2021 Public Art Grant Award

A Portion of Reginald Adams' Proposal Reginald C. Adams LLC presents Absolute Equality We are using public art and creativity to educate and engage communities while highlighting the significance of Juneteenth and the pursuit of Absolute Equality. Community Driven Public Art Community Driven Public Art Builds Bridges It shouldn't be taken for granted. Engagement of the community is the essence of the success of our public art projects. We work strategically to ensure that the public plays a vital and meaningful role in the development and production of our public art projects. The benefits include high levels of community pride, stewardship and ownership of the final work and a greater appreciation of the arts and culture. P02 | Putting the Public in Public Art Community Engagement in the era of COVID-19 Community Engagement in the era of COVID-19 It is now the new norm. COVID-19 has changed the world. The health pandemic has greatly influenced how we approach our interactions with the public. In consideration of the impact that COVID-19 has had on how we convene and gather the public we have incorporated CDC guidelines and protocols into our community engagement strategy for the public art project. These steps include, but are not limited to, small gatherings, temperature checks, social distancing, hand sanitizing or gloves, outdoor events and virtual experiences. Our focus to provide a safe, healthy, meaningful and engaging experience for all participants involved in our work, whether in the studio, classroom, other civic spaces, or outdoors. P03 | Putting the Public in Public Art Extending our reach Virtual engagement is now almost an inextricable part of our daily lives. 73% According to Education Week, “As of September 2020, 73% of the 100 largest school districts have chosen remote learning only as their back-to-school instructional model, affecting over 8 million students.” REMOTE In order to most effectively reach these students we will develop LEARNING IN and implement a series of digital strategies to support the community engagement, marketing/promotions, production, EDUCATION historical significance and celebration of the mural project. The website, mobile app and augmented reality platforms will feature multi-media content, educational tools, and interactive content. The website will also serve as a virtual depository for all media and content used in the design, production and implementation of the project. P04 | Putting the Public in Public Art Our COVID-19 Community Engagement Strategy Our COVID-19 Community Engagement Strategy Innovative Hands-On Virtual Engagement Working in small groups and primarily outdoor settings we In addition to the hands-on experience we are proposing propose to focus our community engagement on youth virtual experiences to engage a much larger and broader and student groups. cross section of the public in the project. Limited and intimate numbers of participants will work These virtual experiences will entail: socially distanced yet alongside professional artists to -Visual art and literary competition focused towards assist in the painting and production of the mural. Using middle school, high school and college aged students. parachute cloth and a paint-by-numbers system we plan -Interactive website and mobile app to include community members in the direct painting of -Educational Curriculum the mural. This process and technique is now industry -Documentary Film depicting the history of Juneteenth standard in large scale mural production. and evolution of the mural project. P05 | Putting the Public in Public Art Virtual Engagement tactics and techniques Art & Literary Contest Website & Mobile App Educational Curriculum Absolute Equality-Film Through the visual art and In order to most effectively Historically accurate lesson Absolute Equality, a literary competition we will be reach the broadest possible plans about Juneteenth will be documentary film, will be a 30 able to engage and reach audience we will develop a developed to educate and minute motion-picture broad and diverse populations highly interactive website and empower students about the intended to document the of students. The competition mobile app to support the trials, tribulations, activism, production of the mural, will be promoted to all of the community engagement, heroism, humanity and highlight community partners local school districts, colleges marketing/promotions, celebration of culture of and depict the history of and universities. production, documentation African Americans. Juneteenth. and celebration of the mural This approach has the project. The curriculum will support, Interviews, oral histories, and potential to reach 1,000's of and in some cases replace, nonfictional accounts of the students that can work The website and mobile app current curriculum regarding history of Juneteenth will be remotely on their creative will compliment the augmented Texas history and associated depicted in the film. submissions. reality features of the mural. events related to Juneteenth. P06 | Putting the Public in Public Art Platforms for Virtual Engagement Choose strategically. PlatforFmacsebook to engaTgwietter Instagram LinkedIn TikTok #AbsoluteEquality P07 | Putting the Public in Public Art Schedule and Timeline P08 | Putting the Public in Public Art A Portion of Derek Anderson's Proposal A Portion of Daniel Fuller and Daniel Calderon's Proposal Project Description We are Daniel Calderon and Danny Fuller, DadaLineLine Co-op, both Houston based artists with the qualifications and experience needed to produce a large scale sculptural work for the Cultural Arts Commission of Galveston. Together, our body of work includes art projects such as Asymmetry of Entropy, an immersive installation made possible by a Houston Artist Alliance Support for Artists and Creative Individuals (SACI) grant, and The Healer, a private artwork that is currently under commission by the University of St. Thomas for the new Center for Science and Health Professions building lobby. We each bring a unique set of skills and stylistic diversity to our collaboration. When first discussing ideas for this project, both of us were immediately drawn to the concept of referencing Galveston’s history through the modern production practices we use in our work. We addressed this by delving into historical narratives found in Galveston’s rich cultural heritage as well as referencing broader themes relating to Texas. In our initial discussions, we excitedly confronted many of the themes seen throughout coastal Texas. This included the oil industry, nature’s destructive forces, rebuilding, the cultural melting pot, as well as many others. We decided to reduce these influences to three or less visual elements for our work. This focused approach resulted in a basic concept of an interactive totem which draws from the industrial nature of oil production and historical elements of Victorian Galveston. Synthesizing these ideas to better fit within our individual and collaborative practices, we decided to use a combination of modern and traditional production techniques in tandem with current and historical materials to create this work. Our piece, titled Whirled Tzylinder, is an emblematic totem made of steel pipe rising from a concrete base and surrounded on three sides by Victorian cast iron fencing. A gate valve located approximately four feet up controls an internal ratcheting system. This system produces rhythmic sounds when employed, and drives a steel top hat located at the peak of the piece which rotates in tandem with the spinning of the gate valve’s wheel. This piece is meant to be both evocative of the cultural melting pots that have existed since the inception of Galveston, as well as an interactive experience that is both fun and wondrous. By using common materials seen in and around this port city, we hope the piece reflects and contributes to the historical elements that make Galveston such a unique city. The two of us bring an expansive and powerful set of fabrication and design skills to this project. Furthermore, we have teamed up with Galveston Historical Foundation to use Hendley Green at 21st and Strand with a proposed install to coincide with Dickens on the Square. We are excited to bring a monument that reflects upon the city’s history and provides locals and visitors with a compelling and interactive work of art. Budget Item Cost Amount Total Artist Fee 1500 1 1500 Steel pipe - 16' x 10" 200 1 200 12" Steel Flange 200 1 200 ¼” Steel Plate 3'x4' 240 1 240 Gate Valve 300 1 300 Concrete 7 10 70 Wheelbarrow 50 1 50 Shovel 7 2 14 Nuts/Bolts 100 1 100 Shop time 40/hr 8 320 Cast Iron Fence 1000 1 1000 Transportation 2/gal 50 100 Equipment Rental 30/hr 6 180 Engineering Consultation 200 1 200 Media Costs 500 1 500 Total 4974 A Portion of Ian Gerson's Proposal IAN GERSON Project Description My proposal is a self-guided walk of Galveston, accompanied by a printed map and an audio component accessible by phone. I will create a hand-drawn map of the island featuring approximately 20 sites that I’ve designated as 'invisible landmarks.' I am interested in locations that are not officially accompanied by a historical plaque (or where the plaque could use an addendum or additional perspectives), yet still hold historical, visual, or energetic importance. The significance of the sites deemed ‘invisible landmarks’ varies, it might have to do with a building that formerly stood there or a particular smell that frequently wafts the air there or a vision for what could happen in the future there. The maps will inspire people to visit sites ranging from the Strand to the Seawall, from the beach to Pelican Island, from Pelican Island to the alleys behind Post Office, from Post Office Street to the East End Lagoon Nature Preserve and from the East End to the Galveston Island State Park, and various stops in the neighborhoods in between. The maps, which are made available free to viewers at various small businesses and arts organizations, will provide viewers with a phone number to call for more information on each location.

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