Saturday, August 29, 2009
Knitscape Cleveland Heights
The parking lot behind Cedar-Lee Theatre has 101 crocheted parking meters.
Artist's Statement
Four and a half years ago I crocheted a cozy on a tree in front of Cleveland Heights City Hall as part of a public art project for Heights Arts. I covered the tree – a natural object representing masculinity and strength – with a cozy – a handmade covering representing femininity and comfort. The cozy simultaneously caresses and encases the tree fluctuating between a comforting blanket and a confining cover-up. But to many, it’s simply a delight of beauty, color and crochet.
This project is one of the happiest projects I’ve ever done. It connects with people of every age, sex, ethnicity and economic level. The brightly colored crocheted cozy seems to touch a place deep within that evokes memories of people, places and times when life was good and the future full of hope and promise.
When Peggy Spaeth asked me to be Heights Arts’ artist in residence this summer, times were tough and the future wasn’t looking so bright. But, we reasoned, what better time to invigorate a neighborhood with art. Together we conceived, designed and implemented two ambitious community art projects known as Knitscapes.
As the posters and publicity point out, the purpose of the projects are four-fold:
• To demonstrate how art can visually unify the streetscape
• To create a community around an art project
• To enliven daily life with unexpected art and
• To support local businesses.
After more than a month working on the Knitscape projects, I can say with no reservations that we have met and far exceeded these goals. With the help of numerous volunteers, we have crocheted cozies for nearly 200 parking meters, 15 light poles, and 3 trees (so far) in Cleveland Heights and are in the process of covering 24 trees (so far) in Larchmere. There is no doubt that we have energized these areas through art!
Of course, for me as the artist, the projects also have conceptual underpinnings; it’s still about comfort vs. confinement. On Lee Road, while it’s still true that we’re confined by the societal rules and regulations of parking meters, at least in this community we’re making that constraint the most comfortable possible. On Larchmere, the trees are cozily confined in their colorful coverings. With Knitscapes in place, parking in Cleveland Heights, walking down Lee Road or Larchmere Blvd, or living and working in these communities will swing away from confinement and toward comfort… our comfort.
As we finish up the first two Knitscape projects, other neighborhoods are asking for their own projects and I think it’s wonderful that HeightsArts – and your neighborhood --is the inspiration for the spread of art, beauty, and happiness.
Thank you for the opportunity to create these projects and to work and get to know so many, many wonderful people. Please see Knitscape images and share your Knitscape thoughts at www.knitscapecleveland.blogspot.com and www.carolhummel.com
Carol Hummel
This project is one of the happiest projects I’ve ever done. It connects with people of every age, sex, ethnicity and economic level. The brightly colored crocheted cozy seems to touch a place deep within that evokes memories of people, places and times when life was good and the future full of hope and promise.
When Peggy Spaeth asked me to be Heights Arts’ artist in residence this summer, times were tough and the future wasn’t looking so bright. But, we reasoned, what better time to invigorate a neighborhood with art. Together we conceived, designed and implemented two ambitious community art projects known as Knitscapes.
As the posters and publicity point out, the purpose of the projects are four-fold:
• To demonstrate how art can visually unify the streetscape
• To create a community around an art project
• To enliven daily life with unexpected art and
• To support local businesses.
After more than a month working on the Knitscape projects, I can say with no reservations that we have met and far exceeded these goals. With the help of numerous volunteers, we have crocheted cozies for nearly 200 parking meters, 15 light poles, and 3 trees (so far) in Cleveland Heights and are in the process of covering 24 trees (so far) in Larchmere. There is no doubt that we have energized these areas through art!
Of course, for me as the artist, the projects also have conceptual underpinnings; it’s still about comfort vs. confinement. On Lee Road, while it’s still true that we’re confined by the societal rules and regulations of parking meters, at least in this community we’re making that constraint the most comfortable possible. On Larchmere, the trees are cozily confined in their colorful coverings. With Knitscapes in place, parking in Cleveland Heights, walking down Lee Road or Larchmere Blvd, or living and working in these communities will swing away from confinement and toward comfort… our comfort.
As we finish up the first two Knitscape projects, other neighborhoods are asking for their own projects and I think it’s wonderful that HeightsArts – and your neighborhood --is the inspiration for the spread of art, beauty, and happiness.
Thank you for the opportunity to create these projects and to work and get to know so many, many wonderful people. Please see Knitscape images and share your Knitscape thoughts at www.knitscapecleveland.blogspot.com and www.carolhummel.com
Carol Hummel
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