Orlando Day 2/Heritage Park

A wonderful day in Heritage Park at The History Center.

 

Was nice being at Heritage Park today as the weather was perfect and park well attended.

 

Some quotes from the day:

 

"This makes me sad."

 

"Something has to be done. We have to continue this conversation."

 

"Thank you for this and God bless."

Janell embraces "the wall".

 

One web designer, Jonathan, came by and gave me his take on Faded Glory. First he said it was a memorial regarding the war in Iraq. The he said it could be a statement on gun violence. Then I explained the wall.

 

Heritage Park

Inelsi

 

Inelsi came by and we talked for some time about the importance of keeping this awareness alive and she thanked me for doing it.

 

Oh several occasions I saw people walk by or bike by and just shake their heads and continue.

 

Tomorrow Faded Glory will be located at Church and Magnolia from 11-7.

 

 

 

Orlando Day 1

What a day.

A lot of running around all day to have the install done by 5pm.

The rain continues to fall and trying to go to Plan B.....which doesn't exist.

At 5pm the rain stopped.

I am often not sure why I do durational installations that involve me being there all the time....and then the people arrive.

Faded Glory

 

Wonderful conversations were immediate and throughout the exhibition time today.  I met so many great people mostly from the Orlando Metro area. Many lifelong Floridians.

 

The first two to arrive were a couple of guys that have lived here their entire lives. After some time the conversation turned to integration and how one of the guys felt it was a really bad idea. "Integration was bad in Orlando. It destroyed our community when we had to send our children to the white schools. Before, the teachers lived in the community and we looked out for each other."

Another visitor said that she would like to see more artists address civil and human rights. She had not seen that here in Orlando.

                                                                        Tre Harris

Dawn, another person to stop by, asked me if I listened to Glenn Beck. She felt that he had had a change of heart and that he was going to Washington to make a difference since he saw the movie, SELMA. Dawn was a real joy. So simple and honest in her views. An angel.

                                                                 Vicki and Anna

One guy did ride by in his truck and circled back around and aggressively came up to the wall. He was in camouflage and a little scary....he then told me that he loved the project and just wanted to make sure his thoughts were right.

                                                              Darryl and Tammy

2 unknown 20 somethings said I needed to push this wall down the street to the police department.

The Blue Wall

Day 1 was wonderful. It is always a little stressful during installation.....then the people arrive.

Schedule: Locations and times

                                                            FADED GLORY

After months of preparation, Art in Odd Places/Orlando/Tone is finally here...and time to present "Faded Glory".

                                                                     Painting in the color blocks

The event will be in downtown along Magnolia Avenue.
 

 

                                                          Attaching the cemetery flowers.
"Faded Glory" locations and times:

Thursday, September 17, 5-9pm at the Southwest corner of Magnolia and Washington
Friday, September 18, 11am-7pm on the Southside of Heritage Square on Central Avenue
Saturday, September 19, 11am-7pm on the Northeast corner of Magnolia and Church
Sunday, September 20, 11am-4pm at the Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts

                                                                           One side of the finished wall.

I look forward to your visit to both the locations downtown and your visit to this blog to voice your opinion(s).

The beginning

Project description:

“Faded Glory” is a movable memorial on wheels that will be displayed at four different sites along Magnolia Street in Orlando, Florida throughout the Art in Odd Places/Tone festival.

 This two sided wall measures 8’x8’x1’. One side of the wall is blue, referencing the impenetrable fraternal police machine - “The Blue Wall”. The second side is a stylized police shooting target created with graveyard flowers collected over the last 18 months in cemeteries throughout the southeast. Graveyard flowers are a reoccurring element in my work symbolically memorializing people who have been unjustly killed.

Having a long history of creating artwork based in themes of civil and human rights and social injustice, this public work continues my focus on these issues. This sculpture addresses the current tone of public suspicion and opinion regarding police abuses, shootings, and cover ups.

Accompanying this work will be a printed postcard with a brief description about the work and a blogsite where the public can leave comments about their encounter with the wall and their ideas on policing in the USA.

Original working drawings for each side.