Lazy Daisy Ceramics was one of the first businesses I discovered when I arrived on Monticello Road. When I told Sonny and Novella about my project, they were quick to help. Sonny has been in the neighborhood in various capacities all his life and Novella has ever since the business moved here in the seventies. Both have seen a lot and are master storytellers.
It was impossible to distill even the highlights of our conversation into my 120 second limit, so I broke the narration into two segments. In the first, Sonny talks about the neighborhood and the history of his building.
In the second segment, Novella talks about the business and how it has changed.
The Monticello Road Audio Tour is an extension of the Charlottesville Audio Tour in cooperation with Charlottesville Historic Resources and Preservation. Special thanks to Tara at Lazy Daisy for arranging the interview. Monticello Road is an art/community project in Charlottesville Virginia.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
StoryLine 2013
This is the fourth year I’ve worked on StoryLine, the fifth year of its existence. It’s never the same and it’s always good.
This year’s theme was transit: how people and things get around. We spent three days in July with 30 Charlottesville Parks and Rec summer campers (ages 10-14) and a phenomenal team of volunteers exploring three distinct modes of transit: water, bikes and busses and on the fourth day, the kids made a huge chalk mural about it on the Free Expression Wall.
StoryLine invites the youngsters to explore and discover their worlds and use that as fuel for art-making. The Constitution guarantees the right to express oneself, but whence the willingness to do so? What should they say and why?
We’re teaching kids to make connections between their own experiences and the wider world and encouraging them to speak their perspectives. It’s not only a visual expression, although the Free Expression mural is a very visible testament. This year, we included a group of poets and rappers and they really invigorated the experience.
The kids instantly responded to the spoken verse for a variety of reasons. The language and rhythm of Hip Hop feels familiar but they also come from a deeply verbal culture, much more so than visual. So when we asked kids to draw about their observations, they were hesitant—and that’s ok; it’s why we have artist mentors. But when we asked them to rhyme their observations, our jaws all dropped at the adolescents’ fluency. It was amazing.
Words disappear into the air and sky and the drawing did not last the day, as afternoon showers washed the chalkboard clean. Although nothing endures forever, some things have a lasting impact. I hope StoryLine triggers something in the kids. It has certainly changed my life.
Story|line is a collaboration between the Piedmont Council of the Arts, the Bridge, Charlottesville Parks and Recreation, the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression, Siteworks Studio and many, many volunteers.
Learn More about StoryLine:
Web Site | Exhibition Info | Photos | Media Preview | Media Recap | Blog Thread
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Monticello Road Audio Tour: VA Industries for the Blind
Virginia Industries for the Blind is one of the oldest and most important enterprises along Monticello Road. It's quiet exterior hides a hive of activity and gives no sense of the fascinating people who work there. The latest installment in our audio tour goes behind the scenes to meet some of them. [Listen to Clip | Read Profile]
VIB has been a early and enthusiastic supporter of the Monticello Road Project. I would like to thank James, Peggy, Preston, Jeff, William and all the staff there who have been so welcoming. If Clark has the brains of Monticello Road, VIB is the heart.
The Monticello Road Audio Tour is an extension of the Charlottesville Audio Tour in cooperation with Charlottesville Historic Resources and Preservation. Special thanks to Jim Meehan for narrating this clip. Monticello Road is an art/community project in Charlottesville Virginia.