2008 Woodie Awards
Creative project hopes to revitalize Holyoke
Ian Nelson, Collegian Staff
Issue date: 5/12/08 Section: Arts & Living
Last month's University Gallery sponsored by the Public Art Symposium acted as a facilitator and brought artistic minds who work in the public spectrum together to share their national and international projects.
However, one of the panelists, Frank Sleegers, plans to bring his non-profit Hafensafari project from the harbors of Hamburg to Massachusetts' own Holyoke. Sleegers, who has lectured at UMass for the past two-and-a-half years, thinks this location would work because of "structural similarities" between the two sites, though Holyoke is far from a port.
Hafensafari, which began in the summer of 2003, is essentially a revitalization of Hamburg's abandoned and contaminated industrial sites and brings together local artists and citizens to create within a communal environment, showcasing their works in the context of a multimedia walking tour.
In the five summers since its inception, Hafensafari has grown from a two-week to four-week event, and funding has increased to $10,000. The project consists of two miles of walking tours per summer, ranging from sculpture installations and rooftop gardens to walking DJ sets and large scale projections "using strong [industrial] surfaces and edges to draw an ephemeral picture."
"We haven't changed fundamentally," Sleegers said, "but we have built on the strengths, highlighting special aspects."
He works to find what is successful and to keep that interest going from year to year, though the project will not run this summer.
"To be realistic, you've got to have a break," Sleegers said. "It's not over by any means, and there are plans for the future. The team has to rest; I've had no vacation for five years because of working on these projects."
More recent events have included songwriting contests, children's sections and a botanic aspect, working with overgrown, contaminated sites to turn them into artistic expressions.
"The mix of mediums means a bigger turnout," Sleegers said. "Younger people are attracted to the music at night, though it's not totally youth-oriented. Local families and senior citizens attend as well."
However, one of the panelists, Frank Sleegers, plans to bring his non-profit Hafensafari project from the harbors of Hamburg to Massachusetts' own Holyoke. Sleegers, who has lectured at UMass for the past two-and-a-half years, thinks this location would work because of "structural similarities" between the two sites, though Holyoke is far from a port.
Hafensafari, which began in the summer of 2003, is essentially a revitalization of Hamburg's abandoned and contaminated industrial sites and brings together local artists and citizens to create within a communal environment, showcasing their works in the context of a multimedia walking tour.
In the five summers since its inception, Hafensafari has grown from a two-week to four-week event, and funding has increased to $10,000. The project consists of two miles of walking tours per summer, ranging from sculpture installations and rooftop gardens to walking DJ sets and large scale projections "using strong [industrial] surfaces and edges to draw an ephemeral picture."
"We haven't changed fundamentally," Sleegers said, "but we have built on the strengths, highlighting special aspects."
He works to find what is successful and to keep that interest going from year to year, though the project will not run this summer.
"To be realistic, you've got to have a break," Sleegers said. "It's not over by any means, and there are plans for the future. The team has to rest; I've had no vacation for five years because of working on these projects."
More recent events have included songwriting contests, children's sections and a botanic aspect, working with overgrown, contaminated sites to turn them into artistic expressions.
"The mix of mediums means a bigger turnout," Sleegers said. "Younger people are attracted to the music at night, though it's not totally youth-oriented. Local families and senior citizens attend as well."
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