Artists on Andrews Avenue

[Towntalk]

What ever came of this?

[Rick Rowlands]

Professors usually live out in the suburbs isolated from the realities of the inner city. 

Wasn't one of the Penguins stolen?
Who beheaded the artwork located within sight of the wall you propose?  I rest my case. 

Its time for your organization to go big time and get liability insurance.  I've had a policy for the Tod Engine Foundation for years.  Do you have memberships?  Make sure the participants are members as they can't sue themselves. 

Since this would be done on City property you will need to coordinate this with the city.  Perhaps work with Streetscape on this, as they have a relationship wit hthe City already for doing beautification projects.

[Jaime Hughes]

What about the liability of one of them getting hurt? Should they sign a paper saying that I'm not responsible for anything that happens to them while painting on andrews ave?

I was thinking like you Rick, but the professors said not to worry about the vandals. They said the penguins havent been bothered for the most part.


I wonder who I could talk to about grants and that for paints and supplies, or should the artists supply that themselves.

[Rick Rowlands]

You want a graffiti resistant coating such as this:
http://ndclean.com/graffitishield.htm?gclid=COSY2dii85ACFQIQFQodeEsy2A

I don't believe for one minute that vandals would have respect for anything, so don't assume that they would.  Put the artwork 10 feet above the sidewalk and coat it with an anti graffiti coating.

Make sure the substrate is properly prepared and you use the right paints so the artworks last for the long term. 

[Jaime Hughes]

I had thought of that problem. I had spoke to a few professors at YSU about the issue because that is a major concern of mine. I had said that I was nervous about having them raised off the ground because of a liability issue. She had said that most vandals won't bother something that is going to help the city, (which contrasts the Broken Window Syndrome). I had brought up maybe putting up a plexiglass covering but then the weather may get behind it and cause serious condensation.


She said that a few coats of that polyuthurane (SP)?

[jay]

I noticed some graffiti on the portion of the wall near Federal Plaza East.  It might be a good idea to have the commissioned artists use scaffolding to paint the walls starting from eight or ten feet off the ground.  The finished art work would be less likely to be damaged by graffiti vandals.

[Jaime Hughes]

That would be the beautiful canvas that I speak of yes!!


I would like to get ALL of the Youngstown organizations involved with this project. It will also have to be approved with the appropriate people and be buzzing around the city. I would like to get all of the local artists, students, etc involved with this project. Im currently trying to contact grants and that, that may pay for the cost of paints and brushes...possibly sponsors.


Im in the middle of seeing how artists and that worked with YSU for those cute creative penguins that are all over the city. I would like to see how they worked their program and if I could work in a similar fashion.

[jay]

Is this the wall you want for the artists' project?

[Jaime Hughes]

Good Morning Everyone!

It is LONG & OVERDUE for a project from Patrons of Youngstown Arts! So I had been kicking around another idea that I would like to get off the ground. I appreciate all of the questions, concerns, ideas that you are throwing our way it helps!


Artists for Andrews Avenue
We are all familiar with the retaining wall on Andrews Avenue (next to the industrial park). Well, we would like to start the project, "Artists for Andrews Avenue." This can consist of local artists, the art students at YSU, talented high school students who have a passion for painting, basically anyone can get involved!
The retaining wall is almost split up into panels, each panel can represent something about Youngstown...(if you have any ideas for good themes please let us know!), we want to focus on a lot of different things in Youngstown because even though the industrial aspect is a huge part of our history-- we would like to show that there are a lot of other amazing things within our city.
All of the technical work would be worked out during the colder months and we would like to begin painting the second week of May (weather pending).

Alot of people have asked about the cost of paint, brushes etc etc-- I am going to try to get local businesses to donate supplies, apply for grants that will applied solely to supplies and if there is any money left over we will donate it to YSU.

As a painter you'd have to fill out some proper paperwork, just saying that your painting has to be within good taste and we hold the right to have anything inappropriate fixed.

Before painting the artists will have to draw up exactly what they will be painting.

The goal is that the painting will be done by the end of summer (August). There will be days that each person can go....for example, panels 1,3,5,7 can go on a Friday or Saturday....and panels 2,4,6,8 can go on either Saturday or Sunday. (weather pending).

After the painting is complete...the proper credit will be given to each person that helped out... along the bottom of the retaining wall (actually a very large portion) will be devoted to your names etc etc.

I'm trying to see if there is something that we can put over the wall to protect the painting, not necessarily from the weather but from vandals and that, I kicked around a plexiglass covering and if something were to be painted on the glass it would be easier for me to scrub off.




Let me know what you all think, I would like to get together a small board that would help out with the project. If you are interested in being on the small board that will help out with Artists for Andrews Avenue, please let me know A.S.A.P.... all the help we can get will be deeply appreciated!