At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, Together/apART set out to be a community bonding and solidarity experience carried out collectively while we were literally isolated in our own homes.
The greater Powderhorn community was invited to join in the creation of this public art and cultural documentation project, reflecting experiences as we moved through isolation together, yet apart. People shared imagery, words, or symbols, which CAFAC cut into steel pieces and combined into a quilt that stretches across CAFAC's parking yard fence. On the back of the fence, artistic representations of the coronavirus are obscured by the community quilt.
In the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police officers, at 38th & Chicago, Together/apART is a project that can dig deeper and ask more questions about the pandemic of structural racism and white supremacy that existed long before Covid-19.
What has being in community together meant in Minneapolis, in Minnesota, in the U.S?
What holds us apart from each other?
What does a better together look like?
Following is the original invitation for Together/apART [en Español abajo]:
CAFAC invites the greater Powderhorn community to join us in the creation of Together/apART, a public art and cultural documentation project inspired by how we are all moving through life during the Covid-19 pandemic. This project aims to be a community bonding and solidarity experience, carried out collectively while we are literally isolated in our own homes. Together (while apART), we will create an artistic mixed material quilt that will stretch across CAFAC's parking yard fence, located at the busy corner of 38th and Chicago. Together/apART asks you to reflect on your experiences during this time of challenge and change and to interpret them through imagery, words, or symbols, which CAFAC will cut into steel and incorporate into a public art installation.
Project concept by Jess Bergman Tank, CAFAC foundry department lead & Volunteer Coordinator, and owner of Pedal to the Metal Traveling Foundry.
Why this project?
We believe artwork is an important cultural record and tool to document the human experience. Covid-19 is having an immense impact on our shared and personal lives, and we want to use the unique tools at CAFAC to create something together that reflects our community's social and emotional experiences during the pandemic. Together/apART can inspire us to be creative not only in our own living spaces but also in a larger, collective way.
Who can participate?
Anyone with an interest in the greater Powderhorn area of Minneapolis! No experience necessary and this is not only for those who consider themselves artists or creatives. We encourage you to use this project as a tool to document your experiences, good and bad, around this virus.
Our focus is our geographic community, the neighborhoods of the greater Powderhorn area, which will help us carry out the project as pedal-powered as possible. If you live farther away and would like to participate, we're happy to have you, and are offering a curbside pickup/dropoff option too.
How does it work?
We'll deliver kits of artistic materials and instructions* to everyone that signs up, on a rolling basis. You can request up to five kits per household. You'll have one week come up with your design and then we will arrange to pick it up from you.
Once back at the CAFAC shop, we will torch-cut your designs out of steel and mechanically attach them like quilt pieces onto the front of the fence. On the back of the fence we'll create representations of the coronavirus, so that your collective quilt of artwork will visually reflect how community solidarity will overcome this crisis.
You're also welcome to make your artwork in a medium of your choice on a similar scale (about 6" x 6") to be installed as part of the quilt. If you’d like this option, you don’t need to complete the registration process, but please get in touch with us so that we can plan for your piece. Contact Jess at jess.bergman.tank@cafac.org.
Everyone will receive a printed photo of their piece that can be displayed in your window, connecting our individual homes to the public installation.
*A note on safety: All kits, drop off, and pick up of artistic materials will be done in accordance with CDC guidelines. Kits will be prepared with respirators and gloves worn to mitigate risks to participants and lead artists, and kit components will be sanitized. Drop off and pick up will be done from a distance.
Participation is free, although donations are gladly accepted.
When will it happen?
Together/apART is happening now! Here’s how to get involved:
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Register here and we’ll get a kit ready for you. Registration is on a rolling basis - we will keep the project going until materials run out. We can provide up to 5 kits per household.
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When you register, you'll choose the day of the week you’d like your kit(s) delivered and picked up. We'll be doing bike delivery as much as possible! If you're outside the greater Powderhorn area, you can opt to pick up and drop off your kit.
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Complete your design within one week.
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The Together/apART community quilt will be installed on CAFAC’s parking yard fence in stages as we get pieces back and fabricated. We’ve got plenty of fence to cover!
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We’ll send you a printed photograph of your piece and encourage you to hang it in your window at home to tie together our individual spaces with the larger co-created piece at CAFAC.
Questions? Contact Jess at jess.bergman.tank@cafac.org
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Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center (CAFAC) invita a la gran comunidad de Powderhorn a participar con nosotros en la creación de Juntos/apARTE, un proyecto de arte público y documentación cultural inspirado en cómo estamos viviendo durante la pandemia del Covid-19. Este proyecto pretende ser una experiencia de unión comunitaria y solidaridad, realizado colectivamente mientras estamos aislados en cada uno de nuestros hogares. Juntos (pero apARTE), crearemos una colcha artística de material mixto que se extenderá en la cerca del estacionamiento de CAFAC, ubicada en la concurrida esquina de 38th y Chicago. Juntos/apARTE te invita a reflexionar sobre tus experiencias durante este tiempo de retos y cambios y a que las interpretes con imágenes, palabras o símbolos, que CAFAC cortará en acero y luego incorporará en una instalación de arte público.
¿Por qué este proyecto?
Creemos que las obras de arte son un importante registro cultural y una herramienta para documentar la experiencia humana. El Covid-19 está teniendo un impacto inmenso en nuestras vidas, a nivel colectivo y personal, y queremos usar las herramientas únicas en CAFAC para crear juntos algo que refleje las experiencias sociales y emocionales de nuestra comunidad durante la pandemia. Juntos/apARTE puede inspirarnos a ser creativos no solo en nuestros propios espacios, sino también de una manera más amplia y colectiva.
¿Quién puede participar?
¡Cualquier persona interesada en el área de Powderhorn en Minneapolis! No se necesita experiencia y no es solo para aquellos que se consideran artistas o creativos. Los alentamos a usar este proyecto como una herramienta para documentar sus experiencias, buenas y malas, en torno a este virus.
Nuestro enfoque es nuestra comunidad geográfica, los vecindarios del área metropolitana de Powderhorn. Si vives más lejos y te gustaría participar, nos complace tenerte y también ofrecemos una opción de entrega y devolución en la banqueta
¿Cómo va a funcionar?
Entregaremos kits de materiales artísticos e instrucciones* a todos los que se inscriban. Pueden solicitar hasta cinco kits por hogar. Tendrán una semana para realizar su diseño y luego nos coordinaremos para recogerlo.
Una vez de vuelta en CAFAC, cortaremos con antorcha sus diseños en acero y los uniremos mecánicamente como piezas de colcha en el frente de la cerca. En la parte posterior de la cerca, crearemos representaciones del coronavirus, para que su colcha colectiva de obras de arte refleje visualmente cómo la solidaridad comunitaria superará esta crisis.
También puedes hacer tu obra de arte en el medio de tu elección a una escala similar (aproximadamente 6" x 6") para instalarla como parte de la colcha. Si deseas esta opción, no necesitas completar el proceso de inscripción, pero contáctanos para que podamos tomar en cuenta tu pieza. Pónte en contacto con Jess en jess.bergman.tank@cafac.org.
Todos recibirán una foto impresa de su obra que podrán mostrar en su ventana, conectando nuestros hogares a la instalación pública.
* Una nota sobre seguridad: todos los kits de materiales artísticos se realizarán de acuerdo con las pautas del CDC, incluyendo su entrega y devolución. Los kits se prepararán usando respiradores y guantes para mitigar los riesgos a los participantes y artistas principales, y los componentes del kit se desinfectarán. La entrega y devolución se hará desde la distancia.
La participación es gratuita, aunque las donaciones son aceptadas con mucho gusto.
Cuando va a suceder?
¡Juntos/apARTE se está sucediendo ahora! Aquí te mostramos cómo participar:
- Inscríbete aquí y te prepararemos un kit.
- La inscripción será de forma continua hasta que se agoten los materiales. Podemos proporcionar hasta cinco kits por hogar.
- Cuando te inscribas, elegirás el día de la semana para la entrega y devolución de tu kit. ¡Haremos las entregas en bicicleta tanto como sea posible! Si vives fuera del área metropolitana de Powderhorn, puedes optar por recoger y devolver tu kit en CAFAC.
- Termina tu diseño dentro de una semana.
- Nos coordinaremos para recoger tu diseño una semana después de la entrega.
- La colcha comunitaria Juntos/apARTE se irá instalando por etapas en la cerca del estacionamiento de CAFAC a medida que nos lleguen las obras. ¡Tenemos mucha cerca que cubrir!
- Te enviaremos una fotografía impresa de tu obra y te invitamos a colgarla en la ventana de tu casa para unir nuestros espacios individuales a la obra más grande creada conjuntamente y ubicada en CAFAC.
