CPAD Project Erik Howard southwest Detroit
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Erik Howard Background
Erik Howard is a photographer and community activist from southwest Detroit who combines his passion for youth and community development with his love of photography. Using group activities such as low riding and graffiti art as a mentoring tool, Erik has been able to reach out to young people in the community of southwest Detroit. Erik’s photographs document his personal relationships with these youth and capture the excitement of young people in their process of self discovery and development. This photography is a tool in building relationships within a community and telling the stories of its residents.
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Sponsoring Organizations
After living in and experiencing other neighborhoods, the founders of Expressions returned to their home of southwest Detroit, at the intersection of Carson and Pitt streets in the late 1990’s. Facing the challenge of making life-altering decisions for their own futures caused them to be aware of the potential in urban youth to pursue their passions in one of two directions: exploitation and abuse of yourself and others, or the positive development of yourself and others.
In 2002, Expressions was formed through the awareness of these two directions as an unfunded youth program dedicated to positive, personal development through creative outlets. Using only the resources they possessed as young citizens and professionals, the mentors’ energy focused on teaching the youth in southwest Detroit how to shape their own paths. Expressions began to show youth how to use the things they are passionate about--specifically low riding, aerosol art, and media--as a means toward that positive development.
YN LOGO
EXP LOGO
Young Nation emerged out of the work of Expressions in 2008. After several years of planning and hard work towards that end, Young Nation was awarded 501c3 status by the Internal Revenue Service in the spring of 2010. The organization is now continuing to carry out its mission in the neighborhoods of Detroit.
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Young Nation’s mission is to promote holistic development of youth in urban settings through building relationships, community education, and passion-driven projects.
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All Partners
Erik Howard
Gallery 555 Studios Southwest Custom Bikes University of Detroit Mercy: School of Architecture & Detroit Collaborative Design Center (UDM SOA & DCDC)
Urban Neighborhood Initiatives & All Saints Neighborhood Center (UNI & ASNC)
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the alley southwest Detroit
In 2004 Young Nation/Expressions began using the alley between Avis and Falcon, adjacent to Woodmere Cemetery, as a site for youth to apply and publish their art with permission from the community residents who donated the backs and sides of their garages. Since that time this thoroughfare has become popular with neighborhood youth - too popular, in fact. The current arrangement cannot support the 4050 youth who frequent The Alley each month.
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street art alley art public art IN THE REGION
TORONTO
CHICAGO
DETROIT
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street art alley art public art TORONTO
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street art alley art public art CHICAGO
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street art alley art public art DETROIT
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Alley: a garden or park walk bordered by trees; a narrow street, especially a thoroughfare through the middle of a block giving access to the rear of lots or buildings. Gallery: a narrow passage or corridor; a space devoted to the exhibition of art; the undiscriminating general public; the spectators at a (sporting) event; a photographer’s studio. Tap: to make a strong or advantageous connection with. i.e. ‘tapping a natural resource’
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TAP (The Alley Project) Gallery will occupy a garage (A) in the alley and two vacant residential lots (B) located across the alley. The lots will be enclosed and secure space with a variety of surfaces spread throughout for youth to create and display their artwork. The project will also include a walking gallery (C) of high-quality, multicolor aerosol murals with signage to honor and explain the history of the alley space and bike racks (D) strategically placed in three locations along the path of the alley. Alleys have been defined historically, in varying cultures the world over, as an in-between place; the path TO something or around something, but rarely the destination in itself. Always at the scale of the pedestrian.
C
B
D A
To be responsible toward the community and supportive of the youth we believe that the alley should become a developed destination in itself: a place of teaching, learning, and self-expression for our urban youth within the refuge offered by the homes of their families, friends and neighbors.
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TAP Walking Gallery will connect the newly completed Weiss Park to the West and Springdale Green to the East through a safe and inspiring model of urban redevelopment.
“creating an art gallery greenway”
Phase 1: TAP Gallery (C+PAD funded) Phase 2: Springdale Green Connection Phase 3: Weiss Park Connection
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PHASE 1: COMPONENTS A place to facilitate and support the themes of creative expression, positive youth-adult partnerships, structure, and community responsibility. A. TAP Workshop Partners:
B.
Young Nation UDM SOA & DCDC
TAP Commons Partners:
UNI & ASNC UDM SOA & DCDC
C. TAP Walking Gallery Partners:
Gallery 555 Studio UDM SOA & DCDC
D. TAP Bike Racks Partners:
Southwest Custom Bikes UDM SOA & DCDC
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POWER = MANIPULATION INSPIRATION = OPPORTUNITY POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT The work of Expressions and Young Nation has been built through four active approaches to youth development.
PARTICIPATORY PROCESS A design process that seeks through active and meaningful engagement to listen and incorporate all voices at the table.
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POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT community responsibility creative expression positive youth-adult partnerships structure
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POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT community responsibility creative expression positive youth-adult partnerships structure
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POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT community responsibility creative expression positive youth-adult partnerships structure
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POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT community responsibility creative expression positive youth-adult partnerships structure
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Summer/Fall 2010:
TIMELINE
Late 2010/Early 2011:
DCDC will finalize a master plan for the TAP Gallery. In the spring of 2011, architecture students at the University of Detroit Mercy will engage with neighborhood youth to design and build specific interventions inspired by urban art within TAP.
Erik Howard and Young Nation will solidify relationships with community stakeholders who will represent the best interests of the surrounding neighborhood in the design and development of TAP Gallery. The Detroit Collaborative Design Center (DCDC) will lead a participatory process to help neighborhood residents, youth, and TAP partners define the scope and overall themes for the project.
Spring/Summer 2011:
Local businesses will build the framework for TAP Gallery upon which the interventions will be installed. TAP Gallery will officially open in Summer 2011.
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the alley today
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the alley tomorrow
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SUPPORT “The Alley Project (TAP) exemplifies moral purpose given to an art form that has been used to destroy property, but with the correct guidance and encouragement can enhance the beauty of areas usually taken for granted. Directed by Erik Howard and Young Nation, the most transformative dimension of TAP is that it turns an alley, a mere passageway used to get to another place, into the desired destination.” Charles Pugh, President Detroit City Council
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PARTNER SUPPORT “Moving art into a more accessible public sphere, such as a garage or alley, offers an opportunity for real community corporate ownership and a more authentic relationship between the arts and the community than traditional gallery settings can offer. By engaging the arts within a familiar context that is ‘home’, we hope TAP serves as a bridge by which community members feel more comfortable to enter 555 and other galleries and arts environments and utilize the resources available.” Carl W. Goines, Executive Director Gallery 555 Studios
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PARTNER SUPPORT “In addition to the youth in the area who would directly benefit from the ongoing programs that would occur once the project is realized, the project would also potentially benefit students at the university level who would be involved with the design, construction, and ultimate realization of the proposal. If the proposal is funded, it is our intent to form a partnership between Young Nation and the University of Detroit Mercy School of Architecture to collaborate on the realization of the physical infrastructure necessary to support this program.” Will Wittig, AIA, LEED AP Associate Professor Director of Architecture University of Detroit Mercy School of Architecture Dan Pitera, AIA, ACD Associate Professor Director, Detroit Collaborative Design Center University of Detroit Mercy School of Architecture
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PARTNER SUPPORT
“Our youth desperately need a space for selfexpression and an opportunity to participate in creating that space. Moreover, creating an art gallery greenway between the art park (located near Weiss Park which we developed last summer) and Springdale Green (our first park) will allow community residents to be inspired while accessing safe community gathering places.” Dennis Nordmoe, Executive Director Urban Neighborhood Initiatives
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SUPPORT “TAP Gallery incorporates community development and youth programming to create public art that our community can take pride in while at the same time reducing available space for graffiti. Southwest Detroit is becoming more and more known for its murals and other forms of public art. These murals not only have beautified the neighborhood immensely, but have given our young artists a strong sense of pride and given the community a strengthened sense of pride in community’s youth.” Rashida Tlaib, State Representative 12th District, Southwest Detroit
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the alley today
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the alley tomorrow
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Gallery 555 Studios Southwest Custom Bikes University of Detroit Mercy: School of Architecture & Detroit Collaborative Design Center Urban Neighborhood Initiatives & All Saints Neighborhood Center
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!!! community responsibility creative expression positive youth-adult partnerships structure