we've been toyin' around with:

Liz
Walker
Guardian
Zeke of the Creek
Monty
Keeper
Neko
Corry
Connie
Wanderer
Protector
Seeker
Cusey

But maybe everyone should have their own name for the "serpent" This way it can be a friend to everyone who encounters it.

Workin' for the Weekend

...the class assembles sketch models of the keeper.

The Designers: Hard at Work

Rae slices through cardboard for the perimeter model.

Jeff leans on our workspace while brainstorming with Dan.

Liz uses a steady hand to assemble the main body of the Keeper.

Becca, with glue gun resting on her knee, determines the perimeter for our "to scale" mockup.

Ava works on color studies in Photoshop.

Dan mixes plaster for the model's base.

Shin works in harmony with Brendan.
Our fearless leader Brendan assembles the head of the Keeper model.

The Keeper Meets the Public

The class and the community members attending the meeting gather around the sight model in the Public Artist in Residence storefront, the state tower building. Joining us were three women from the city of Syracuse Public Arts Commission, Jainie Taibault and Karen Conventino.

During the meeting the group was able to tinker with the clay pieces in order to help us make decisions about the specific location of the piece within the Creek Walk sight.

Brendan explains some of the concept drawings that the class compiled, as well as the architectural renderings. A lot of different styles were displayed, including opportunities for interaction and varying facial expressions.

As part of participation in the meeting, we asked visitors to fill out a worksheet in order to get their feedback. Here's what we got:

Something Like a Serpent

What Is Public Art, Welding, and What Not

...a class session on history, public spaces and material studies.
(from left: Nicoli Garritianio, Flava Weiskopf, Liz thebiz McCarter, Designer Beccah Kroll, Wayne Luther, Geoff Smythe)

Ava explains the history behind the Creek Walk to the rest of the class.

The pinups from Shin and Rae sparked conversation about public art as a category of expression. What are the objectives of its creation as well as the results of its presence in the community?

ART CAN ADD TO THE MEMORABILITY OF A PLACE
Have you ever given directions to someone over the phone, "Take a left at the Mobile Station, and if you've gone past the seahorse, you've gone to far..." What I mean is: Iconic. We'd like to make the public art a signifier for the city.

ART CAN TELL A STORY ABOUT A PLACE
Historically the Creek Walk has been a place of both joy and controversy, rumored to have cleanliness problems, but also a source of fond memories for some older citizens in the community. We hope to reignite the space with art, creating new memories for all those who encounter it.

ART CAN DELIGHT, PROVIDING AN EXPERIENCE
We intend to create something playful. We'd like for the piece to invite a level of interaction between a person and the object beyond just observation.

ART CAN BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER IN INVESTING IN A PLACE AND EACH OTHER
The city has recently added a brick pathway, benches, vegetation, and a bike rack to the Creek Walk. We hope our instillation will be another significant addition that will contribute to the livelihood of the space.

MATERIAL STUDIES
The materials team weighs our options. Nick did a bit of welding, testing his skills on bended forms. Jeff and Dan displayed a variety of fiber glass samples and discussed different means of fabrication.

We were also lucky that Brendan's friend Stasya, a painter and art activist who's involved in the Northside Collaboratory's community art, was able to sit in on our discussion. An outsider's perspective led to a much more comprehensive conversation about the project. She touched on subjects such as weather resistance and public reception to the work. Thanks Stacia!

The Community Speaks

...and we listen.
Published in this post is a synthesis of the Community Input Session on March 9, 2011.

ITS CYCLICAL
The Creek Walk was once filled with fish, then was polluted, and is now being restored. The area was once home to a railroad station, a busy spot, and currently the population downtown is growing again.

IT CONNECTS TO SOMETHING BIGGER
Its a connector, bringing together places in the city that are otherwise unconnected.

Participants Surveys, below is an example of our documented community feedback.

Participants of the meeting include members of the Public Arts Commission as well as collaborating community members:
Sarah Stuart McIlvain, Betsy Burton, Kate Auaerter, Janie Thibault, Jonathan Mills, Merike Treier, Andrew Maxwell