The construction team met with Diseños at their shop on Waterman to go over final revisions to the panels.
When the panel is complete it will serve as a template for the other panels to be created from. Each panel is a combination of 2-3 designs that will repeat at different configurations across the patio, over the windows, and inside the rest of the windows at the building.
TAP’s Curator Committee got together for the first time this evening at #StudioLuevanos with tacos from #CaminoReal on Lafayette and Central. Much respect to the artists who are sharing their time and talents to further the mission and beautify the spaces of The Alley Project.
Music, blackbooks, more stories, slaps, and ideas were being passed around for a few hours tonight at Studio Luevanos on The Alley Project.
People came and went over the course of a few hours as artists hit each others books, passed out stickers, and talked about people who weren’t there that would probably enjoy meeting up soon.
TAP’s spaces and programs are designed to help build relationships between neighbors, artists, youth, and others. Many of TAP’s programs are naturally intergenerational because they are often in and about community… and communities are made of people of all ages.
At Studio Luevanos youth, parents, artists, neighbors, and elders regularly gather to share time, skills, and stories with each other. We believe when this happens it is some of our most engaging, critical work as it helps to build community and skills together.
“I believe the children need to see people of their culture working with them, talking, listening, and interacting. I was one of those kids that did not experience people who looked like me doing things in my neighborhood. TAP provides a space for this.” - Mary Luevanos
A second sample panel was installed by Diseños incorporating feedback from the first panel in design and construction. The second panel features variations in the gauge of the steel as well as half circles plates to help visualize the finished product as it will appear in its final form.
Today Mav from Motor City Street Dance Academy stopped by before the construction meeting to see building updates and also shared some feedback from his impressions of the panels.
The youth learned how simple it can be to make your own books at Open Studio with Mary Luevanos. Samples, paper, materials, and a portable printer was all they needed to start making their own journals.
They will fill them with whatever creativity fits inside their pages and perhaps bring back to share in a few weeks.
Artists brought old flicks to pass around while sketching tonight. Blackbooks, vintage photos, and nostalgia steered the conversation.
Stories about exploring the city to search out hidden walls and art at a time before social media took the group back in time. Disposable cameras, blackbooks, HEETT, storytelling, markers, New York, Western High School, Carson Street and more came up.
There is an important history to be shared and ideas about how to capture and share that with future generations kept people engaged for several hours.
As we enter the closing weeks before opening the construction meetings are much about timelines, complications, final decisions, and finishings. With the plywood off the windows there is a revealing look at the tenant side space. The natural light that enters the space intensifies later in the day.
With the plywood off the windows there is a revealing look at the tenant side space. The natural light that enters the space intensifies later in the day.
Decisions are being made about window sills and about the wrought iron treatments for the interior of the windows, the rear facing building windows, and the doors.
Open Studio participants learned a little about public art by creating rocks to share with others by hiding them in unlikely places to be discovered.
Mary Luevanos showed examples of other rock projects people have done and talking about what they might do with theirs.
We are excited to announce that Freddy Diaz, former participant and longtime mentor at TAP, will be leading the development and installation of the mural that will cover three sides of the building at Elsmere and Avis.
Freddy, who is also a board member of Young Nation, quickly responded to the opportunity to install the mural after our good friend and mentor, Tead, tragically passed away this summer. Tead was Freddy’s mentor and close friend and he is honored to create a work inspired by the decisions that Tead had already made together with the Young Nation team.
Diseños Ironworks, Young Nation, et al architecture firm, and Freddy met at today’s construction meeting to go over where things are currently in the coordination between the building, the wrought iron design, and the mural.
Today Diseños responded to feedback to the sample frame that was installed a few weeks ago and Freddy is working to prepare a palette and initial designs for the mural together with the architects. There should be updates in the coming weeks for each to share.
Diseños Ornamental Iron designed, fabricated, and installed a sample panel in the patio space yesterday. They wanted to show us something that complements the design of the building and will also work well with the mural that will eventually wrap three sides of the building.
This morning they came by to meet with the design team. We had conversations about design, function, and how to address some of the trickier spaces around the building–tall doors, unique windows, the patio gates and so on.
Soon a final design will be determined and work will begin on creating and installing it so stay tuned!
The plywood was off and windows were set into the frames that were installed last month.
For a few hours today we were able to see just how much light will be let into the space daily once the building is done.
Drywall installation started a couple weeks back. In the tenant space you can see the insulation in the interior walls and the framing around interior windows coming together.
Today all of the drywall is hung and mudding and sanding has started in several of the spaces throughout the building. Its really starting to paint a picture of how the inside will feel when complete.
Spending time together sketching and talking about the rest of the summer.
Neighbors and friends play at the lot on Elsmere and Avis on the 4th of July.
The bricks are now primered gray in preparation for the mural to be installed. It will wrap three sides of the building.
NOTE: Thinking we should turn this into two separate blog entries.
Primer is being applied to the back of the building. Eventually the wall will be one solid color. The rest of the building will also be primed in preparation for the mural that will be installed.
Architects Kristen and Tadd from Et Al go over updates and changes with us at the construction meetings.
Today we were able to start reviewing samples for interior finishes including ceiling materials, plywood panels, and white board walls!
The thickened concrete slab for the front porch/patio was prepped, poured, floated, and trowled today.
Even the small details of the construction can be quite involved. Here’s a link to some step-by-step about how a concrete is poured: https://www.familyhandyman.com/masonry/pouring-concrete/form-and-pour-a-concrete-slab/step-by-step#step3
If you live down the street you probably already noticed that the street was blocked. Please pardon our dust during construction. :)
The plywood came down and the frames for the windows were installed. For the first time we’ve been able to see through the back of the building out to the street in the tenant space.
In a few weeks the windows will arrive and be set into the frames.
We have spent some time together today and during the last month just sketching and talking about what we’d like to do this summer.
Blackbooks, hitting the walls, collecting/sharing old flicks, ideas about ways to inspire youth and each other, and more. Meanwhile we’ve just been enjoying sharing space… especially in the absence of our good friends that recently passed.
In the coming weeks we hope to start collecting and organizing old photos we all have of art from around the city from the 90′s on. If it happens we’ll scan and share them sometime soon!
