About Latitude Artist Community

Latitude Artist Community serves all people - with an emphasis on those thought by some to have a disability - by creating meaningful, inclusive community interactions which allow participating artists to contribute culturally and politically to the life of their community.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

PARK(ing) Day Pictures and Update

Lexington's first PARK(ing) Day was a real success and an awful lot of fun. Latitude's installation (next 3 pics) "Stuck" was displayed at the intersection of North Broadway and 2nd Street. Independence Place had an installation (4th pic) on Euclid Avenue in Chevy Chase. They were asked by the Police to remove their installation- and the picture I took below shows them on the sidewalk afterwards. After checking with LexPark we discovered that there is no ordinance banning non vehicles from metered parking spots. The folks at LexPark loved the idea of PARK(ing) Day and will work with Latitude, LexArts and the police to ensure a bigger better PARK(ing) Day in Lexington next year!

ps we also discovered that a an environmental club at the University of Kentucky participated in PARK(ing) Day to- we hope to have some pictures from them soon.

Latitude artists admiring their handiwork

We did a nice interview with WVLK the reporter appears to be interviewing our sculpture

we waved to passing cars to remind everyone to celebrate PARK(ing) Day

Here are Independence Place folks - on the sidewalk!




Tuesday, September 16, 2008

PARK(ing) Day




















Picture of Latitude's Park(ing) Day Installation
Title: "STUCK"
Since PARK(ing) Day is about transportation, we decided to create an installation about the way people considered to have disabilities see transportation and transportation issues. The poem below was created to be read during the installation.


Wheels is about Lexington!
By Latitude Artist Community

You can’t hear the music on the bus
The music of the bus and the magic
Of the bus we ride on

An ambulance can get you there fast
But we have the bus
Better than nothing
Beds have wheels on them
Like in the hospital

Wheelchairs have the wheels
And you push em
Can’t get into Victorian Square or Starbuck’s
Or most anywhere downtown

We watch people go into their houses from the bus windows
They got cars and no ramps
they got it all
They got wheels but they don’t ride Wheels!
SLOW SLOW SLOW
Real bumpy if you’re in the back
Turn on that key
Act like a rabbit and hop along
Sometimes they don’t come- Wheels
And then they tell me to go back to bed

Its fabulous honey
I love it
We want to enjoy our ride on Wheels
Like the skateboarders do
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from Latitude's email update 9/12/08..........
Join Latitude Artist Community and be a part of Lexington's first Park(ing) Day...and more.What is PARK(ing) Day?PARK(ing) Day is a one-day, global event where artists, activists, and citizens collaborate to temporarily transform metered parking spots into “PARK(ing)” spaces: temporary public parks.
PARK(ing) Day was begun in San Francisco in 2005 by the artist collective
REBAR: www.rebargroup.org
PARK(ing) Day is managed by The Trust for Public Land: http://www.tpl.org/

Here's how it works: Nothing could be simpler -just temporarily convert one of your local neighborhood paid auto parking spots to a place for wildlife, people and art.

From REBAR:
More than 70% of most cities outdoor space is dedicated to the private vehicle while only a fraction of that land is allocated to open space for people. Around the world, inexpensive curbside parking results in increased traffic, wasted fuel and more pollution. It’s time to rethink the way streets are used! A metered parking spot is an inexpensive short-term lease for a 10x20 plot of land. Imagine what you can do in a space usually dedicated to private vehicle storage!

For much more info and pictures of past PARK(ing) Days go the official PARK(ing) Day site: www.parkingday.org

About Latitude's PARK(ing) Day display:
When: Thursday September 18, 11am-1pm
Where: In a metered spot on 2nd Street between the Carnegie Center and N. Broadway.

Latitude will be displaying a sculpture called "Stuck" which includes a wheelchair a walker and a cane. Most everyone at Latitude helped create it, Latitude artist Ted Tiemeyer named it and describes it in this way " The wheelchair, walker and cane in the sculpture are stuck, like a lot my friends, and can't get anywhere, cars will pass by it like they usually pass me but maybe someone will stop to take a look'.See a picture of "Stuck" below
Today PARK(ing) Day events take place in 57 cities worldwide, including Lexington! If you decide to create a space just let us know about where you will be so that we can document it.

Now for a little more news from Latitude........
Currently on display by Latitude artists at Third Street Coffee (257 N. Limestone) Handmade Handbags by Belinda Sellers, large scale mixed media pieces Ralph Reynold and Allen Jones.
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In Otober artwork by Latitude artist Jessie Dunahoo will be exhibited in a show called "Folk Art Takes a New Form" at ArtsPlace in Lexington.
........
This October/November artwork by Latitude artist Beverly Baker will be exhibited in Paris, France and NewYork City.
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Remember that the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government's Commission for Citizens with Disabilities meets every last Wednesday, of the month at 9am at the Downtown Branch of the Public Library- this meeting is open to all of us!
.........
Here's a recent poem by Norma

The cat
Would eat you
if he could
and anything else
Your heart is the most important
part of the body
Life is too short
Trees and snow are on the plains
and between the hills