Moblizing by Moosifying

It was impossible to choose a best photo from this event but Ms Dogwood dunking the ex-mayor was typical. [more]

In case you ever needed another reason to go Moose’s Restaurant (and there were already plenty), they just did a super-cool fundraiser for the Shelter for Help in Emergency.

The fun unfolded in three parts. They kicked off on Friday (the 13th) with a doughnut eating contest. Saturday morning (the 14th) they had a block party that included music, dancing, a craft fair, a race car you could touch (and pose with) and—best of all—a dunk tank that was extremely busy. Saturday night was a concert at the Jefferson School. The fundraiser netted $3050 and lots of fun and community fellowship.

When I first visited Moose’s (then called Moore’s Creek) I was afraid to go inside 1) because they share a building with a gun shop and 2) because there were a million police cars parked outside. That seemed like a bad combination, but come to find out that the cruisers were there because it’s the best short-order restaurant in Charlottesville. They all stop there on their way into town or between shifts.

Art and Public Policy: Synthesis

As part of my professional education and ongoing research, I was fortunate to audit George Sampson and Lindsey Hepler’s class on the Arts and Public Policy in the Architecture School at the University of Virginia. This post, and others in this series are reaction to our readings and discussions in which I find links between our readings and discussion and the front lines of community-based art. This is my end-of class synthesis essay.

The Citizen Artist, protagonist in our Arts and Public Policy course, embodies the broad intersection between art and policy. We’ve described him, asked what he can offer and wondered whether he is getting what he needs to thrive. This question is about more than personal satisfaction: the citizen artist is ideally suited for our rapidly changing world and his critical thinking, creativity, synthesizing approach and ability to imagine into reality are key ingredients for a healthy democracy. As Bill Bennett says, those who are competent manage but those who are creative lead. Prior to the course I suspected, and the readings and lectures have confirmed, that the dominant public policy approach is not particularly well suited for assessing or fostering creative civics; it has a real blind spot there. Perhaps the question needs to be inverted: rather than focusing mainly on the worthy goal of fostering the arts through policy, let’s ask how the arts can inform better public policy—or, at least, how they can work better in tandem.

Artists actively engage their own experiential development—discovery, experimentation, synthesis, pursuit of excellence. They delight in process as much as result, and are therefore disciplined in developing their ideas and capacity through endless iterative and synthetic experimentations. They want to sharpen their skills so they can bring their creations to life. They also broaden their vision and have a high capacity for diversity (for it is their fuel) and they are therefore unhindered by the central dilemma of democracy: how to reconcile freedom and consensus. They do it all the time in their artwork. The America of our dreams where creativity, discipline and joy in work open a brighter future for all will need a population rich in these qualities.

Belmont Bash Part 3: Interactions and Engagements

All kinds of people stopped by the photo booth but they all shared a desire to document their love for one another.
[More Photos]

The Tom Tom Festival / Belmont Bash was a unique celebration in many ways. It had an unusual origin and interesting results. For me, the whole thing was an experiment in a few ways: how would one plan a multi-source celebration, what would a 100% DIY street festival look like and how such a party could inform public planning? It was amazing thanks to many people’s hard work.

This three-part story examines how event came about, how it went and what I got out of it from a community-development perspective. I’ve spoken about why the idea became a reality and some issues that arose along the way. Today I’ll share some impressions about the interactions that took place—of course from my own perspective.

The Belmont Bash was really successful.

Tons of people showed up and it seemed like everyone had a good time, with few if any complaints. It was a beautiful day, the music was great and there were many small touches that really created an atmosphere of sharing—like folks from the neighborhood association strolling around with free cupcakes.

We knew that it would be a fun party but it was also a project; an experiment of sorts. We wondered, for example, what kind of crowd would come? Would it be neighborhood regulars or people from outside looking for a good party? Would there be unique interactions? Could a block party serve as a venue for city research about community preferences?

My answer to the first question is “yes.” The party attracted both the usual suspects and itinerant revelers but mainly a surprising category that seemed the largest to me. I met many people who live, work, and play in the area but who I had not met before in the standard channels (like the neighborhood association or PTO) or even in my atypical engagements like the photo booths. This was really exciting because there was a huge joy in mutual discovery but also it really validated the model of block party as community networking tool. As a very real illustration, the neighborhood association meeting that took place the following night included several new members who had been recruited at the Belmont Bash. That's concrete evidence-backed success.

Belmont Bash Part 2: The Chalenges of a Contested Space

It was important that the community see the event not as a nuisance but as an asset--and one that they could own themselves. We developed some strategies make sure that would be the case.

The Tom Tom Festival / Belmont Bash was a unique celebration in many ways. It had an unusual origin and interesting results. For me, the whole thing was an experiment in a few ways: how would one plan a multi-source celebration, what would a 100% DIY street festival look like and how such a party could inform public planning? It was amazing thanks to many people’s hard work.

This three-part story examines how the event came about, how it went and what I got out of it from a community-development perspective. Last time I explained why the idea became a reality and today we’ll discuss how that came about and some issues that arose along the way.

Downtown Belmont is a contested space.

It's quite different from the type of neutral space where events like this normally take place. Eight streets and many more social threads converge in a two block strip of Monticello Road. The social challenges were more daunting than the logistics but that same rich heritage also held tremendous upside: the potential for an organic celebration arising from within the community and a new way to come together with art and music as catalysts. That's why the idea was so compelling.

In an era when everyone is talking about “place” as an abstraction, this site has character that cannot be made from whole cloth. The party arose from a hundred years of social interactions and it would contribute its own share toward the future. It was very important that it be done right.

The area is fairly unique within the city—a neighborhood commercial zone that is designated for commercial activity destined for the locals. It’s a tiny patch of urbanism within a quiet neighborhood and a zone of cultural experimentation within an old neighborhood that is even divided about whether the word "historic" is helpful or not. Ironically, those characteristics make it a very appealing place to visit, which brings challenges. It’s a crossroads where different people—and different agendas—interact, and not always harmoniously.

Belmont Bash Part 1: Origins

When the Hintonaires signed on, we knew it would be a special event.

The Tom Tom Festival / Belmont Bash was a unique celebration in many ways. It had an unusual origin and interesting results. For me, the whole thing was an experiment in a few ways: how would one plan a multi-source celebration, what would a 100% DIY street festival look like and how such a party could inform public planning? It was amazing thanks to many people’s hard work.

This three-part story examines how event came about, how it went and what I got out of it from a community-development perspective. Today we tackle the origins.

The Belmont Bash has been around for a long time but never like this.

It has appeared sporadically every few years in Belmont Park, depending on how organized the neighborhood association happened to be in any given year. It’s usually a blanket-in-the-park family picnic in the fall. Two years ago, it was really organized; last year it didn’t happen at all.

Ever since the City undertook some minor street improvements in Downtown Belmont (about two years ago) there has been simmering talk of having the Belmont Bash in the streets to celebrate the change and initiate real public ownership of the small parklet that was created. But it never got past the “wouldn’t it be cool” phase.

Separately, last year’s Tom Tom Founders Festival included a small block party at the nearby Bridge PAI. I participated with a photo booth and it was fun but there was no real hook—it was a nice little party on a weekend already oversaturated with Tom Tom events.

It Takes a Garden

We are at all times both cause and effect. Our mirror neurons and evolved social rites mean that how we behave influences how others behave, and how they behave influences us. The permuting patterns of those interactions become the shape our societies take.

-- The Gardens of Democracy. Page 34

The Garden of Democracy by Eric Liu and Nick Hanauer (Sasquatch Books, 2011) could be a manifesto for the Monticello Road project.

Liu and Hanauer argue that it is time to look at society and its three arenas (culture, economy and government) according to a new understanding of how the universe works: interconnected, approximative, reciprocal and in need of constant, humble tending. We more like a garden than a machine. The authors call for a new form of self-interest that based on the notion that we do well when we all do well. Furthermore, the path to change will be the sum of regular people doing small things: democracy, heritage, economic growth—it’s really just us and the sum of our everyday activities, as much how we live as what we do.

I have always been intrigued by the garden as a metaphor for all complex systems: our bodies, our neighborhoods, the nation or maybe even the universe itself. It’s a big reason I left New York and the more I read and experiment with my own garden the more convinced I am that it’s true. This is hardly new—the Bible told us so.

The thing that our parents and teachers might have misunderstood, though, and we’re starting to learn now is that we’re not gardeners standing aloof—we are the soil. Actually one thing you learn as a gardener is that there’s not much difference between the plants, the bugs, the compost, or even the guy pulling weeds. It’s only a question of applied intent.

I don’t wish to dwell too much on the nuances of this metaphor. Like any device metaphors have their limitations, but the spirit of what this one says is powerful, namely that fundamental change is the fruit of underlying and atmospheric conditions and that hummus must be built and nourished through the introduction of positivity.

Society is not some arena where we duke it out, it is us, the sum of all of our interactions and the tone we take with one another.

By celebrating our neighborhood, by getting to know one another as individuals and lifting one another up are actively building the dream city we want to live in.

Together.

As part of my professional education and ongoing research, I’m fortunate to be permitted to audit George Sampson and Lindsey Hepler’s class on the Arts and Public Policy in the Architecture School at the University of Virginia. This post, and others in the series are reaction to our readings and discussions. 

Artists are Agents of Negentropy

As part of my professional education and ongoing research, I’m fortunate to be permitted to audit George Sampson and Lindsey Hepler’s class on the Arts and Public Policy in the Architecture School at the University of Virginia. This post, and others in the series are reaction to our readings and discussions.

There are so many amazing ideas and topics that come up in this class. In just the first week’s reading and discussion I feel like I’ve uncovered a lifetime of food for thought. We’re looking at the search for meaning through experience and the process of creation. What tools and resources strengthen a life, a community or a nation? Ideal topics for a community-based artist on a mission.

The course looks at art through two main lenses: contemplation and expression and the first week has focused on the former. We spoke briefly with our neighbors about a contemplative approach and came together on the ideas that it is an active, conscious and intentional centering exercise that opens, cleanses and illuminates. Useful life skills in addressing the contradictions that weigh every decision.

We’re moving past a Twentieth Century that sought to cure the world’s ills (and caused more than it's share) by trying to identify dysfunctions and eliminating them. The new approach is a positive paradigm that desires to build and nourish. A positive paradigm is holistic (instead of zeroing in a syndrome) and seeks to grow the entity far past its baseline. It’s about potential instead of limitations and on this ground, Art is a potent force.

One of our texts, Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi studies ways to optimize experience and find meaning, appreciation (and yes power) in all domains. The section we read talks about how to reconcile differentiation and integration on all levels from the deeply personal to the whole social. It defines meaning as purpose, intention/resolution and organization/harmony.

In a complex world, this is difficult and it is not obvious how best to reconcile competing and sometimes oppositional ideas—not only from different points of view but within a single individual. How do we keep our thoughts organized and positively employed? Yet we must if we are to thrive.

Perspective is key: what matters is how we perceive each of our circumstances and our ideas about what they mean go a long way toward whether they limit us or not. In fact, our circumstances actually empower us if we can be smart about where we go from them.

As I read, Csikszentmihalyi dropped a term that stopped me in my tracks and illuminated many things. He cites the word negentropy, which I had never heard before but which is supremely powerful.

The reverse of entropy, negentropy is the force that brings things together, establishes order where there was none. For example, Wikipedia, states that Life itself is a negentropic force:

Life is considered to be negentropic because it takes things in less order, like dead food, and turns it into things in more order, like cells in the body, tissues, and organs.

This is also what the artist does: gathers ideas, sounds, visions, etc and produces something new, coherent and perhaps even astonishing. Art is a negentropic tool and, when drawing from a shared heritage provides valuable insight into how to order the often baffling chaos that surrounds us all. So art is a search for the organizational structure for life itself.

The artist is an agent of negentropy: a bringer of perspective who offers insights that allow us to bridge experience and intention and move forward toward our maximum potential. It is part of our human makeup and available to everyone. It's good for the artist and good for the audience.

That is certainly a Positive Paradigm!

Inspiration: Chalkville

Monticello Road is an in-depth exploration of one street in Charlottesville, VA. It asks how art can be a key, everyday part of a healthy and vibrant community. This blog normally focuses, as it should, on the people and places in that neighborhood but it also occasionally presents related examples and inspirations from elsewhere.

Elinor Slomba is an artist/organizer/agent/angel and a lifetime collaborator and friend of mine. I caught up with Elinor as she was catching her breath after the completion of Chalkville, a monumental chalk drawing on a high school parking lot in West Haven, CT and an excellent example of art-centric community organizing.



Tell us about Chalkville. What was it about and how did it go?

Elinor: Chalkville was a Guinness-approved world record attempt for Largest Chalk Pavement Art. The record we had to beat was 90,000 square feet of one unified chalk drawing, set by Mark Wagner of Alameda, California. After I got the idea this might be a good civic art project, we got seed funding from the Awesome Foundation, Connecticut Chapter. They give $1,000 grants to individuals for creative projects that benefit communities. That was enough for a little less than half of the chalk, but it enabled us to begin saying "we have funding for this." It wasn't just a crazy idea, we were certified Awesome!

StoryLine 2013

This is the fourth year I’ve worked on StoryLine, the fifth year of its existence. It’s never the same and it’s always good.

This year’s theme was transit: how people and things get around. We spent three days in July with 30 Charlottesville Parks and Rec summer campers (ages 10-14) and a phenomenal team of volunteers exploring three distinct modes of transit: water, bikes and busses and on the fourth day, the kids made a huge chalk mural about it on the Free Expression Wall.

StoryLine invites the youngsters to explore and discover their worlds and use that as fuel for art-making. The Constitution guarantees the right to express oneself, but whence the willingness to do so? What should they say and why?

We’re teaching kids to make connections between their own experiences and the wider world and encouraging them to speak their perspectives. It’s not only a visual expression, although the Free Expression mural is a very visible testament. This year, we included a group of poets and rappers and they really invigorated the experience.



The kids instantly responded to the spoken verse for a variety of reasons. The language and rhythm of Hip Hop feels familiar but they also come from a deeply verbal culture, much more so than visual. So when we asked kids to draw about their observations, they were hesitant—and that’s ok; it’s why we have artist mentors. But when we asked them to rhyme their observations, our jaws all dropped at the adolescents’ fluency. It was amazing.

Words disappear into the air and sky and the drawing did not last the day, as afternoon showers washed the chalkboard clean. Although nothing endures forever, some things have a lasting impact. I hope StoryLine triggers something in the kids. It has certainly changed my life.

Story|line is a collaboration between the Piedmont Council of the Arts, the Bridge, Charlottesville Parks and Recreation, the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression, Siteworks Studio and many, many volunteers.

Learn More about StoryLine:
Web Site | Exhibition Info | Photos | Media Preview | Media Recap | Blog Thread

 

C-ville Kickstarter Interview

Among many other things, the Kickstarter campaign funded the Faces of Monticello Road, a community slideshow that ran for a week in July.

On Tuesday, July 31, the C-Ville Weekly ran a story by Katy Nelson about Kickstarter with several references to and quotes about Monticello Road, which had a successful Kickstarter campaign. Monticello Road is a great example not only because it used crowdsourcing to raise funds but because it is for and about the community as well. It is a tool that’s well suited to aid the project’s mission.

It was a short piece that touched on many things. I wanted to focus on the aspects that relate to art’s role in the community, so for greater depth, here is the full text of our conversation.

Nelson: Can you tell me about how you used Kickstarter to fund Monticello Road?

Krebs: Everything about my project is about removing barriers between people and there can at times be an invisible wall keeping too many people away from the arts. So if the project was to succeed in the way I wanted, it was important to make the art itself completely accessible to everyone--far beyond the usual suspects who go to openings. I wanted the art to be incredibly affordable. And so it was: everything was either free or pay-what-you-can. Yet, it all cost money--alot--so I wanted to find a way to fundraise that was completely optional (and mostly invisible) and that would allow people with little means to make small contributions and have it be really meaningful.

Kickstarter made a lot of sense because it's focused primarily on social networks (as is my project so there's a natural overlap) but it's not geographically limited as a donation box would be for example. The whole thing is about community and this allowed really wide participation and everyone to feel like their contribution (no matter how small) would be essential. And that turned out to be the case--we made our initial goal by just $6. As I see it, communities are interconnected webs of interaction and sharing. This created another layer, which was great.

The other thing that's good about Kickstarter is that the user controls the schedule (as opposed to grants which have their own cycle which can be very, very long) and there are no strings attached except those that I determine with my community, the contributors. So in my case, the campaign coincided with the show at the Bridge and the goal was to raise all the funds required for the exhibition, the many associated events, plus production costs for the free and subsidized stuff I gave away.

In the end, not all my backers wanted to participate in kickstarter but they wanted to donate so I got a second and unexpected wave of private donations afterward and those paid for the exhibit and public slideshow at the Local and a little seed money for the next project.

Nelson: Before crowd funding, how did you and other local artists finance your art exhibits? Has Kickstarter made it easier to find funding?

Krebs: Artists depended mostly on sales. By taking the whole selling business out of the equation work can be more mission- (as opposed to acquisition-) oriented. It provides a new channel for funding but it's one of many ways and I only used it because it made sense--not because it's better than any other.

Nelson: Were a lot of your backers people that you knew personally? Or were they simply people who discovered your project online?

Krebs: The vast, vast majority were people I already knew. The onus is on the person with the project to recruit funders and it requires a very concerted effort to reach an ambitious goal. Still there were a few pledges that came came through kickstarter, which was neat, but it's more about mobilizing your existing network than growing it. Because it's about your network, the donations will reflect the geographic distribution of your circle of friends.

Nelson: Do you know a lot of local artists who are using Kickstarter?

Krebs: Yes, I know a few and I've made some donations. Because it's connected to social media though, I've also discovered a bunch of my old friends who live far away are up to cool things and I've donated to them too.

Nelson: A lot of people have called Kickstarter a sort of social movement--a way to democratize the art world. Do you agree? Or do you see it simply as a convenience?

Krebs: Yes, I think that's true--especially because it's so quick and easy to make a small contribution. We have to be realistic, though, when we talk about democratization. The digital divide is very real and I think it coincides with the Art World barriers. This doesn't touch that at all--it might make it worse.

Nelson: Most importantly: How do you think Kickstarter is changing the arts community in Charlottesville?

Krebs: Yes--I think it does in several ways.

First, it creates a more participatory model of art where the community (even if it's virtual) has an ownership stake in the art.

Second, it allows people to become patrons of the arts with very small contributions. Patronage is influence and I think it will broaden artists' ideas about who is in their audience--and I think that's a very good thing. I really believe that the best thing for the arts is a larger overall pie, meaning more people involved and invested.

Third, it will be an incentive to do art that is project-based. A campaign that says "buy my art because it's great" will not work. It needs to DO something. That's a mixed blessing.

Because it's not limited by geography, artists will be able to reach outside of the local area for support within a broader non-physical community, which creates interesting possibilities.

Finally, it allows artists direct access to funding and gives them a new business model.

It gives artists alot to think about!

Summer on Monticello Road

The StoryLine kids visited many of our favorite neighbors, including Virginia Industries for the Blind.

We had a very full Spring on Monticello Road but we’re also having a fun summer.

Story Line
Last week, we had an amazing week with the kids of the Story|Line project. We spent a morning at Monticello; then the next day we visited Lazy Daisy, Virginia Industries for the Blind and had lunch at Mas. After a Wednesday clinic at the Bridge we brought all their experiences to fruition on the Free Expression Wall. This was the best year for Story|Line and we are deeply grateful to everyone who helped make it happen.

Learn more | Pictures

Photos at the Local
The photography exhibition has moved to its summer quarters at the Local. Twenty photos, including ten that have never been exhibited before, adorn the walls of one of our favorite restaurants. Stop by and check them out. The exhibition will remain on view through July. [More]

Community Slide Show
This coming Sunday and Monday nights (July 22-23), there will be a slide show in the storefront window next to the Local (the Beauty Shop). It will be a rotating display of about two hundred images, the faces of Monticello Road. Projected from the inside, it will fill the storefront window and be visible from the street. [Preview]

Rewards on the Way
I have received a shipment of books and if you pledged and have not received your copy (or your print) I thank you for your patience and please know that it is on its way. If you do not have one or would like to obtain, please email me (peter-at-culturecurrent{dot}com) and I’ll get it to you. Thanks to our generous backers, subsidies are available for those in need.

Thank You is always a good way to end an email or a conversation. I am deeply grateful for all your help (so far) and I am honored to be your friend and neighbor.

See you soon!

Story|Line comes to Monticello Road

We met some old friends along the road from Monticello, including one that was very old indeed.

It's as if two of my favorite people just got married.

Obviously, by now you've heard all about my Monticello Road project, which uses photography to celebrate the people and place along one of America's most interesting streets.

For several years, I've also been fortunate to be involved with Story|Line, an innovative multi-partner program wherein 30 kids (ages 10-13) from the Parks and Recreation summer camp take a series of urban hikes and then make a mural about it. Story|Line uses art in much the same way as my own project--to build connections to place.

Last year's trip was all about waterways and two years ago it was change and transformation. This year, the kids visted Monticello Road and it is literally the case that the two programs fit together like hand and glove. Indeed, as I was dreaming up Monticello Road, I had Story|Line very much in mind.

On Monday, kids visited Monticello itself and hiked down the mountain along the magnificent Sauders-Monticello Trail. On Tuesday, they met some of our favorite characters along Monticello Road, including Sonny and Novella at Lazy Daisy Ceramics, Virginia Industries for the Blind, and Tomas at Mas Tapas. On Wednesday, they refined their drawing skills at the Bridge PAI in preparation for Thursday's big activity: a mural on the Free Expression Wall.

Story|Line is an amazing experience and I'm grateful to be a part of it for the third time. It's a terrific group of kids, very motivated and insightful and totally inspiring. I always feel like I'm getting back so much more than I'm putting in.

It's been extra-special this time to walk with these fabulous kids along the road from its germination to its terminus and to introduce them to friends and neighbors along the way. Their presence, their questions and their drawings lift us all up.

---

Story|line is a collaboration between the Piedmont Council of the Arts, the Bridge, Charlottesville Parks and Recreation, the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression, Siteworks Studio and many, many volunteers.

We're not alone

I received an unexpected email the other day. Hannah Minzloff is a Nova Scotia-based photographer  doing a project about a small section of a historic road,where she's newly transplanted.

It was a bit shocking to know that someone else is doing something so similar to what seemed like a pretty unique effort, but I shouldn’t really be surprised. Monticello Road was a response to a big need that exists in the Art World for art that is relevant to communities and a yearning in neighborhoods for the social benefits that artists are uniquely able to deliver. This is all over the world, not just me or in Charlottesville.

There’s nothing more encouraging than to look to either side and see fellows toiling alongside. I’m glad to know that I’m on to something important and its good to see others carrying the effort forward.

Here’s what she wrote:

Congratulations on succeeding with the fundraising for your wonderful project Peter. It has been amazing to hear about what you have accomplished in such a short time.


In a good way, hairs prickled on the back of my neck when I stumbled upon the Monticello Road project on Kickstarter (I was doing some research into crowdfunding) a couple of months ago. By wild coincidence I am also working on a photo-based community project along a short stretch of road in what is a relatively new community for me, in Dartmouth Nova Scotia on the east coast of Canada. As I read your description of Monticello Road, it felt like I was seeing my own words pouring out onto the page.


I'd like to share with you what I have been working on over the last 18 months. Portraits on Portland documents a neighbourhood in transition, celebrating the people and places along a 5-block strip of the Old Dartmouth section of Portland Street, Nova Scotia's first incorporated town. The exhibition will be presented as a series of large prints along with projections of historical images at a local gallery this September. A wall of the gallery will be given over to the community to post their thoughts, drawings etc of what then envision for the future of the area, and a number of stores on Portland will actively take part in the show by hosting their own displays of pictures and artifacts. I have been using a digital recorder to collect people's stories about the area but haven't quite decided how to present those during the exhibition. You can see a selection of the portraits and read more on the website: Portraits on Portland.


The way you reached out to engage the community through panel discussions and storytelling has inspired me to set up a panel discussion on revitalizing downtowns, and if I may I'd like to borrow your rocking chair storytelling afternoon idea.


After much research – can you believe it there are no crowdfunding organizations in Canada!– I decided to give crowdfunding a try by setting up a website and a PayPal account. I've almost reached my goal which is a real testament to the local community.


I wonder if there is an opportunity for an exhibition exchange here or for these works to intersect in some way?


thank you for the inspiration,


Hannah

All throughout this project, I have received constant voices of confidence from all quarters: sponsors, fellow artists, media, and the neighborhood itself. It’s rare in any life, including that of an artist, to be told with certainty that you are doing the right thing.

As we think about what makes us each successful and what makes a healthy community, that validation is a key ingredient. Let’s all do it for one another and do it often.

Fundraising Successful

We set an ambitious goal and there were some doubters. I have to admit that in my fearful moments I was among them. But we did it! We eclipsed our $4000 target by a nose. It was a total team effort with contributions from many, many generous supporters.

Monticello Road is not finished yet. There will be more projects in the neighborhood and we'll have information about those soon.

For now, huge thanks to all of you!

Backers

This project could not have happened many people's contributions of time, expertise and money. It's a very real display of what a community can accomplish together. There are so many to thank, I am bound to forget some, but I'll give it a shot.

Host Venue and Chief Sponsor
The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative

Promotional and Professional Support
AiA Architecture Week
City of Charlottesville Historic Resources Committee
Piedmont Council for the Arts
Virginia Industries for the Blind

Intern
Preston P Jackson

Advisory Group
Greg Antrim Kelly
Aaron Eichorst
Maggie Guggenheimer
Sarah Lawson
Jon Lohman
Ross McDermott
Lulu Miller
Pete O'Shea
Dan Zimmerman

Technical Assistance
Meredith Cole
Rob Douglas
Lulu Miller
Kristin Rourke

Panelists and Guest Speakers
Fanella Belle
Rosie Breeden
Preston Coyner
Maurice Cox
Mark Edwards
Aaron Eichorst
Kathy Galvin
Allison Hirsch
Lance Hosey
Greg Kelly
Sonny Mawyer
Mary Michaud
Pete O'Shea
John Trippel

Financial Contributors

Neighborly Hollers
Joanna Boone
Dr. Evelyn Edson

Neighborly Hellos
Elaine and Reid Bailey
Tomas Rahal

Double Waves
Pamela Cederquist
Clay Fitness
Christina Latouf
Wendy Philleo and Tim House
Dan Walsh

Neighborly Waves
Alloy Workshop
Douglas Bade
Elise Burroughs and Eric Cole
Mark Edwards and Mary Michaud
Jen Dalton and Wellington Fan
Rob Douglas
Aaron Eichorst
Randall Harris
Amy Hill
Jen Hochrein
Michaux Hood
Paul Johnson
Sarah Lawson
Guian McKee
The Munros
Pete O'Shea and Sara Wilson
Liz Robbins
Margo Smith
Pierre Verdier
Marla Ziegler

Winks
Renee Balfour
Meg Crook
Eileen French
Jackie Fugere
Maggie Guggenheimer
Amelia H
Chloe Hawkins
Bill and Renate Hinkley
Jonathan Krebs and Genevieve Diamond
David Marshall
Dr. Barbara Watkinson
Brian Wimer

Smiles
Greg Antrim Kelly
Christina Ball
Joel Bass
Fenella Belle
Paul Beyer
Daph
Sigrid Eilertson
Jennifer Elmore
Stacey Evans
Whitney French
Julia Hauser
Madeleine Hawkes
Billy Hunt
Jason
Anki King
Bree Luck
Lindsey Mears
Lizzy Miles
Hannah Minzloff
Laura Parsons
Andrea Pitzer and Dan Vergano
Suzy Q
Andrea Retzky
Ross
Joe Swift
Holly Tidmore
John and Melissa Wales
James Wilamor

In-Kind Contributions
A Pimento
Beer Run
Belmont Barbeque
Crutchfield Corporation
The Farm
La Taza
The Local
Love Canon
Mas Tapas
Spudnuts

Most Especially
Thank you to my family and the wonderful people of Monticello Road.

 Update: Although the KickStarter campaign has come to a successful close, it is still possible to make financial contributions--and people are doing so on a regular basis, which is great. Contact us to arrange a private contribution.

Creative Community Planning

 

Monticello Road is a fascinating combination of planning, organic historic development and spontaneous citizen intervention.

The Monticello Road community series continues on Tuesday, April 17, from 7-9 p.m. with a panel discussion on community and neighborhood planning. The event, which is part of AIA Architecture Week, is hosted by the Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative.

Lance Hosey (GreenBlue) will moderate a panel including Maurice Cox (former mayor, NEA director of design, currently at UVA Architecture School), Kathy Galvin (architect and City Council), Alison Hirsch (UVA School of Architecture), and Pete O'Shea (Siteworks Studio).

We will discuss ways that community planning can be proactive, inclusive and yield excellent results.

Specific topics will include:

• What historical processes aligned to make this place unique?
• How can planners seek out meaningful input from communities?
• What alternative strategies exist to assure both inclusiveness and excellence?
• How to bring in traditionally excluded voices?
• How to listen to vested stakeholders and truly address their concerns without them highjacking the process?

Charlottesville and Belmont in particular abound with urbanist case studies and we are quite sure it will be a lively discussion.

All Monticello Road events are free and open to the public. The Bridge is located at 209 Monticello Road, Charlottesville, VA 22902. [map | donate]

How You Can Help

We had a successful KickStarter campaign during in April 2012. We raised $4000, which funded the exhibitions, gift prints for all the subjects, several receptions and community events. Big thanks to all of those backers!

The project goes on and those funds ran out a long time ago. While our needs are modest, we are still accruing expenses and need to continually ask for help. It is still possible to make financial contributions--and people are doing so on a regular basis, which is great. Contact us to arrange a donation.

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Financial Donations
Monticello Road is a break-even project meaning that while we may not be paid for the considerable time that goes into it, we do raise funds to cover costs. For example, the photo booths cost a couple of hundred dollars to produce, but anyone who walks up can get a free print. We currently have about $500 of budgeted costs that need to be covered by donations. [Contact]

Buy the Book
The Monticello Road book captures the spirit of the project. It is 80 pages, full of images of the people and places that make it such a special place. Signed by the artist. You can preview it on the web but it's best (cheaper) to buy directly from me. It'a a great gift and a good way to remember the neighborhood or to share it with friends. Like everything in the project, it is pay-what-you can ($50 min | $75 recommended) [Preview | Contact]

Intern Needed
This project is very labor intensive but also very fun. In particular, the photo booths and oral histories both require logging, transcription, editing and, of course, field engagement. If you like art and/or people and have decent computer skills, this is a great way to be involved with a succesful community art project. [Contact]

In-Kind Contributions
Many people have contributed time, expertise, and even food and drink. It is a fun, social project that involves talking to our neighbors. If you have a special skill or would like to bring food to one of our events, please contact me: we need all the help we can get. [Contact]

Tell/Bring a Friend
This project is bringing new people into the arts, but sometimes those folks need encouragement or even a ride. Tell your neighbors about the events and bring them along—especially if they don’t usually go to art shows.

Walk the Road
The very most important thing you can do to make this project successful is to internalize its lessons and take them out into the world. Talk to your neighbors, smile at them and encourage them to share what they have to say. By encouraging others to do the same, our efforts will have a multiplier effect and bring about some real positive change.

Exhibition Information and Community Events

Exhibition and events center (mostly) around the Bridge PAI, at the intersection of Monticello Road and Avon Street.

2014

Sunday, April13
Block Party: Tom Tom Fest / Belmont Bash
All Day, Downtown Belmont
Claim the street for new uses. Celebrate with your neighbors and visitors from around Charlottesville. Enjoy an unbeatable Virginia Spring afternoon.

2013

Sunday, April 14Tom Tom Block Party
2:00 - 9:00 p.m., The Bridge PAI
Recap | Photos | Preview

2012

Exhibition & Community Events

Photographer Peter Krebs spent two years documenting the people and places along this one-mile length of Monticello Road from Moore's Creek to the Belmont Bridge. A neighborhood resident, Peter revisited the sites repeatedly and in different seasons and compiled a comprehensive body of images. He talked his way into residences and businesses, set up informal photo booths and even engaged with strangers on the street. His images witness lives unfolding and the everyday magnificence he discovered is easily apparent in the pictures.

The exhibition, which runs from April 6-27, includes some three dozen prints as well as a slide show with hundreds of faces from Monticello Road. An 80-page catalog accompanies the exhibition.

Community Events

This exhibition is truly a neighborhood celebration and will be about much more than just pictures on the wall. It will be enlivened by a series of events that provide opportunities to know the neighborhood and its people in new ways.

The exhibition and most events (unless otherwise noted) take place at the Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative 209 Monticello Road, Charlottesville, VA 22902. 434-984-5669. The Bridge is open Tuesday to Saturday noon to 3:00 p.m. and during special events. Admission is free and the public is always welcome.

Friday, April 6
Opening Reception
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. The Bridge PAI
Bring your friends, put on a name tag and meet the people of Monticello Road. [photos]

Saturday, April 7
Film Screening: Still Life with Donuts
9:00 a.m. – noon. Filmmakers’ Q and A 11:00a.m. Spudnuts (309 Avon Street)
This documentary is a must-see for anyone interested in Belmont. The film will repeat throughout the morning and filmmakers Mark Edwards and Mary Michaud will answer questions at 11:00.

Thursday, April 12
Open House: Virginia Industries for the Blind
Tours 9:00 – 11:00 a.m and 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.  1102 Monticello Road
You might be surprised to learn that this quiet-looking place is making beds for the Navy. You’ll also meet some of the nicest and most interesting people there. Refreshments will be served. For more information please call William Vaughn (434-295-5168)

Monday, April 16 - Wednesday, 18
Clark School Second-Grade Art Class Field Trip Visits
The Bridge PAI

Tuesday, April 17
Panel: Neighborhood/Community Planning
In cooperation with AIA Architecture Week
7:00 pm – 9:00 p.m. The Bridge PAI
A who’s-who of architecture and planning will discuss what makes this place so special and explore new models for community development. [story]

Sunday, April 22
Story Sharing and Oral Histories
1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. The Bridge PAI
You’ve seen some of the faces, now come hear their stories. We’re bringing long-time residents, transplants, and people with interesting perspectives for what is sure to be a rich and lively conversation. Food and beverages will be served. [photos]

Thursday, April 26
Artist’s Talk with Special Guests
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. The Bridge PAI
Peter will discuss his work and what he’s learned about the artist’s unique role in a healthy community. He will be joined by other artists who actively engage the community in different ways. Confirmed guests include Aaron Eichorst, John Trippel, Greg Antrim Kelley, and others.

Friday, April 27 Saturday, April 28
Bridge Exhibition Closes

Saturday April 28 (tentative)
Hangover Brunch
10:00 a.m. Moore’s Creek Family Restaurant (1710 Monticello Road)
Join us for a huge breakfast at the tall-tale-spinning headquarters of Monticello Road.

July 1- August 1
Exhibition at the Local (824 Hinton Avenue)
Twenty images, including ten never displayed before adorn the walls of a restaurant that is at the geographic and community heart of Monticello Road. [details]

July 9 - 12
StoryLine Walks
The annual Storyline Project guides rising 4th-6th graders through unique walking expeditions that culminate in a collaborative mural design. This year, the Storyline Project explored the people and places of Charlottesville through the theme of “Monticello Road: Portraits of the People.”
[info | photos]

Saturday, July 21 - Monday, July 23
Public Slide Show: the People of Monticello Road
6:00 p.m. - 12:00 p.m. (Jean's Beauty Salon, next to the Local)
Projected from the inside, this rotating display of images of the faces of Monticello Road will fill the storefront window and be visible from the street. [Preview]

September 7-28 (Reception Sept 7, 5-7 p.m.)StoryLine Exhibition
CitySpace (100 5th Street NE)
Piedmont Council for the Arts is proud to present an exhibit of photos, drawings, and video from the 2012 Storyline Project, a hands-on project for youth in the Charlottesville Parks & Recreation summer camp.

Sunday, September 30
Where We Live: Belmont
3:00 - 5:00 p. m. C'Ville Coffee (1301 Harris Street)
Where we Live—Stories from Yesterday and Today discussion series focuses on a different neighborhood every month and this month they’ve chosen Belmont. Come share your stories and recollections or just come listen.

Monticello Road Update #1: Exhibition Details

We're hoping to get Adam Larrabie (left) to play at the opening.

As we approach 2012, we can announce some more details about the exhibition.

The show at the Bridge PAI will take place from Friday April 6 (Opening Reception) to Friday, April 27.

Most of the images are already printed and heading to the framer. I will add a few more as we get closer and I keep working. There will be 25-30 archival, editioned, prints plus a slideshow of the portraits from our site visits and photo booths. [Previews here, here, here, and here] There will also be a hardback book, which is currently in the design phase.

During the course of the exhibit, we will have at many corollary events. Here is a minimal list; exact dates to come:

Story Night. We will invite a diverse group of characters to give perspectives on how Monticello Road has changed. We will record these histories to share in the future.

Movie Night: Still Life with Doughnuts. A documentary by Mark Edwards and Mary Michaud (two Monticello Road residents) about the neighborhood. They will talk about their project.

Architecture Night: Architecture Week falls during the course of this exhibition and we hope to bring together a panel of architects and urban planners to discuss this unique thoroughfare.

Q&A with John Trippel, plein air neighborhood artist. John Trippel works on site, documenting the neighborhood in oil paint and he has many interesting perspectives.

Clark Elementary Art Club Visit: Date tbd

There’s a lot going on and we expect to add more. Please stay tuned!

Monticello Road Update #2: Time for the Next Stage

This neighborhood is very culturally rich. People like Christian DeBaun--one of the prime movers behind the Charlottesville Photography Initiative--have tremendously much to offer besides being willing subjects.

I had an amazing talk with, Lulu Miller, a kick-@$$ writer/story-teller/oral-historian who lives in the neighborhood. The discussion made me realize that the project is ready for its next stage.

Not only does Lulu completely understand what we’re doing and why but on a fundamental level she appreciates the profound ocean of interesting experience behind every portrait. It would be great to have voices to go with the faces, but it’s not really my specialty. It is hers though!

This has been the plan all along: to open it up to a wider collaboration beyond myself. I have been biding my time in assembling the team to expand the project in this way. Three intertwined forces are coming together that make the moment ripe.

1. The project is now mature. There is a very, very substantial body of images—more than enough for the exhibit, book, and whatever else we want to do—and it is growing all the time. We have a respectable platform in the Bridge and lots of media interest. Our work will definitely be seen/heard.

2. The project has a significant network of sources, plenty of interviews just waiting to happen and access and street-cred that will open many more doors as well.

3. Developing these networks has brought us into contact with some very impressive and skilled potential collaborators. The past year of pounding the pavement has honed the message so it is clear, finite, and compelling—a much easier sell to those specialists.

I told Lulu that the past year has felt like the discovery phase of a larger project and as the photography piece begins to take physical form, it is time to plan the next, wider step.

In the next few weeks, we’ll be recruiting collaborators and looking at—and beyond—the April exhibition into ways to extend the venture beyond our existing plans. We’re thinking about deepening the project, doing more within the neighborhood, but also with an eye on creating a model that other people can use in other places.

Watch for some kind of summit or meet-up or feel free to contact me with your thoughts, ideas, and volunteerist enthusiasm. This project is all about Community and what it means to inhabit a space together. It’s exciting to think about working, and growing, in concert with such impressive and interesting people.