Public Creative Education with the NYC Department of Transportation!
Drawing Out a Future!
Last week on Saturday, me and @mintvilla held a public workshop as part of the Department of Transportation's (DOT) Summer Streets festival. Our company Base 15 Studio was invited by the DOT's Urban Events team to the yearly event, where dozens of institutions and organizations engage the greater NYC public concerning their work and message.
Since our company's specialty is cultural development and engagement concerning design and architecture, we whipped up a fun program that people of all ages could partake in.
Pastel Urbanism
The premise was simple – draw your cities and urban features onto the chalkboard blocks! Both children and adults were invited to try their hand at some unique facades and city elements. We wanted to provide a fun and approachable way to experiment with and discuss ideas of urbanism and large-scale change with all age groups.
As you can see, these young'ns might be more talented than professional architects... ;)
It was incredible to see people who have never had any formal training in building or landscape design try out what they think would be interesting buildings or constructs. We expected many of them to draw existing buildings in NYC as reference but we highly underestimated their creative motivations. Some drew vibrant skyscrapers. Some remade the subway cars. Some even drew urban monsters like Godzilla and Mothra to terrorize others' designs.
Illustrating Our Cities
We as a global society by-and-large have a difficulty understanding our cities as something organic and ever-changing. It's difficult to grasp the “big picture” for things that impact everyone at once without discrimination.
As such, for the last few events with the NYC DOT, we've been experimenting with small-scale and intimate workshops that bring those large-scale qualities into the hands of everyone. They really provide us with the opportunity to have more communal conversations.
For more information and pictures of the event, please read @mintvilla's post!
Let us know what you think! Steem on~
I love the last picture you uploaded. I am pretty sure that the people participated in the drawing event had special experience. Who knows the little boy's future? He can be a world famous architecturer in the future. Thank you for your posting. And I envy your English writing ability ㅜㅠ
Thank you so much! That's what we realized to, that many children just don't have much exposure to these professions and disciplines. @happyworkingmom님 감사합니다~ 전 미국에서 태어나서 영어좀 해야지요 ㅎㅎ :)
그럼 왜 한국말은 또 이렇게 잘 하시는 건가요ㅜㅠ 부럽게시리~~
제 와이프 님이 제 선생님 입니다. 한국말 안쓰면 밥을 못 얻어먹어요 ㅠㅠ
This is really great idea! I suppose it was really fun and interesting for everybody)
Thank you for the kind words! It was really energetic and motivating :)
아 이런거 좋고 부럽네요
울나라도 이런거좀 잘 했으면
There will be more bungholes after me!
나무와 칠판용 페인트, 분필만 필요해서 장소만 있으면 금방 어디서든 할 수 있을것 같습니다.
아이들이 다 알아서 그리고 저는 사진과 정리만 했습니다. ㅎㅎ
Creative life and education is need to our children without test pressure.
I'm a BIG supporter of that idea, especially in Asia.
What a fantastic engagement project, I love it! I'll bet that there were important seeds of understanding planted in the minds of those who were a part of this.
It was so much fuuun =D
Omg I love this idea! ❤❤❤❤ I love all of the things you are doing for the ny community!
Yea we just started doing these more regularly in NYC. We hope we can keep holding classes and workshops!
super awesome! I'm sure the community appreciates it. :)