Bunting Boosters

Celebrate where you are. A creative placemaking project at 1389 University Avenue in St. Paul, Minnesota.

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Here’s a video of the all the flags as you approach and walk by the building.  

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Installed!

The Bunting Boosters are up at 1389 University Avenue! And they survived that severe weather last week intact. Wahoo! Working on getting professional photo documentation to post. I'd encourage you to walk by to better see the sweet ornamentations that workshop participants created on flags. 

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Materials

Bunting is frequently made with fabric and sewn together on string. Unlike fabric, the bunting materials for this installation needed to weather the outdoors for an extended period of time. Materials also had to be easy for workshop participants to decorate and efficient for me to assemble on site.  Following some good advice and good fortune, here are the materials I ended up using:

Billboard tarp scraps for the flags. There’s a warehouse in Minneapolis that has a scrap pile of this material. I found lots of “blank” scraps- black on one side and white on the other. I acquired 2 pieces of tarp that were about 5 x 20 feet and cut them into 2.5 by 4 foot sections to paint different colors. The tarp material also has a nice weight to it that helps keep the flags from fluttering and twisting as much as they would if I had used fabric.

Paint samples from hardware store. Latex paint permanently adheres to the tarps and 5 sample sized paints covered all the tarp material I used.

Scissors are all you need to cut the tarps.

We used Sharpie brand oil-based paint markers to decorate the flags. I decided to use paint pens instead of paint and brushes in order to contain mess and for faster drying time. Acrylic paint pens didn’t stand up to my rain testing. I tested various brands of oil-based paint markers and Sharpies had the lowest odor.

Letter stencils. I purchased a pack of paper letter stencils from a craft store but realized they would probably be too flimsy for repeated use by workshop participants. I used the paper stencils to make sturdier mylar stencils.

Jacquard “professional quality” screen printing ink. This ink is water based, easy to clean up, and waterproof once dry. It’s thick and therefore easy to apply and dries quickly. Great on a variety of surfaces.

Sponge daubers for applying the ink using the letter stencils.

Duct tape never ceases to amaze me. I was going to sew the flags to some kind of line or string like I would do with fabric but when doing some experimenting on site, I realized that duct tape was the perfect solution (I think that’s its slogan- “the perfect solution to almost anything”). I could unfurl the duct tape to the length I needed, stick the flags onto it, and then fold it over so it stuck to itself and secured the flags. No advanced measuring and no sewing required!

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Jon Reynolds took some great photos of our small but mighty group last Tuesday.  Check out the all the photos at his facebook page and join us for more flag-making fun this Saturday, March 8, from 1-3pm, at Rock Star Supply Co, 2388 University Ave W. St. Paul

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Let's make flags together!

Who: You and Me!

No experience necessary. For all ages and families. Children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult. 

What:  Flags, fun, and FREE!

Participants and I will paint, cut, and stencil flags to make bunting to be hung on the exterior of the empty car dealership lot at 1389 University Ave. The flags will have stenciled letters that spell out words, phrases, or poems, to celebrate the light rail, the neighborhood, and imagine the potential of this empty space. No experience necessary. Just bring your “boosters”- your positive words, phrases, or poetry- to contribute to flags. Completed bunting will be installed at the location in April and remain up for several weeks to months. All workshop participants will have the opportunity to keep bunting they contributed after the installation comes down. The work of many will unite to boost this spot on University Avenue with color and words. When the installation come down, that energy will come back to you with flags you take to boost your home, yard, or street.

When: Come to one or both!

Wednesday, Feb. 26, 6:30-8:30pm (join the facebook event) Saturday, March 8, 1-3pm (join the facebook event)

Where: Rockstar Supply Co.,

2388 University Ave W. Saint Paul, MN, 55114

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A little about me and why I proposed this project.

Hi. My name is Angela. I've worked as a visual artist and an arts organizer with a variety of organizations in the Twin Cities over the past ten years, including with In the Heart of the Beast Theatre, Young Audiences of Minnesota, and the Art Swap Project. You can see my visual art work at www.angelasprunger.com

This project stems from a recent art practice I've undertaken to cultivate being present. I take city and rural walks with the intent of placing or finding a flag or flag-like thing. I photograph it and post it to Instagram and Facebook. I may make and carry a flag with me or I make a flag on site from found materials. I favor a triangle shape more reminiscent of a pennant and bunting than the rectangular shapes of nationhood. The flag placing reminds me that I am here in this moment and in this place. 

For Bunting Boosters: A creative placemaking project on University Avenue, I am interested in how the these simple strings of flags signal a celebration. With or without text, the colorful strings remind us of parties. They call attention to place in a positive way, declaring “we are here, yes!” There are places we pass daily that become invisible. I hope this project once again makes the location visible and in doing so, energizes a potential buyer that is interested in investing in this neighborhood. In addition to highlighting this property, the festive nature of the flags will contribute to the celebration around the fast-approaching start of rail service. I hope that those passing down university on any mode of transport feel like they are part of the celebration when they see these flags.

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The Proposal: Bunting Boosters

Artist, Angela Sprunger (that's me!) and community participants will work together to create bunting to be hung on the outside of the empty car dealership lot at 1389 University Ave. The bunting flags will be colorful and have stenciled letters that spell out words, phrases, or poems, to celebrate the light rail, the neighborhood, and imagine the potential of this empty space. Flags will be installed in April and remain up for several weeks to months.

The quantity of flags, installation design and plan, and text to be featured on flags will be determined through the course of the project and with input from various stakeholders including the property managers and participants who attend flag-making workshops. 

This project is part of Irrigate, an arts initiative spanning the six miles of the Central Corridor Light Rail line in Saint Paul during the years of its construction. This artist-led community and economic development approach emphasizes cross-sector collaboration with local private and non-profit sectors. By mobilizing artists to engage in their community, Irrigate will change the landscape of the Central Corridor with color, art, surprise, creativity and fun. Irrigate is a partnership between City of Saint Paul, Twin Cities Local Initiatives Support Corporation and Springboard for the Arts.