CURRENT WORK IN PROGRESS
Artist(s): Ali Rufrano-Ruffner; Supporting: Gwen Sadler, Jennie Canning, High School artists at Brashear High School
Location: Emerald View Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Supported by: RADical ImPAct Grant
We believe that public art should be youth-built, relatable, powerful, accessible, easily understood, culturally specific & proud, able to be slept-on-sat-on or jumped-on, colorful , inclusive, hyper-local, intentional, built with the environment not against it, built in under-resourced / under-trafficked neighborhoods, welcoming people to greenspaces, open, unpoliced, and forever changeable. HUGE s/o to the artists at Brashear High School in Pittsburgh (featured here) who so graciously and joyfully are building this sculpture Monument to Pittsburgh Youth.
We can't wait till we bring to life this youth-built, swaggy, relevant, important sculpture that we have been working on building for the last year. It has been so much hard work but so worth it. These young artists are absolutely amazing, brilliant, hilarious, joyful, talented, multimedia wizzes, excited, with so much heart and thought and a blast to work with.
The project is a sculptural installation co-created between artist Ali Rufrano-Ruffner and many community members and young artists. The hope here is to better underscore what it means for art to be locally youth-made. Additionally, the thematic focus is on the idea that every person (+ their hand) that was included is monumental. By disrupting the status quo of how public art is made and interpreted -- we are focused on making this project joyful and honest.
The students & artists have been discussing concepts around Public Art That Doesn’t Suck, the current Monument Crisis, a meaningful monument to both the makers and the community, highlighting the home piece of a public space and the role that people play in a public space, and the sustainable practices in construction of a public sculpture.