Social Sculpture & Joseph Beuys

I just learned of Joseph Beuys as I was speaking with my friend Mark whom I've collaborated with in several "Social Sculpture" projects.

Joseph Beuys is responsible for coining the phrase "social sculpture" and believed that "Every human being is an artist, a freedom being, called to participate in transforming and reshaping the conditions, thinking and structures that shape and condition our lives."

From the Social Sculpture Research Unit. http://www.social-sculpture.org/
Social Sculpture refers to a conception of art, framed in the 1970s by Beuys, as an interdiscplinary and participatory process in which thought, speech and discussion are core 'materials'. With this perception, all human beings are seen as 'artists' responsible for the shaping of a democratic, sustainable social order. Social Sculpture lifts the aesthetic from its confines within a specific sphere or media, relocating it within a collective, imaginative work-space in which we can see, re-think and reshape our lives in tune with our creative potential.

It seems to me that the vast number of community based art programs could be included in this concept of social sculpture.

http://www.markrumsey.com/id3.html

Bill Strickland

I met Bill Strickland when I worked at the West Michigan Center for Arts and Technology. I'd been working with kids for ten years by that point, in a variety of situations and environments. Meeting Bill, and working at that center helped me realize that I want to participate in the vein of art that is channeled toward empowering people to improve themselves and their communities.

http://www.bill-strickland.com/video1

http://www.post-gazette.com/lifestyle/20020602strickland0602fnp3.asp

http://www.manchesterguild.org/youth/Digital_Arts.htm

http://www.wmcat.org/

Current Community Based Art Education Programs

This is just a small sample of what is going on in terms of art programs for youth with an aim to change perceptions, develop skills and self worth, and a desire to dream outside of their small and sometimes challenging environment.

http://www.community-works-ca.org/index.html

http://www.writegirl.org/

http://www.youthspeakcollective.org/Projects/yscreativetechce.html

http://www.communityarts.net/archivefiles/youth/index.php

http://www.americansforthearts.org/youtharts/

Proposal for future Community Collaboration

Last summer I worked with a group of Korean Teens to produce a documentary about the immigrant experience of Korean Americans through 2 community organizations, the Korean Resource Center (KRC) and Visual Communications (VC).

http://krcla.org/blog/489/
http://www.vconline.org/

Based on connections that I've made at VC and the KRC, I'd like to propose a short run animation workshop that would draw it's participants from the youth programs at both of those organizations.

A sample project concept came to me as we were asked to create PSA's to educate youth about HIV. Our target audience was youth 13-21. I've been out of that demographic for a LONG time and having worked with kids for many years, it's become clear to me that the best way to distribute information to teens is via their peer group. So I'd like to offer a program that combines Flash Animation workshops coupled with information sessions from experts about HIV. The outcome of the program would be PSA's made by kids for kids. Of course the "issue" that would be explored wouldn't have to be HIV education if a more pressing issue was at hand in the community served by the KRC.

The PSA's could be distribute via youtube, but it would be even more interesting if the PSA's could be projected in a place where youth congregate, bringing the message directly to them.