It may well be one of the biggest public art projects in Richmond's history. And on October 10, ART 180's 10th anniversary "Change for a Ten" project transforms itself into one of the biggest art exhibits in the history of Richmond.
Well over 1,000 lovers of art and community recently took a moment – or several painstaking hours – to illustrate their vision for Richmond, shout their story, celebrate community or honor a cause on a piece of paper the size of a ten dollar bill. By including a $10 donation to ART 180, they've made a difference in the lives of Richmond kids.
Betsy Kelly Make Your Life a Work of Art
Over the span of several months, the Richmond-based arts organization engaged half as many people in a creative exercise as it has touched through its formal classroom programs over the past decade.
Aimee Koch, ART 180's development manager, puts the pool of 1,000 pieces of original art into perspective. "We've touched nearly 2,000 children through our 12-week programs and almost that many through other smaller ART 180 projects and activities," Aimee wrote, in response to a series of questions. "And that doesn’t begin to count those who have been inspired by the work our young people have created, who have seen their murals, heard their songs, danced to their music, and realized that they too have a voice."
Cas Overton What The Fish
Giving voice is what ART 180 has been about since its inception. The community organization's latest creative celebration of its 10th anniversary is about amplification. Here's how Style Weekly described the innovative effort:
For its 10th anniversary, Art 180 rolls out “Change for a 10,” a fundraising project, art exhibit, and cultural wish list that combines individual creativity with an innate distrust of existing designs for U.S. currency. Art 180 is asking people to take up one of the “Change for a 10” brochures and to render a $10 bill in the space provided that encompasses their hopes for the city, for change. Then the burgeoning federal reservist sends it in with a $10 donation (actual money). Art 180 hopes to get 1,000 of these designer dollars, which will be featured in a show Oct. 10 at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Brandcenter.
The idea is to give potential donors the ability to participate in just the kinds of programs Art 180 puts together for kids in the community, Executive Director Marlene Paul says – serving the dual purpose of encouraging expression through art and building needed communities in the city.
ART 180 is all about connecting kids and creativity – specifically providing "art-related programs for young people living in challenging circumstances, encouraging personal and community change through self-expression." Simply put, the ART 180 team connects artists with kids, though Aimee will tell you there is no typical ART 180 program since each idea comes to life in a different way.
Diego Sanchez Untitled
"It’s a metamorphosis. A beautiful process of turning idea into action," she writes. "And that takes many different forms. Sometimes the ideas come from the staff but most of the time they come from joint conversations with the site partners, the artists, and the young people themselves. Ultimately the project becomes the young people’s project – it is their voice, we are just guiding their expression through healthy, creative mediums."
Elizabeth Steele, Womankind
"Change for a Ten" happened much like any other ART 180 project. An idea evolved.
"For some reason, maybe because it’d been nearly 10 years since I studied his work, I was thinking about an artist who had intrigued me in college: JSG BOGGS," Aimee recalls. "He would make his own money. He would then 'spend' the bills. Challenging ideas of value, originality, money, art – his art – the drawing and the transactions – definitely pushed boundaries of the familiar.
"At the same time," Aimee continued, "I held an initial meeting with two former board members Barbara Fultz and Michael Chapman. Barbara mentioned something about how great it would be if we could do a widespread appeal for $10 for our 10th anniversary. The two things clicked. With the help of Tristana Trani, Nikole Sarvay, Katie Gilstrap, Courtney Dauer, Brian Landis, Charlie Connell and others we toyed with the idea. As it started to gel, [executive director] Marlene [Paul] came back from maternity leave and, with her leadership, we took off running, turning an idea burst into a reality."
[Note: My wife, Nikole Sarvay, serves on the board of ART 180.]
Gerry Perez, Imagine
"Change for a Ten" continues to evolve, as ART 180 prepares for their 10th Anniversary blowout on Friday, October 10 from 7:00 until 10:00 p.m. at VCU's new Brandcenter. Not only will all of the "Change for a Ten" pieces of art (more than 1,000 and still counting) be on exhibit at VCU's Brandcenter, but they'll be for sale. During the first hour, pick the piece of your choice for a $100 (or more) donation. From 8:00 until 9:00 p.m., that work of art will set you back five clams ($50) – keep in mind that the piece you love might get snatched up if you wait until 8:00. And after 9:00, you can pick from the pieces remaining for a $10 donation.
In addition to the massive art display and sale, art supplies will be available for guests to add to the exhibition on-the-spot. There will be heavy hors d'ouvres, a slate of Virginia wines, and music (the No BS Brass Band) and puppets (All Saints Theater Company) to keep things lively. It's free and open to the public.
Tiffany Glass Ferreira, Real Small Art for Change
In her role as development manager, Aimee has handled virtually every "Change for a Ten" submission, and she admits that she's hard pressed to select one from the ever-growing stack.
"Each submission represents the voice of someone who care about the young people in this city and that sings to me," she writes. "Each day a new one comes in and I have a new favorite. I love the different color dots submitted by a child who would like to see more balloons in this world. And I’m moved by one that has a little boy carved into wood and looking up at a tree with leaves made out of trash."
Noah Scalin Love
And as exciting as the submissions have been to receive, she says the project is filled with surprises.
"Some of my favorite moments include when a young lady that came bouncing down the hall with her template, energized by the campaign when she discovered the template tucked inside Richmond Magazine," Aimee notes. "And the elderly woman who saw our flyer on the GRTC bus and always wanted her art to be on exhibit. All those little moments where people who say they aren’t artists discover they really are. We all have a voice and it matters."
What's next for the ART 180 crowd?
"Phase 2! The beauty of imagination!" Aimee writes. "We are eager to do more with these mini masterpieces – to get these voices further out into the community and to make sure that more and more people have the chance to participate in this artistic dialogue. As we are still focusing on collecting 10spots we haven’t let our imagination drift too far yet as to define what phase 2 will be. We are focusing now on garnering as much content as we can to help us define that. But we are very interested in the possibility of making a book. We have also begun conversations with GRTC about a bus ad campaign. Or billboards, banners, stickers or ..."
Karen Mullins, Litter Doesn't Grow on Trees, You Know
