Kickstarter

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS SUPPORTED THIS PROJECT! I can't thank you all enough. To sweeten the pot in the last forty-eight hours, I'm offering an additional reward for anyone who donates or increases their pledge by $5 or more! You'll get an additional (and randomly-chosen) piece of my work, along with a handwritten explanation/artist statement. I've created a lot of stuff over the years so you could end up with a letterpress print, painting, or even a mixed media collage.Think of it as a guaranteed-to-be-cool grab bag!

What's the project about?

Urban sprawl is a buzzword often referenced but rarely discussed in depth. In this country, most of us would rather have a strip mall than a tobacco farm and will rarely spend time thinking about farmers who've spent their whole lives on one plot of land. It's a topic that needs to be prominent in the ever-changing American landscape.

Called Wilson is a nonfiction project presented in two forms--a handmade book and an interactive website. The topic is urban sprawl in the southern United States, where family farms are being replaced with strip malls and new conveniences are a trade off. The dual-platform approach combines the uniqueness of traditional print methods with the advantages of new media.

My hometown is a perfect example of urban sprawl. Twenty miles outside Nashville, Mt. Juliet has doubled it's population in the last decade. I moved away during high school but still visit a couple times of year. I'm always torn when I see ten new chain locations. On one hand, I left as soon as I got the chance and embraced the big city. On the other, I kind of miss the old Mt. Juliet and the southern traditions that seem to be diluting.

Test run of the wood type that will be used on the book's cover. (Colors and paper will change for the final version.)

What's the final project going to look like?

Essentially, it's going to be an oversized zine. But a really nice one! It'll be roughly 9x12 in size and 20 pages in length. The inside will be printed digitally but everything else is about as old school as it gets. The cover will be set with wood type and letterpress printed. (This video shows the studio/process I'll be using.) The binding will be hand-sewn. I'm not sure exactly how many I'll make, but it definitely won't be more than 50.

Additionally, I will be building a simple website to host information about the project and supplementary materials. A series of videos will interview longtime residents and focus on the oral history component of my research. Some of these were done in person, others are being collected via an HD camcorder that's being mailed/passed around town (Think the video version of Flat Stanley.) A collection of photos from the project will also be hosted on the site.

Want a sneak peek at the written component? An excerpt of the current draft can be viewed here.

Why now?

This has been an ongoing project of mine for quite some time. I wrote the first draft of the nonfiction component three years ago and have since turned it into the thesis for my ungrad degree at Columbia College Chicago. This final interdisciplinary project (the book, videos, photos, etc) will be my capstone. This is only one of the reasons I have to finish it next month. 

Another is that I'm moving to South Dakota at the end of May to teach English on a reservation as a Teach for America core member. (After I move, I won't have access to the letterpress and book binding facilities in Chicago.)

Lastly, parts of the project will be installed in a gallery as part of the Manifest Urban Arts Festival in May.

What are you using the funds for?

The total costs for this project is $1,340. Thankfully, I've already received $500 in support from the Albert P. Weisman Award, and set aside a couple hundred dollars myself. The remaining $592 will pay for paper, bookbinding supplies, and photo processing. (As well as the rewards and Kickstarter/Amazon fees.) Any extra funds will go to making the books and supplementary content better!

Remember: This project is only funded if it reaches the $592 mark! If it only makes it to $591, no dice. So help a girl out by sharing on social networks or showing interested friends! 

What do I get?

The satisfaction of knowing you helped a poor art student finish her dream project. Plus, some other cool stuff. (Like one of a kind letterpress notecards made from the cover run off, photo prints, and your very own copy of the book!) Check out the details to the right :)

Thanks for the support!