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on October 5, 2010
Margaret Parker
Posted project update #21School kids come to C'ood
Last Friday waves of students from grade school to high school came to Calder Plaza to hear three of the artists talk about their pieces, an ARTcation series set up by Frederik Meijer Gardens, who selected the works for the Plaza. It was raining but that didn't seem to dampen the enthusiasm.
As one school after another flowed across the giant Plaza I invited them into C'ood to wander around inside the piece, explore the colors, the shape and how it was made. Then we all met in the center and I answered questions about how the piece was made of 200 T-shirts donated from around Michigan, and that community members had helped cut the shirts, build the structure and weave the piece together.
We talked about the common good, that it was not what was good for just me or you but what is good for all of us. Searching for the common good is what Americans do, it's really a pretty complex activity, and might at some times seem nearly impossible. I wanted to make a space that showed what a beautiful process that is. Then I took their pictures telling them that they were now part of the process and the artwork.
I also asked them about what they were drawing and building and told them to keep going, keep going because we need artists with their ideas and visions.
So here are some more of our participators, probably the most important ones!
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on September 25, 2010
Margaret Parker
Posted project update #20Opening Night at Calder Plaza
Post CommentHere we all are. Mark came and brought our daughter Jeanne! Mark was my best spokesman, talked to everyone who came by. Ken Kozora played a wonderful piece, C'ood Soundscape, which made our site a very special experience.
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on September 22, 2010
Margaret Parker
Posted project update #19Opening Night at ArtPrize
Post CommentYou are all invited to join us at Calder Plaza for the Opening Night of ArtPrize, 2010. At 7 p.m. Ken Kozora wil be playing a piece written especially for the C'ood Project, C'ood Soundscape. His music gave our video it's rhythm.
If it rains we'll have a great wet T-shirt contest!
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on September 21, 2010
Margaret Parker
Posted project update #18C'ood Meets Calder
Post CommentOur crew arrived in Grand Rapids on a gray Monday to meet the Calder Plaza crew ready to load up the 5 sections of C'ood which had been hidden away since last Tuesday. With their help the pieces were set in place fitting together just as Brian, Paul and I had imagined and planned for. Whoopie! That was the first half hour. With the giant red piece by Alexander Calder watching over our shoulders, we cable tied the fencing together, lifted the tops back in place, and set up the lights.
People began coming over immediately. They read the T-shirts, they admired the holes made by the necks, they read the writing on the floor from the shirts. They got it, they liked it! Written handouts with more information will be available inside the piece, but most important, the piece should just be a simple joy to behold and engage in.
Two donors sent their lucky double 1's ($11) as good luck charms for winning the big PRIZE. Their names were placed right under the piece. Names of two donors were written on a strip of T-shirt and woven into the center circle. And sponsors' names proudly danced around the outer edge of the floor.
The general walk through traffic was all tuned in to ArtPrize, some coming early to check things out, some will come back during the next three weeks. We even locked in our first two votes! Kids loved C'ood, tested it for running through. It works. A low slung biker rode through in a smooth and observant circle, rode out then shot off on his back wheel. I guess that means we're ready for anything!
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on September 17, 2010
Margaret Parker
Posted project update #17Getting to Grand Rapids
For backers only
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on September 15, 2010
Margaret Parker
Posted project update #16Almost There
Post CommentTuesday, move-in day arrived, beautiful weather, a little sleep. The two 53 foot long trucks arrived at 9, right on time. And the loading began. We had help from two neighbors, Kevin and Sam, from Ann Arbor Fire Protection. The sections just fit in!! (my big nightmare). Everything was going just as we'd planned since late May, thanks to Paul Hickman and Brian Schmidt, my collaborators on the building end of things.
As we started to load the last piece on the second truck, I got a surprise call notifying me that because of a festival on the Plaza, no artwork could be delivered until Monday. Shock and awe! After an hour of rather intense negotiations, a place was found to store the sections until we could come back on Monday to put the piece in it's final place. I was pretty sure something would not go as planned, but this was not one of them.
So here's as far as we got. We had the nicest pair of truckers, John and Neal, who helped with many loads and remained calm through the whole thing. Brian, Stephanie and I made up the reduced Ann Arbor crew. And a crew of 6 from Calder Plaza gladly helped us unload and promised to meet us on Monday. Seeing the piece for the first time in bright sunlight, the colors really glowed and the shadows of the weaving danced across the Plaza floor.
There was some postpartum depression as we left the baby in pieces hiding in a back corner of the Plaza. But we'll be back on Monday!
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on September 15, 2010
Margaret Parker
Posted project update #15Last Mad Weekend
Post CommentWe worked through the weekend to finish up C'ood to be ready for the trucks to pick it up on Tuesday. The tops had to be removed from each of the 5 sections so they would fit in the trucks. A stiffener and a water repellent was applied to the weaving to make it safe out doors.
The texts from the 200 T-shirts from all over Michigan were written on the floor of the piece. I started Sunday. On Monday, the piece was disassembled into it's five sections and we tested our moving theory: 2 12 foot 2x4s under each section lifted by 6 people. It worked!
Many stiff hours and backs went into finishing the lettering. Just as we were all ready to drop, Paul came in to apply the final clear coat. Ready for the trucks at 9 in the morning!
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on September 10, 2010Funded!
"C'ood" an art project searches for the common good at ArtPrize by Margaret Parker
A walk through environment woven with Michigan T-shirts to be installed at Calder Plaza, Grand Rapids, for ArtPrize seeks funding.
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102% funded $4,996 pledged
- 37 backers
- Funded Sep 10, 2010
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on September 10, 2010
Margaret Parker
Posted project update #14C'ood Passes First Funding Goal
Post CommentParticipators In the Common Good
Thanks to all of you who participated in my project, C'ood: a democracy experiment, by contributing on Kickstarter. We passed our goal of $4857 and have till noon today to see just how far it will go. The whole project will cost $11,000 so meeting this first goal is very, very helpful.
Special thanks goes to our sponsors:
The Mosaic Foundation (Rita and Peter Heydon)
Pauline Parker
Miller Canfield Paddoch & Stone
Michigan Commerce Bank
Airport Boulevard Associates, LLC
Anderson Paint Company
Downtown Home & Garden
Kickstarter.comThank you,
Margaret -
on September 9, 2010
Margaret Parker
Posted project update #13Over the top!
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Margaret Parker
Ann Arbor, MI
I'm an independent artist interested in transformational spaces that engage participation in contemporary issues. My work has been shown across the country and internationally for 30 years, is in many collections including the United States Capitol.
Margaret, this is great. You're good for the common good with your determination and inspiration. You ARE the common good.
How wonderful that you could share this project with kids.
Best,
Jan