DART ART
James Michael
about the new DART light rail stations themselves, but I would like to
discuss the issue of the public art that they have planned, and to
guage your attitudes to it.
I am a former resident of the Continental Gin Building on Elm Street
and a working artist:
http://www.jamesmichaelstarr.com
I am also currently preparing a proposal for the public art project
DART has dubbed Deep Ellum Gateway. I've read everything available
about the project and attended the meeting DART conducted at Kettle
Art two weeks ago, so I'm fairly clear in my understanding of their
hopes for the 3-part "art walk", along Good-Latimer at the corners of
Gaston, Elm and Main.
I feel the potential exists for the district to gain significant art
they'll embrace and be proud of. Of course, being an open competition
judged by committee, there also exists the potential for the typical
public art drivel that only satisfies the lowest common denominator
and in no way reflects the character of Deep Ellum.
But if it helps any, I'm very enthusiastic. Not only about the
opportunity to ratchet up the public art facet of my own work, but
also to create something those in Deep Ellum will appreciate. Knowing
that DART is very interested in assuaging the resentment caused by the
burial of the Tunnel, I expect they will work hard to please those in
the district, so I am confident they'll give careful consideration to
proposals that push the envelope and don't so easily fall into the
category of mindless, "pretty" or even banal public art.
If you all are interested, and if it doesn't break any rules, I may
perhaps show you my plans for the art project, assuming my proposal on
March 16 gets me to the next phase of review. I can use all the
support I can get.
Jamese Michael Starr
Sam Crutsinger
wrote:
> If you all are interested, and if it doesn't break any rules, I may
> perhaps show you my plans for the art project, assuming my proposal on
> March 16 gets me to the next phase of review. I can use all the
> support I can get.
I can't imagine that it would be against the rules to run it past the people
who will have to look at it every day. Secrecy like that is what drove me
involved here in the first place. One day you wake up and there's concrete
slabs under the highway with cartoons drawn on them. "Yay! We got art!" :-/
If you have it online shoot us a link. If not then you can upload pictures
in the Files section. http://groups.google.com/group/deep-ellum/files?hl=en
--
Sam Crutsinger
Media Kingpin / CTO
Confidence Bay
http://www.confidencebay.com/
Edit in confidence... Anywhere.
James Michael
> I can't imagine that it would be against the rules to run it past the people
> who will have to look at it every day. Secrecy like that is what drove me
> involved here in the first place. One day you wake up and there's concrete
> slabs under the highway with cartoons drawn on them. "Yay! We got art!" :-/
>
> If you have it online shoot us a link. If not then you can upload pictures
> in the Files section.http://groups.google.com/group/deep-ellum/files?hl=en
>
> --
> Sam Crutsinger
Sam: I don't think it's a matter of secrecy. I'm sure I'm free to show
it to whomever I like, but to distribute widely my submission for a
competition prior to the March 16 presentation date could not only
weaken the impact of my proposal but also risk it getting tossed out
before it's even reviewed. I don't know that the committee wouldn't
see it as attempting to generate backing for my design and pressure on
them.
As I mentioned earlier, my goal is to create a design that will win
the support of you and everyone in Deep Ellum. So you can be sure that
once I'm able to show it and get that support I will. It just might
have to be after it's selected, if it's selected.
Besides all that, there's nothing for me to show at this point. Let's
wait til I've turned in a finished proposal and see if it's
appropriate to share it.
In the meantime, thanks for your interest, and I'd very much like to
hear more about what you and others in Deep Ellum would like to see in
the public art that's installed there. I'm sure every one has hopes
and fears. One post I read disparaged an "archway", which I guess they
inferred from the project name, Deep Ellum Gateway. But there's no
archway planned, and there won't be one unless one of the artists
submits that idea and it's selected.
James Michael
Sam Crutsinger
wrote:
> One post I read disparaged an "archway", which I guess they
> inferred from the project name, Deep Ellum Gateway. But there's no
> archway planned, and there won't be one unless one of the artists
> submits that idea and it's selected.
There was an "archway" suggested at one of the DART meetings I went to. It
got slapped down so hard by the locals that it should have punched a pothole
in the floor at All Good Café.
I'm not sure, but I think I may have been the one to coin the phrase Gateway
to Deep Ellum, but I was saying "The tunnel is the gateway to Deep Ellum."
when I said it at that meeting. I remember saying it, but I don't know if
anybody said it before it just came out of my mouth.
No offense to the artists competing here, but the idea of a competition for
money to produce artwork that's selected through a contest just makes me
think of American Idol. Inorganic. I'm scared that there will be a slim
chance of this turning out to be something that preserves the vintage feel
of the neighborhood. Deep Ellum isn't about new, clean things. It's about
gritty, passionate, dark things. Our architecture is from a time when people
cared about the façade of a building that you don't find any more. It's
brick and steel. I can easily see this turning into chrome and bright
lights.
Who's voting on what gets selected for the "art walk"?
James Michael
>
> No offense to the artists competing here, but the idea of a competition for
> money to produce artwork that's selected through a contest just makes me
> think of American Idol. Inorganic. I'm scared that there will be a slim
> chance of this turning out to be something that preserves the vintage feel
> of the neighborhood. Deep Ellum isn't about new, clean things. It's about
> gritty, passionate, dark things. Our architecture is from a time when people
> cared about the façade of a building that you don't find any more. It's
> brick and steel. I can easily see this turning into chrome and bright
> lights.
>
> Who's voting on what gets selected for the "art walk"?
Sam:
You're preaching to the choir. My stomach turns at the idea of the
typical, insipid public art being placed at the entry points to Deep
Ellum. And even if they DO turn the whole place into sparkly new high
rises with Banana Republic at street level, the art needs to at least
remind people of what Deep Ellum once was.
And if you looked at my art, you know "vintage" is a big part of it.
Also, I used to be a graphic designer, and I despised competitions for
commissions. But in this case, I recognize that I can either be miffed
that they're doing a competition, or I can jump on board and try to
steer it in the direction I think it should go.
As to who's voting to select the artist(s), I think that team has
already been named. DART's Call for Artists states, "A committtee of 5
members will be formed to judge the competition. The committee will be
made up of artists, architects, and community representatives." At
DART's meeting at Kettle Art on February 12, Craig King of DART said
that would include DART's head architect, the artist who designed the
art for the Deep Ellum station structure itself, and a local sculptor
who's widely respected. The community representative will, I believe,
be the president of the Deep Ellum Foundation.
But from what I've seen Googling the subject, there are many voices
involved in the process. The Foundation, The Deep Ellum Association,
and the Dallas Historical Society to name just a few. For crying out
loud, Kettle Art's Frank Campagna, the artist who worked for years to
maintain the Tunnel, hosted DART's meeting two weeks ago, so he's an
example of someone who's trying to make a difference. I don't think
you guys are powerless in this situation. In fact, that's why I chose
to start posting here in the first place.
If you want to have a say, I'd suggest understanding what the process
is and becoming a part of it. Their Call for Artists is the only
current source of information I've found coming out of DART about the
Gateway project. Here's the oversized PDF:
http://www.dart.org/about/expansion/deepellumgatewayartisticvaluestatement.pdf
-- James Michael
Sam Crutsinger
wrote:
> And if you looked at my art, you know "vintage" is a big part of it.
Yeah, I noticed that. That's the sort of thing I think captures the spirit
of this neighborhood.
> there are many voices involved in the process. The Foundation, The Deep Ellum
> Association, and the Dallas Historical Society to name just a few. For crying
> out loud, Kettle Art's Frank Campagna, the artist who worked for years to
> maintain the Tunnel, hosted DART's meeting two weeks ago, so he's an example
> of someone who's trying to make a difference. I don't think you guys are
> powerless in this situation. In fact, that's why I chose to start posting here
> in the first place.
Well I'm very happy you're here and talking. Hey, does anybody have a
personal connection to Frank? I'd love to have him on here as well. I've
been a fan for years without knowing it apparently.
The thing that bugs me about stuff being in the hands of foundations and
associations and societies is that those titles pretty much shield people
from knowing exactly who's casting those ballots. Is it the whole society or
is it just one guy who's speaking on behalf of that organization?
I mean it's generally assumed that the DEA = Gianna Madrini and the DEF =
Barry Annino. Not sure who's the rep for the Dallas Historical Society, but
I doubt it's the whole group. That's why I like this email sort of forum.
It's way more democratic and far less representative which I think is good
for neighborhood politics.
James Michael
> The thing that bugs me about stuff being in the hands of foundations and
> associations and societies is that those titles pretty much shield people
> from knowing exactly who's casting those ballots. Is it the whole society or
> is it just one guy who's speaking on behalf of that organization?
>
> I mean it's generally assumed that the DEA = Gianna Madrini and the DEF =
> Barry Annino. Not sure who's the rep for the Dallas Historical Society,
Sam:
I may not have made myself clear.
I'm not saying that those groups are directly represented in DART's
review process. I'm just saying that in Googling the subject of Deep
Ellum's future, I see that they have made their voices known, so I
know there's room for you to do that, too.
-- James Michael
James Michael
will address issues related to stations along the Green Line,
including Deep Ellum. I don't know why notice didn't appear on
DART.org's Community Meetings & Public Notices page, but you'll find
DART's own press release on these two Deep Ellum-related sites:
http://getrichindallas.blog.com/
I continue to be fascinated, although not surprised, by the lack of
response given to these meetings on the part of the very people who
whine and complain most that they have no voice in the matter.
It's not over til it's over. Well, the Tunnel, yes, that's over.
Literally. Covered over in dirt almost.
Pegasus News expressed similar bemusement in a recent article about
DART's March 8 community meeting:
"There were precisely ZERO comments on the tunnel. None! So I talked
to the DART folks after the meeting. They were as surprised as I was
that nobody came to discuss the tunnel demolition. I told them that
I'd like to pass on any information I could to the
dallasmetropolis.com forum, because the tunnel is a frequent source of
heartburn."
See the entire article here:
http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2007/mar/09/dart-meeting-focuses-green-line-construction/
If the frequent "heartburn" is mostly about the loss of the Tunnel,
then okay, there's no reason to go to these meetings when the Tunnel
is history and nothing can be done to resurrect it.
But, geeze, get over it. And if the real issue is about having a
voice, or about the public art that will replace the Tunnel or even
about the future of Deep Ellum itself, which seems to be the point
that the complaining usually gets at, then I can't understand why
anyone who cares wouldn't be there to express their concerns. I can
assure you that those involved in Deep Ellum real estate WILL be
there, representing what they care about.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm a child of the '60's and think I
recognize some of the tell-tale signs: while there are those who do
take action and speak out, there are even more who find it much more
fun and personally fulfilling to only complain without actually having
to expend the energy to do anything.
-- James Michael
James Michael
correction to my last post. The April 3 meeting is NOT a meeting
hosted by DART, but one apparently hosted by the Deep Ellum Residents
Council at which DART has been asked to present an update and answer
questions.
Otherwise, the facts of the announcement that appears on the linked
pages remain accurate and timely.
-- James Michael
James Michael
the short list of finalists for DART's Deep Ellum Gateway project. Oh
well, such is life!
I only hope I won't cringe to see the concepts that were accepted. But
let's keep a good thought.