Your final project is to create a site-specific or site-responsive work. You can work alone or with a partner. This project is wide open, but this brief contains three distinct directions you might take. To be clear, these are simply suggestions to get you moving.
1. Take any assignment from earlier in the semester and remake it at a larger scale. This includes: site-specific graphics, wayfinding systems, narrative walks, augmented reality, or pop-up experiences. You must create a new work, or produce an advanced proposal of your original project with significant new work. You can use any site, but ground it in reality. (See below.)
2. Design a site-specific monument for a specific population affected by COVID19. This could be medical workers, nursing home residents, grocery store clerks, or NYU seniors. Whether your design is permanent or temporary, choose a real location in New York for your memorial. I suggest the Metrotech campus in Brooklyn, which regularly features temporary sculptures, and is viewable with Google Street View, or Mercer Plaza, at 251 Mercer. (https://wp.nyu.edu/nyugroundsart/category/application-details/) What can be done at this site to memorialize this time? To caution future residents of New York City? Is this a meditative memorial? A celebration? Do you start with the sidewalk? A roof? The face of a building?
3. Design a site-specific project for Minetta Creatures. Sarah McMillan was a guest earlier this semester, and is rescheduling the Minetta Creek project she talked about for September -- or later if needed. She presented our class with a rough vision of the idea, a collaboration with Georgia Silvera Seamans. The center of the project is a processional performance that would begin near Washington Square Park and trace the route of the now-buried Minetta Creek through the West Village. Sarah and her collaborators will be creating fantastic costumes and creatures that were native to New York City, like trout and herons and bluejays. What can you add to this project? What is needed by an audience? A map? Wayfinding graphics? A narrative piece describing the natural history of one or more points along the route? A series of Instagram filters? Their team came up with ideas for trading cards of the creatures, graphics for trees or street furniture with QR codes to connect to botanical information about the area, or a new map based on the historic Viele map; these were simply brainstorms that could be done by anyone. Sarah and her collaborators will give you feedback on your final project, and you will be invited to participate in September if you are still in New York. Make sure your pitch is something you can create yourself or with a partner, and that it can be done with a very minimal budget. Here is a simple fundraising pitch about the Minetta Creatures project: https://ioby.org/project/minetta-creatures
The general premise of this final project assignment -- especially options 1 or 2 -- is that you are applying for a Creative Capital grant. Creative Capital funds extraordinary projects in 34 creative disciplines.
https://creative-capital.org/award/about/
As always, this is a class about design, so we are especially interested in the ways you are interfacing with your audience. How does your piece make use of the site? Are you mapping the site? Have you considered paths of approach? Who is your audience? Who uses the space? Are there important histories to invoke? How will your audience find your work? How will you document?
If you choose option 1 or 2 above your first step is a letter of inquiry, where you essentially apply to apply. You must answer at least three of the "Core Questions," numbers 27-34, on the official form:
https://24ge677ciyw11qot39uy7v1b-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Every-Question-On-The-Application.pdf
You will also need to make a preliminary budget of up to $50,000. This does not have to be a hard budget, but you should have some sense of limit for your project. For example, you wouldn’t be able to construct a new building, but you might be able to rent a large tent. Don’t get super wrapped up in this stage.
Finally, you will need materials that help you support your vision. For example, 3D renderings, models, drawings, storyboards, supporting documents or designs, maps, or work samples.
If you choose option 3 above, please look at the Creative Capital application for inspiration for how you might communicate your project for Minetta Creatures. What will you need? A written description, 3D renderings, models, drawings, storyboards, supporting documents or designs, maps, or work samples.
Here is a breakdown of deliverables:
Due May 4: Research and brainstorm: Choose an available site and design an idea for that site. Your site should be somewhat accessible – or at least within the realm of possibility. For example, we could imagine that we could get access to a lot among brownstones in Brooklyn, or a trailer in Manhattan, or a subway platform in Queens. We might not be able to get access to the eyeball of the statue of liberty, or a submarine in the Hudson. That said: I am not here to crush dreams. If you are on the fence about a location, and you think there’s a possibility, go for it. Once you have a site, observe your site (research on the internet if you can not safely visit), document it, and take any notes you may need.
Proposal: Your proposal should be complete and ready to share. Compose your answers to Core Questions on the Creative Capital application. Bring whatever visuals or media you would submit to help pitch your project. Choose at least two of the following: A 3D rendering, model, drawings, three storyboard panels, supporting designs (website, app, print materials), map, or media samples (audio or video excerpts). It’s possible there could be things I’m not thinking of here; if you want to create a dance or design game mechanics or something similar, please let me know and we’ll figure it out. Also: prepare a rough budget of expenses; don’t forget to pay yourself a design fee!
Due May 11: Final revisions.
jacobvanloon
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