fieldpractice – Page 2 – Field Practice

Streetsmiths

The TV show Beyond Repair was about two guys picking up free curbside furniture, transforming them and giving them back to their owners. Using common objects we would normally dispose we will make new art, revealing those objects as materials and showing that objects are often renewable beyond recycling. We will get the community involved in contributing, helping, or simply being inspired by taking something home with them as a reminder of the possibilities of found-object craft.

-devon and blake

Ben and Cashel Gardening Intervention SP11

Click to see the outcome: Helping Community to Grow

M.A.P: Public Invited_Event Schedule_SP11

FIELD PRACTICE is investigating the history and everyday situations of Mission Hill as points of departure for site-responsive projects. They are developing projects that are situated in the public sphere and aim to be socially and spatially engaging in relation to the surrounding communities. The group is focused on researching, discovering and developing a range of temporary, non-destructive and pedestrian-friendly projects in situ.

In the next two weeks, each self-directed project will be temporarily installed, activated, distributed or performed within the neighborhood.

Postal Dérive
Anika E. Ahlberg
Project will be dropped off at selected residences, inviting them to participate.
Location: project’s final public viewing TBA
Date: ongoing

Trail Markers
Alonna G. Bucheimer and James H. Stafford
Trail Markers will be temporarily installed to commemorate the rich history of the neighborhood.
Locations: on streets with Native American names
Date: ongoing

Make Your Self at Home
Lila N. Debas
All are welcomed to be part of a “family portrait” photo session.
Location: Tremont Street
Date: Saturday, April 30, 11:00 – 2:00 pm
Rain Date: Monday, May 2, 11:00 – 2:00 pm

Black Box Recorder
Nicole M. Divito, Paige E. Mulhern and Sydney V. Schofield
Asking local residents to share neighborhood secrets.
Locations: black boxes can be found in local shops, stores and other establishments
Date: ongoing
link: http://missionhillblackboxproject.blogspot.com/

Play it Fair
Jacob K. Giberson
Challenges pedestrians to a game.
Location: Brigham Circle
Date: Saturday, April 30, 2:00 – 6:30 pm
Rain date: Sunday, April 31, 11:00 – 4:00 pm

Token of Appreciations
Kaleigh 0. Heinhold
Invites communities to take another look at Mission Hill. Free project maps will be distributed.
Locations: in and around the Hill
Date: ongoing
Link: http://tokensofappreciation.tumblr.com/
Download: project map

Streetsmiths
Blake H. Johnson and Devonshire M. Yaw
A temporary-art-shop in an empty lot adjacent to Tobin School
Location: Tremont Street
Date: Saturday, April 30, 10:00 – 4:00 pm
Rain date: Saturday, May 7, 10:00 – 4:00 pm

Bad Apples
Natalie L. MacLean
Will be distributing few bad apples
Location: Brigham Circle
Date: Thursday, April 28, 11:00 – 1:00 pm
Rain date: Monday, May 2, 11:00 – 1:00 pm

Helping the Community Grow
Cashel P. O’Sullivan and Benjamin A. Yelin
Will hand deliver a friendly gesture to a few residences.
Location: neighboring housing community
Date: ongoing

Community Mapping
Mariah L. Siegmann
Will perform a surprise social and sound-mapping project all week.
Locations: anywhere from Brigham Circle, Tremont, top of the Hill
Date: ongoing

Mapping Mission Hill
Christopher D. Young
Has mapped a few unfortunate urban features. Free projects maps will be distributed.
Locations: in and around Mission Hill
Date: ongoing

Field Practice is a course-based initiative that explores new forms and strategies of social and spatial art practice. This initiative is in partnership with MassArt’s Center for the Arts and Community Partnerships; CACP cultivates innovative, sustainable relationships with the broader community to explore and expand the relevance of art in public life.

Making Art Public [M.A.P.Group]

Anika E. Ahlberg, Alonna G. Bucheimer, Lila N. Debas, Nicole M. Divito, Jacob K. Giberson, Kaleigh 0. Heinhold, Blake H. Johnson, Natalie L. MacLean, Paige E. Mulhern, Cashel P. O’Sullivan, Sydney V. Schofield, Mariah L. Siegmann, James H. Stafford, Devonshire M. Yaw, Benjamin A. Yelin, Christopher D. Young, Matthew Kushan, Teaching/Project Assistant

Proposal Presentations_SP11

Skillshare

Talking to strangers, recycled clothing making, using food as a sculptural medium, psychological first aid, walking on hands, recently learned how to embroider, can do make-up (theatrical or fashion), thrift store bargain shopping, poetry, being tall (Ex. reaching the top shelf), lack of inhibition, decent strength, no classes on Thursday or Friday, Don’t care about being arrested.

Research Presentations_SP11

Outline: Mapping Chinatown

Outline is an experimental mapping project that explores relationships between the artist and the city. This project is produced by a group of student-artists from Massachusetts College of Art and Design.

The practice of strolling, drifting and exploring in urban space continues to be a source of inspiration to many generations of artists, writers and adventurers. While this project seeks inspiration in the urban environment through encounters and observations, it is also an attempt to locate a specific place though art and social exchange. The work in the exhibition documents individual artist experiences and interpretations of the quotidian geography and narrative of Chinatown, a community which culturally serves not only Boston but the greater New England area.

Participants: Ian T. Cameron, Jeremy B. Carrion, Susan T. D’Alessandro, Marissa H. Daniels, Kirstin M. Davidson, Neillea L. Dee, Kevin Devilme, Miguelina Felix, Carson J. Halstead, Kelly M. Kennedy, Sydney D. Krantz, Carter J. Lynch, Andrew W. MacConnell, Elisa Melegari, Markus J. Nechay, Lucretia M. Seabrook, Jordan E. Siegel, Melissa A. Spiess, Pierre R. Victor; organized by Jonathan Santos.

Many thanks to: Lydia Lowe, Thomas Chen, Sue Yan Yuen and Wen-ti Tsen.

The Wong/Yee gallery is an art gallery unit of the Chinese Progressive Association (CPA]. It is devoted to partnering artists of Boston area with grass-root community organizing groups to develop and show art that can record and communicate people’s lives and conditions in the community, and to use art as a creative tool to envision possibilities for social advancement.

Exhibition Date: March 15- April 8, 2011
Closing Reception: Friday, April 8, 5-7 PM

W/Y Gallery at CPA
One Nassau Street, Unit 2
Boston, MA 02111
617. 357. 4499
wygallery@gmail.com
Hours: M. T. W. 9-5

To view images from the show: click here.

Mapping the City

This project centers on the relationships between artists and the city, explores the many layers of the city and examines how we navigate through the urban environment in everyday situations.

MassArt Focus: Mapping Chinatown

Community Mapping Project

Students organized by Jonathan Santos are involved with an experimental mapping project, Outline, that explores relationships between the artist and the city. The student participants have sought inspiration from the act of strolling and exploring urban spaces. While the project seeks to inspire through the encounters and observations of urban environments, Outline also attempts to locate a specific place through art and social engagement. The work presented in the exhibitions documents individual artist experiences and interpretations of the quotidian geography and narrative of Chinatown, a community which culturally serves not only Boston but the greater New England area. Outline was recently exhibited at the Wong/Yee Gallery, an art gallery unit of the Chinese Progressive Association. The organization is devoted to partnering artists of the Boston area and grass-root community organizing groups to develop and show art that can record and communicate people’s lives and conditions in the community, and to use art as a creative tool to envision possibilities for social advancement. “I feel as though the most rewarding aspect of the project was the ability to have my work presented in the area that came as the inspiration of my work,” remarked student Carson Halstead. “The whole experience was pretty cool, I had never been involved in such a project before and had my work displayed in such a public gallery.”

Thanks

Many thanks to Tina Hinojosa, Eugene Finney, Bill Commerford, Casey Engels, Liz Geller, Werner Grundl and Julie O’Neil of VideoSphere, Mission Hill neighborhood, Parker Hill Library, Diablo Glass School, and to Studio Foundation, CACP@MassArt and Johanna Branson for their support.