Art in the Parklet

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Join us for Art in the Parklet, a day of art, food, and growth at the intersection of Welch and Chevrolet, reimagined as one of the new gateways to the city. See a design for temporary planters and benches, lounge on new minimalist one-board chairs, participate in plantings of flowers, shrubs, and grasses, and be there while we make a group salad (with apologies to our friend Alison Knowles).

Art in the Parklet is a project of the Public Art Studio at UM-Flint led by associate professor Ben Gaydos (www.goodgoodland.com) in cooperation with Flint Public Art Project (www.flintpublicartproject.com) and the City of Flint Department of Planning and Development (www.imagineflint.com/). As part of FPAP’s Planning Action program, Public Art Studio spent the spring researching the Welch – Chevrolet business strip looking for opportunities to enhance its identity, create amenities for businesses, and engage residents from the nearby New Community Block Club and Ballenger Square Block Club.

With Kurt Neiswender of Project FORA (www.projectfora.com/), students planned and designed planters and seating to enhance the Welch Avenue strip’s identity, worked with the Department of Planning and Development to seek improvements in the infrastructure, parking, and sidewalk amenities, conceived temporary programs for activating vacant storefronts, and obtained permission from a property owner for a large-scale mural. This summer, the groups will collaborate on a large-scale mosaic to be designed by Detroit-based master staff maker, carver, mosaic and collage master David Philpot (www.davidphilpot.wordpress.com/).

When: Sat. Apr. 25, 1-4 pm
Where: Welch Avenue at Chevrolet Avenue, Flint

Public Art Studio students:
Symantha Foreman
Alana Misura
Michael Schlund
Jessica Teeples
Cloe Smith-Westphall

Special thanks to Lorrie Knighten and Marijoyce Campbell, to Proven Winners (www.provenwinners.com) for the donation of plants, and to Neighborhood Engagement Hub (http://www.neighborhoodengagementhub.org/) for use of its Community Tool Shed.

Planning Action is organized with support from the Ruth Mott Foundation.