![]() ![]() Artists can use any photos or videos created for the program for their own purposes. This was particularly beneficial for emerging artists like Sheena Rae Dowling and Yvette Roman, who were unfamiliar with these types of projects. The city also provided administrative support for artists, such as how to find insurance or how to structure a final proposal. We are making sure something remains behind,” Torero said. “Chicano is a very specific identity that still persists - as long as I’m alive anyway. This allowed the artists to reach people who might not otherwise know about Chicano culture. The project also included dancing, music, and live painting. Torero and his longtime collaborator Sarah Bella Mondragon highlighted the area’s rich Chicano history by placing four brightly colored totems inside Balboa Park, the city’s largest park and a space frequented by tourists. For others, it was an opportunity to create moments of play and celebrate the surrounding community. For many, the initiative was a chance for collective healing and connection. Many of the installations included interactive components, such as reading, cooking, dancing, storytelling, puppetry, and music. Some of the projects were created or recreated over several days, weeks, or months. Since the projects were temporary, artists were able to expand the types of materials used beyond durable materials like steel and wood to impermanent materials, foods, and fabrics. “They play a role in extending the opportunity to their networks well before convening to encourage a richly diverse group of applicants.”Īrtworks were then installed in the city’s nine council districts - two per district. Jones, the chief of civic art strategies for the city of San Diego. “We’re intentional in building out our evaluation panels to make sure they are reflective of the community and the city,” said Christine E. The panel paid special attention to historically underserved communities and artists struggling with the loss of gig projects. The initiative funded 18 installations - $15,000 per project - using development fees and an anonymous bequest.Īrtists were selected by a panel of art professionals, cultural practitioners, and community members. 20, Park Social is made up of short-lived, socially driven installations: the exact type of art hit hardest by the pandemic. This should happen more often.’” Places of healing and connection And all of a sudden … it lands: a big piece of meat. “But many public commissioning entities haven't kept up with artists in finding ways to include ephemeral work in the programming they offer.”įor artists like Mario Torero, a Chicano artist and activist, Park Social had an immediate and positive effect on himself and the broader San Diego arts community.Ĭomparing himself to a hungry crocodile in a pit of starving crocodiles, Torero stated: “There’s no light. “There are many meaningful forms of work, from the time-honored to the contemporary, that don't lend themselves to permanence,” Wiese said. The initiative placed temporary, community-oriented artworks throughout the city park system. The city of San Diego responded by launching two support initiatives, including Park Social. Frequently, the medium simply did not translate well to a digital environment. For others, their art requires working with or in the community. Some did not have the money or technical know-how. Working online was not an option for many artists. “So, the sudden loss of shared physical space was striking.” “Our social, intellectual, and professional lives can be pretty embedded in the rhythm of art exhibitions' openings,” said Allison Wiese, an interdisciplinary performance artist and university professor. Venues closed their doors, gigs dried up, wallets tightened, and an existential malaise swept through a community that lived paycheck to paycheck. When COVID-19 shut down San Diego, it felt like the end of the city’s vibrant arts sector. ![]()
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