dog walk

Here I am after a long absence. I know the world has been waiting. A multitude of changes have taken place since my last post. The focus of this blog is pretty narrow, though. I will only mention those changes in my immediate environs just beyond my own walls and the streets my dog and I traverse on our daily quick and dirty walk.

1. More abandoned and repossessed houses, subsequently demolished
2. More transitional people
3. More dirt and trash in the streets and in yards
4. More "For Sale" and "For Rent" signs that languish for months and months
5. More kids playing in the street (not necessarily a bad thing except when they will not move for traffic)
6. More street noise.

This summer has been the worst for bad neighbors. What do I mean by "bad"? Those who insist on "communicating" by screaming at one another, yelling profanities, who lean on their horns at any hour of day or night while revving their engines; who nonchalantly toss their chip and candy refuse while strolling down the street; who slam doors and, worse, constantly abuse their kids through violent, nasty words and physicality.

I'd love for Westsiders to share some creative ideas about: how we might begin to engage the aforementioned kids in productive, safe, free activities. I no longer believe that the adults in their lives can or want to change, or much less care. Question of the day: What does art have to do with it?

Traffic Mimes and Other Creative Approaches to Civics

I read about Antanas Mockus, the former mayor of Bogotá, Columbia, in the last issue of the Walker's newsletter/calendar. He was featured in a piece about the Brave New Worlds exhibit. And he sounds super-cool. He approached the city's problems in lots of creative and innovative ways, including:

• Hiring mimes to help control traffic at busy intersections.
• Distributing penalty cards (like the kind used in football/soccer) to the populace, so citizens could call attention to traffic rule violators.
  
• Taking an eco-friendly shower on TV (turning off the water while soaping up), to encourage people to save water.

You can read more about him here:
Academic Turns City into a Social Experiment, by María Cristina Caballero
An excerpt:

"The distribution of knowledge is the key contemporary task," Mockus said. "Knowledge empowers people. If people know the rules, and are sensitized by art, humor, and creativity, they are much more likely to accept change."

What changes would we like to see on West Seventh, and how we can use art and humor to gently encourage those changes along?

Claremorris Open Exhibition in Ireland

Sheila D. let us all know about this juried exhibition that takes place in Claremorris, Ireland.
Claremorris Open Exhibition

Could West Seventh host a similar event? It's a nice twist on a traditional art crawl: a juried exhibition that attracts participants from all over the place.

Talk about fancy landscaping!

I'll be visiting Cornerstone Festival of Gardens in early November. How cool would these designs look in Cullen Park?! We can leave room for a sundial.