Public Art Project- Lauren, Ali, and Kaylin

Lauren Bacon, Ali Harre, Kaylin Beckwith

PCA 261

Skinner & Rao

Public Art Project

Haphazard Hallway

The first day brainstorming for our public art proposal, the three of us agreed on four main criteria: the project needs to be huge, related to Butler, interactive, and playful. We also loved the idea of making it tantalizing, similar to the piece we saw in the atrium of the IMA. Additionally, we wanted to create something that goes against basic rules of social norms, instilling a “stick in to The Man” mantra.

After creating and a list of a variety of ideas, we elected to make the idea of converting the catwalks that connect Jordan Hall, Gallahue Hall, and the pharmacy building from their current materials to glass. On each end of the catwalk there will be baskets that hold a wide variety of colored dry erase markers. Students, teachers, staff, and anyone else who walks through these catwalks has the opportunity to draw directly on the walls. This goes against what we are taught as children—no writing on the walls—adding an interactive aspect to the project. Moreover, these can be used for student art and also classroom interaction. Classes will have the choice to use the catwalks as white boards rather than being in a conventional classroom setting. This class interaction helps relate the project to Butler. Another way this project will be related to Butler is that any student organization can publicize their events on the glass walls. Also, the project is very playful—not only because anyone can partake in the artwork, but also because of its juxtaposed position on campus. It connects old, antique-looking buildings with a modern, not standard idea.

After creating our idea and developing the concept, we began brainstorming a name. Because the nature of the project is to be random and does not require any organization, we chose “Haphazard Hallway.” This suggests a crazy, random passageway, and also piques interest. Moreover, there will be no rules related to the project, so anyone can erase or write over someone else’s artwork.

Overall, we are very excited about Haphazard Hallway. We love the idea of going against social norms and interrupting a traditional aesthetic with a modern twist. Additionally, Haphazard Hallway incorporates our criteria of being playful, huge, related to Butler and interactive. Most importantly, we love the ability of involvement by any individual, bringing the opportunity to express oneself directly to the individual.

Public Art Pitch Reflection- Mark Hirschenberger

1. All of the public art project pitches were interesting, but the one that I would invest in if I were a Butler alum would be Blue's Buried Treasures. This idea was the most unique to me. Every one of the statues in the "treasure hunt" were symbolic and had a meaning for students on campus. It was also the most interactive. If people chose not to directly interact with the statues, they would still exist on campus as pieces of public art work.
2. The Jungle Jim would be the most expensive design to fund due to the large size and intricacy of how it is built. It also included a treadmill which would be expensive to build . The treadmill would use a lot of power to actually run it too, so it would be a constant expense.
3. If I had to revise my pitch, I would probably make it more interactive to the audience. Since everyone in the audience were all Butler students, I would make sure that I made the interactivity universal for the whole audience. Our project was The "Butler Bubble" Wand. Since my group decided that that Butler Bubble is something everyone could relate to, it would be interesting if we could make the whole crowd interact with our idea.

Alison Harre- Public Art Project Reflection

1. Although I did not see any of the pitches in class, after reading and seeing all of the proposed Art Projects I decided that if I were going to chose one of the following pieces to invest in, it would be Blue Buried Treasure. I chose this one because it stood out to me. It seemed the most interactive, which was one of my groups top values. I also felt like it was an original idea and it would be really fun for incoming students to use a treasure map and find them all.

2. I definitely think that the idea for the Jungle Jim in front of the HRC would cost the most due to the huge treadmill-like machine needed to make it.

3. Since I have not given my Public Art pitch yet, I can't accurately answer this question, but in almost every case, practice makes perfect, so I would probably take the opportunity to revise it just to make the project that I will present on Tuesday even better.

Public Art Pitch Reflection- William Lamar

1. If I were a Butler Alum, I would be most inclined to fund the project: "Blue's Buried Treasures". I really enjoyed the concept of having multiple pieces of public art spread across campus. As discussed in the presentation, it would provide a walking tour of our campus. The project is interactive in that users must use their problem solving skills to find out about their next destination.

2. I believe that the Jungle Jim project would require the most funding. The track would be moving, so there would be motors with multiple moving parts. The scale of the project is quite large, the track would take up a large amount of space, as well as the large statue in the middle.

3. As a group, we spent a lot of time preparing for our presentation, so I would not change any of the presentation. I believe the best part of our presentation was the pictures of the campus with the 3D wand superimposed on the pictures. This gives the viewers a realistic view of what the final product will look like.

Public Art Pitch Reflection

Kaylin Beckwith

PCA 261

February 24, 2011

I really enjoyed the yellow bubble wand, and this is the project that I would choose to fund given the chance. This public art piece is fun, airy, and bright. It also has a great sentimental value that I think all of the Butler students can understand. I enjoyed how the group not only explained the greater meaning, but turned it into a positive when it is usually commented on in a derogatory sense. True, the Butler Bubble separates us from the surrounding Indianapolis area; however, the bubble can also represent our tight-knit community and sense of permeability.

Although I really enjoyed the proposal, I believe that the Butler Planner and accompanying books would be the most expensive project to fund. The electronic screen needed for the planner would be expensive, along with precautions needed to keep it safe from vandalism and weather, a person needed to keep information up to date, and the continued electrical power needed for the project. All of these expenses listed are for the planner alone, and then there are also the additional costs of the books and benches construction. This will also be hefty due to the large nature of the main books, plus the addition of the smaller bench books and so forth. If this project were to be chosen, I would say get the fundraising started now!

Unfortunately, due to illnesses my team is enduring, my group has not yet given its presentation.

Public Art Pitch Reflection - Ashley

If I were a Butler alum looking to invest in art for the campus, I would be most inclined to fund the "Butler Planner" piece. I felt like it combined the concepts of functionality and beauty in the most impressive manner. The agenda with events happening on campus would be really helpful for every student. The large map would be perfect for guests visiting campus. The over all design would be both beautiful and fun! It looked like the perfect place to hang out, read, do some studying, or just take a lunch break. I was especially impressed with the way the project was presented. Their pitch was both informative and aesthetically pleasing! They told us everything we needed to know in a concise, easy to understand description. Then the video capped off the project perfectly! I was very impressed.

Unfortunately, I also think that the "Butler Planner" project might be the most expensive to fund. Because it combines elements of video and large art pieces together, the cost might add up. Materials will be needed that will sustain the weather and abuse of students. There will also need to be some maintenance involved in keeping everything clean, safe, and functioning. The agenda element which requires a computer set-up with screens, will be particularly important to maintain. Extra staff might be required or current staff will have to expand their duties. That costs.

I would revise my pitch. Know now how the class will react to certain elements and seeing how many different ways there are to pitch something creatively, I would make some small changes. I was happy with out presentation, however I always think there is room for improvement. Perhaps some tweaked images, some more interactive presentation elements, even a more creative approach to the whole concept. I think if we had more time, we could have created something more unique!

Public Art Pitch Reflection

Mike Ruff

Aesthetics and Design

February 24, 2011

1. The piece of public art I would choose is the one with the people like statues. The reason why I would choose that to be displayed on Butler’s campus is because it’s fun and interactive; there are many of the statues as opposed to just one piece of art. Also I’ve had experience with some statues like that so I can relate to how cool they are in person and seeing them first hand really reminds me of how interesting those statues are, especially when they are doing human like activities.

2. The project that I think would require the most funding is the one where it was a little touch screen with different Butler Information in it. Despite the fact that it goes along with our society’s technology craving, with all of the people that come by and touch it, it is bound to break and cause future funding in order to keep it well maintained. Also the initial funding itself would be expensive, just because it is technology and it’s touch screen.

3. If I received a chance to revise my pitch, I certainly would. I would definitely make a PowerPoint for the audience and also try to incorporate some more photos and possibly a song? The list can go on with the things I’d change, but if I had to make one I would definitely start with making a PowerPoint that got my classmates involved.

Public Art Pitch- Reflection

1. If I were a Butler alum I would look to invest in the "Butler Bubble" wand. I would choose to invest my money in this particular project because of the greater meaning behind the piece of art. This piece of art would give meaning to past, present, and future Butler students and allow each generation to have a connection between one another. Not only does it connect the various generations but also it symbolizes a part of Butler no one but the Butler community understands drawing us together yet again. Also, it's a different type of artwork that would let your imagination ponder and develop an individual idea as to what the art symbolizes, the function of the piece, and the placement of the piece. This is why I would choose the "Butler Bubble."

2. The project that would require the most funding I believe would be the Jungle Jim. This project has many various aspects to it that I believe would contribute to a higher material cost. For example, they would have an industrial treadmill circling around Jim which has to be big enough to accommodate a large number of people. Something of this nature that has to be specifically made would elevate the price. Also, the cost of a three story climbing contraption would be greater due to insurance coverage needed because of the height of the statue on top of the moving of the treadmill. In the end, I believe all of their materials have higher cost compared to the other projects which seem use very basic inexpensive materials.

3. If we had the opportunity to be able to revise our pitch I would take the opportunity to do so. To revise the pitch I would incorporate a creative visual component that would illustrate the process of the creation of our public art piece. Also, I would incorporate more visual components to show the audience in order for them to gain a better understanding of the project. The final component that I would revise would be the delivery of the pitch. Finally, I feel that the pitch could be more creative, fun, and entertaining for the audience, getting them involved and really wanting to put this piece on campus.

Public Art Pitch Reflection- Ryan Rosebrough

1. If I were a Butler alum and was able to attend the "pitch session", I would have chosen "Blue's Buried Treasure". I feel as if this project is a very innovative project that not only adds a much needed flare to Butler's Campus, but it aslo acts as a sort of self-guiding tour. This would benefit students by giving them another fun, unique thing to do on campus. Not onlwould this benefit students, but it would also benefit visiting families as well. the scavenger hunt is a fun family activity that is friendly to all ages. It has the ability to promote bonding between kidas and adults as they figure out the clues and tour Butler's campus. All-in-all, i believe this would be an excellent public art addition to a campus that is lacking art.

2. I believe that my group's project, "Jungle Jim", would cost the most money to fund. There would be many moving mechanical parts which I feel would be quite expensive to assemble. Maintenance would also cost quite a bit as the mechanical aspects of an outdoor treadmill would have to be protected against the unforgiving elements.

3. If I could something about out pitch, I would want to slow down the talking and try to really sell our idea better. Granted I thought our pitch was good, it was not perfect. I would have also like to have been more of a salesman rather than a presenter.

Public Art Pitch Reflection- Lori Andriot

If I were a Butler alum able to fund one of the project that were presented on Tuesday, I would definitely choose to fund the "Ask Blue" project. I feel that with technology being as advanced as it is in this day and age, there is no reason for Butler not to go forward. I feel that this project would also increase the flow of communication on Butler's campus and thus make the largest impact to the student population. This project holds the ability to grow with the students on campus.

I think that the "Jungle Jim" project would be the largest to fund. As great of an idea as it is, the ability to fund this project would be rather difficult. I think that it would be problematic to fund the concept of an on running industrialized treadmill throughout tolerable seasons. It would also cost a lot to pay an energy bill for a constantly running treadmill, and would cost a lot for upkeep.

I would revise our presentation. Although we had to chance the way in which we presented last minute due to the loss of a group member, I think that we needed to extend on the benefits that our project would bring to campus. I also think that perhaps we should have added on to our vision of the project, because I do not believe that it came across as we envisioned it.

Katie Zeiger- Public Art Pitch Reflection

1.) Out of the six presentations that I witnessed, as a Butler alumna, I would choose to fund the "Butler Bubble" Wand project. The thing that I like most about this piece of artwork is that it is thought provoking and controversial. Although some people describe the "bubble" as being negative, I think that the "bubble" describes the close-knit community that Butler provides for its students. Also, to an outsider or visitor, this piece of art would stick out while providing something unique to remember and ask questions about. The idea for this project is ideal because it would be fairly inexpensive compared with some of the other projects, and everything from the size, subject, color, and controversy associated with this piece of art, would catch the attention of the public.

2.) I think that the "Jungle Jim" project would require the most funding due to its size and the technology required to create and operate the circular treadmill. I believe that this project was by far one of the most innovative ideas and definitely makes sense for the location it is in; however, the starting costs and the cost of maintenance would prove to be rather expensive over time. It would also cost quite a bit to protect the "Jungle Jim" from the outdoor elements, as well as from vandalism.

3.) If I had the Chance to revise my group's pitch I would not do much to change things. I might have practiced a little more on exactly what to say, or used the photo shopping tool to place our models in a photograph of the actual site. I would keep the mix of sketches, clues, maps, and models. I believe that our passion for our proposal and our clues were the things that made our presentation stand out. Our enthusiasm gave us the confidence to relax and explain everything about the scavenger hunt and what it would do for Butler. It was fun to read the clues and have the class interacting during our presentation.

Public Art Pitch Reflection

Of the 6 presentations we watched in class, I would have to say that I’m most drawn to the piece entitled “Blue’s Buried Treasure”. If I were a Butler alum looking to invest in art for the campus, I would be looking for something that represented Butler while remaining creative and functional at the same time. I love the idea of intriguing people to walk through Butler’s campus on a sort of scavenger hunt for the next buried item that represents our university, and it is a perfect pun since our mascot is a dog. In addition, this group’s presentation itself was very detailed and fun to listen to as they incorporated poetry in it to make it even more fun. I would very much enjoy seeing these art pieces around campus and I know that other students would as well. The pieces are interactive and invite many opportunities to take photographs, meet up to talk with friends, or to show off our campus.

Of all of the projects listed, the “Jungle Jim” project would most likely require the most funding. Although the project was very innovative and sounds like a lot of fun, it involves a very large piece of artwork as well as a multitude of technical intricacies that must be built in order for a treadmill of that size to function on a day to day basis. In addition, this treadmill must be protected from the elements of the outdoors as well as from the use of a great number of college students, so it will require a fair amount of upkeep. I think that Jungle Jim is a great idea, however because it involves so much technical work it may be prohibitively expensive.

If I were given the opportunity to revise our pitch and present it once more to the class, I would of course take that opportunity to make the pitch better, as any presentation has the ability to be improved. I believe that Lori and I did an excellent job at explaining our proposal including the criteria we used to choose our project, what the project would look like, and why we thought our project would be a great addition to Butler’s campus. We were passionate about our proposal and we were able to speak very well in front of the class. One change I would make would be to disperse our pictures of the proposed statues more evenly throughout the presentation instead of showing them all at the end. In addition, I would try to include a more creative element to the project such as the video or the poems that other groups used, as these provided a more exciting element to the presentations themselves. Overall though, I felt that our group’s presentation went very well and that our project would make a great addition to Butler’s campus.

Lauren Bacon - Public Art Pitch Reflection

1.) I would be most inclined to fund the "Picnic on the Mall" public art project. I love how the chalkboard/pewter statues are set up to be interactive and that students/alumni/visitors can add to the art. The ability to change the art intrigues me. Before this course I always thought of art as something to be looked at and admired. Breaking this mold by adding an interactive aspect challenges typical norms. Moreover, the statues are placed in meaningful places throughout campus, drawing attention to the beauty Butler holds.

2.) Out of all of the proposals, I would think the "Ask Blue" project would be most expensive. First, the purchase of the touch screens will be very expensive. Second, the upkeep and repairs of the touch screen technology will also be extremely expensive. Plus, since there are four locations, this increases the cost. Finally, the physical materials to create four statues of the proposed size will add to the cost.

3.) The only thing I think I would revise would be to try and find a way to make models of the academic buildings and actually show how the catwalks would look when connected to them. We attempted to do so with cardboard, but it looked cheap and took away from how compelling the plexiglass models of the catwalks were.

Public Art Pitch Reflection

1) If I were a Butler Alum looking to invest in one of these projects I would probably choose the Butler Planner. The Butler Planner would be unique to Butler, it would add an aesthetic value that would really help to brighten our campus, and its utility as an information center and a place to lounge would be a great asset. I definitely think the Butler planner fills a need for students to be more informed about what's going on around campus and to have easier access to that information.

2) I think the Butler planner would require the most initial funding. It involves several large structures as well as the planner itself, all of which would be costly to build. Because it is outside there could also be significant maintenance costs to keep things running smoothly and looking good.

3) If we could revise our pitch, I think we might expand a little on the benefits the project would bring to campus. I feel that we got it all in there, but we could have slowed down and focused more on each individual benefit and aspect of the project.

Public Art Pitch Reflection

1. If I were a Butler alum I think I would fund the "Ask Blue" project. I feel like their project would be the most applicable and useful public art piece. Its ability to manage the immense amount of information we all receive concerning events and news is an extremely desirable trait. Speaking as a person involved in many different organizations on campus, I can definitely see how it could potentially increase attendance at events and allow for better organization of information. The design is quite simple and would be easy to fund and to create. These traits would be desirable if cost management were being considered.
2. I believe that the "Jungle Jim" project would be the most expensive to fund. It has many intricate parts that would need maintenance such as the outdoor treadmill and the giant jungle gym structure. The treadmill would need to be weather proofed in the winter, and maintenance would have to maintain it as well. Snow would need to be removed from the jungle gym structure to prevent accidents. Overall, my thought is that this project would do better in an environment with more predictable weather.
3. I don't think I would change our pitch. I feel that our pitch was extremely important in getting the class to understand the purpose and significance of our project. We needed to pull at the similarities and previous experiences of people who are apart of the Butler community and I feel that we did that. No matter how many pictures a person shows of their public art piece, there is still the aspect of making that art piece important to others. I feel that our pitch did that.

Public Art Pitch Reflection

1. I really loved all of them but if I were a Butler alum I would invest in "The Butler Planner." I think it shows that art can be interactive and informative! And I think it would be a fun thing for future students to see and lay out on and it could help people find their way on campus.

2. Although I REALLY liked it, I think the "Jungle Jim" project would require the most funding because of all the material involved. The "Jim" figure would cost a lot of money to build and I think the treadmills would cost a lot of money to install because of the technology and electricity to keep them running.

3. No, I think we presented our project very well. I believe the best part of our presentation was the fact that we really got in-depth as to how the touch-screen would work and we thoroughly explained what "Ask Blue" would include.

Caroline Hedrick- Public Art Pitch Reflection

1. Which project would you vote for besides your own and why?
I and a Butler alum would probably choose the group who had the "Ask Blue" group. This idea was very similar to the project that our group came up with. Both addressed the same problem that seemed evident to a majority of students on campus. The projects had a central location for students to find out about events ahead of time to improve attendance. I know that in the past, knowledge of events was hard to come by, especially without a centralized email.
2. I believe our project (the books and planner) would cost the most. With the large digital thirteen foot planner would be fairly costly just by itself. In addition the books and chairs would only add to the price of the entire art piece. However, it would be worth the hefty cost with its beauty and efficiency.
3. Would you revise your pitch? If not, what was the best part of the pitch?
The best part of our presentation was probably the uniqueness of the video created by Carly. It definitely turned some head and grabbed people's attention. The video showed the drawing process and also focused on the location of our project. On top of all that, it showed each individual part of our project (the planner, books, lounge chairs, and the bookmark desks). We met and made changes in our speech and practiced. Everyone worked hard and had fun making ideas a near-reality for our campus.

Public Art Pitch Reflection- Carly Sobolewski

1.) I really enjoyed listening to each presentation and thought all the projects were creative but if I had to pick one to help fund it would be the Butler Bubble Wand. This group's piece really stood out from the rest. It is more conceptual than all of the others and it seemed like they put alot of thought into it. The simplicity of the wand makes it beautiful and harder to interpret by prospective students and visitors. I like the idea that the true meaning intended by the group would be a little secret we have here at Butler and it would also be a daily reminder of our close community.

2.) Personally I think that the Jungle Jim idea would be the most financially demanding. The size of both the monkey bar man and the track would require a large amount of work, time and money to build. Also because it is seasonal it would need more maintenance and repair work if broken. However, as a runner I do like the idea of an outdoor treadmill because staring at a wall while running inside is extremely obnoxious!

3.) Overall I think our presentation went well. We met beforehand and practiced what we were going to say more than once. I think the flow of speech could have been a little better but I'm very proud of Caroline and Radha for working so hard. Also we didn't remember to point out that we had our models set out on our table. I think the best part of our presentation was the video just because it was unexpected, short, and sweet. We had alot of fun with this project.

Public Art Pitch Reflection

If I were to pick one of the projects to be funded on campus, I would probably choose the scavenger hunt. Some people may think it wouldn’t be so much “fun” for current Butler students because it is more for kids and alums, but personally I enjoyed reading each hint and going to the next piece of art. I also thought everything incorporated represents Butler University as a whole pretty well. I thought the way it was set out all over campus was pretty neat. I would love going on this scavenger hunt on a nice sunny day just to get my mind off of schoolwork. It would also give prospective students and children something exciting to do on campus when they visit rather than just walking around and getting a tour. Butler definitely has a beautiful campus, but I remember most of my tours of different universities being the same and not very exciting. If Butler had this different edge to it, I know more students would prefer to attend this university to others.

Personally, I think the Jungle Jim would require the most funding. Not only because it is a huge project, but also because there would be many technical things involved in building it. Also, it would be harder to maintain than the rest of the projects due to its size and technology. It is definitely a very creative idea, but it would be hard and expensive to manage before and after it is built. Building this would also take much more material and workers, which would get expensive, but if it weren’t for the cost, this idea was also very good.

I think we did fairly well on the presentation, but I would change a few things. If I could revise anything about our project, I would have tried to have a table in the front of the room to put our model on so people could see it better. I think that would have helped, but we never really thought about it beforehand. I also would have practiced more as a whole group, but overall it went well and we touched on everything we wanted to. I definitely loved our idea and was excited about it, which is probably why we put more effort into it. It is easier to do more things for something you love or are passionate about. I thought the best part of our presentation was that we had a video. It set us apart from all the other presentations.

Public Art Pitch Reflection

The best presentation for the public art pitch was the Ask Blue TV stations. I think that this is a really good idea for our school because it is both creative, useful, and interactive. With the places that the group decided that they would put their project, it would be an essential asset to the Butler Community. It offers so many different options that it would provide within. All the things that Butler offers such extracurriculars, speakers, and events should all be given as information to the campus. 

I think that the Picnic on the Mall would be most expensive. Their project consists 20 individual statues throughout the campus. I think that in addition to all the materials, construction and everything, with maintenance to upkeep the statues could end up being very costly in the long end. 

If we could do our pitch again, I wish that we would have been a bit more prepared. I think that our ideas were very solid, but if we would have had a presentation like a PowerPoint, it would have really enhanced our presentation in total. I really did like our public art idea but when we went to construct it, it didn't work out like we had hoped. I wish we could have made our original work better.

Public Art Pitch Reflection

1) I think I would fund "Blue's Buried Treasure". I just really liked the idea of it and I really think It would be enjoyed by the students around campus! I thought it was really creative yet interactive and it would add a great deal of aesthetics to our campus. It was different and interesting. And the poems were really catchy.

2) The most expensive project I would have to say would probably be "Jungle Jim" due to it's extremely large size and the technology of the large treadmill circuling it.

3) I actually think my group did a good job at presenting our pitch. I was short and sweet yet explained all our pain point and we had really good visuals. I also think the way we presented it was in a way that everyone could relate to.

Public Art Pitch Reflection

1) If I had to choose one of the Public Art pitches to invest in, I would choose the Ask Blue interactive bulletin board. The reason I would invest in this one, is because I find it to be very useful to the Butler campus. Many people, especially incoming freshman such as myself, are always wondering where a certain building is, or when a certain event is taking place. The bulletin board would definitely be able to answer any question that any student might have.
2) It is hard to say which of the Public Art pieces would require the most funding. I would say that the Jungle Jim project might be the most expensive one. The treadmills that go around the Jungle Jim might be the biggest part of this project. Also, the Jungle Jim itself will be quite expensive if it were to be installed on the campus.
3) If I had to go back and revise my project, I would definitely change a few things. First, I would try to make some sort of power point presentation to describe my idea more thoroughly. Also, I would change the size and structure of the project. If I could change the structure, I would not make it out of steel, and I would also not make it rotate. There were many flaws in my presentation, I would probably just start over from scratch.

Public Art Pitch Reflection

If I were to fund one of the public art projects, I would choose the Bubble Wand piece. I thought that the group did a really great job of explaining its significance, the needs it addressed, and the visual components were really nice as well. I also liked that a bit of mystery was included in that it's not quite obvious what the exact meaning of the structure is. In terms of funding, I'd say that the technology-based projects would be the most expensive. In particular, Jungle Jim would probably cost the most due to its large size and high technology outdoor treadmills. There's also the possibility of a lot of maintenance if the treadmill were to break down, or the need to hire supervisors for safety.

If we had the chance to revise our pitch, I don't think that we would have done anything differently in terms of content. If anything, it might have been beneficial to write out and practice EXACTLY what to say. On the same token, I liked that fact that we didn't have anything memorized because it sounded more natural and really highlighted our knowledge and excitement about our project. I think the best part of our presentation was that we were able to get a bit of audience participation by walking the class through the scavenger hunt.

Veronika Lewis-Public Art Pitch Reflection

1.If I was going to choose a public art project to fund as an alumna from Butler, I would have to pick Blue's Buried Treasures. Not only is it a creative idea, and would be a fun interactive way to interest incoming students to the school, during tours, it is representative of cool things about the school. Each area was very specific with what sculpture was put where, and the reasoning was well put together. The objects seemed awesome and big enough to entertain a small child too, and the rhymes were cool to figure out. This is family friendly, and gets students to know the campus and school in a more creative and fun way.
2. I think "Picnic on the mall" would require the most funding because not only are there 21 sculptures, I think I counted, that are life size looking, but also they are pewter which is going to end up being extremely expensive. I love the idea; I just think that many sculptures around campus would be a lot of money.
3. I don't think I'd revise our pitch, because we were pretty excited about our idea, although I loved everyone's ideas as well. I think the best part of our pitch was discussing the four things we thought we'd represent with Jungle Jim, being school spirit, community, play, and physical well being. We explained each well and I think all four of those things are important factors to being successful with school and as a representation of a school.

Public Artwork Project

Mike Ruff, Sarah Leib, Mikey Tsama

Aesthetics and Design

February 21, 2011

Microphone Sculpture (Right outside of Clowes Hall)

For our project we decided to build a microphone out of wire located right in the front lawn of Clowes Memorial Hall. Built into the microphone will also be speakers, so that whenever there is an event at Clowes, the appropriate song will play through the microphone. In the case of no event, the microphone can play a variety of different kinds of music throughout the day. The microphone will also be able to rotate 360 degrees, allowing spectators to view the art work from every angle imaginable.

The reason why a microphone seemed appropriate to construct is because of the importance Clowes Memorial Hall has not only to Butler University, but also to the city of Indianapolis. With something as basic as a microphone, the numerous of world famous musicians, actors and actresses that have performed at Clowes Hall would not be able to showcase their form of art. Also, Clowes Hall is right alongside Hinkle Field house as one of the main attractions on Butler’s campus.

The reason why we think our microphone should be chosen as the public artwork to be displayed on campus is because not only is the placement ideal to have a piece of public art, but because everyone can relate as why the microphone is in front of the theater and not only is it visually appealing, it has audio for all ages to enjoy.

Public Art Project

Radha Patel, Carly Sobolewski, Caroline Hedrick

PCA Public Art Project

The Butler Planner

At first when we were told we have to come up with an idea or plan about public art we can put on out beautiful Butler campus, we had no idea what to do. Caroline started it off by giving an idea of putting a big diploma or graduation hat on campus in which people could study or just “hang out.” Later, we came up with an idea of building a gigantic basketball with a graduation hat on it signifying how important basketball is to Butler as well as academics. The big basketball would have a couple basketball courts inside of it and it would have a wall of fame showing the history of Butler’s men and women’s basketball team. Another idea we came up with was making a big sculpture of a paintbrush that would be leaning against Lily Hall (the building). There would be a pallet on top if the paintbrush located above the roof and there would be tables on this pallet shaped as different colors of paint. On a nice sunny day students would be able to study up there and see Butler’s campus. In the end we decided none of these ideas were extremely appealing because we wanted to come up with something all Butler students would find somewhat useful and is also artistic.

We set out four different criteria for out public art project. The criteria are site specificity, how interactive it is, whether it holds significance to Butler, and how functional it is. As we were going through out list of projects and seeing how the criteria worked with them, we started talking about how we never know what is going on throughout the week and weekend because we either skip over the emails we receive or we do not know because we didn’t notice the banners around campus. We decided there should be some way students can see what is happening on campus; therefore we decided to make the “Butler Planner.” It would be located on the open space between Atherton Union and Jordan Hall, right in front of Starbucks. We chose this area because many people pass this location throughout their day and it is not far from the main buildings on campus. Students could just stop by the “Butler Planner” for a moment and see what is happening on campus.

The “Butler Planner” would have each day of the week on it and under each day it would list the activities going on throughout the campus or even at Broad Ripple. The board would light up once it gets dark. The screen would be black with white lettering and at night the outline of the planner would light up neon blue so it is easy to spot and visible. The Planner would be made out of fiberglass and the books would be made up of stone and painted with shiny paint to somewhat correspond to the fiberglass. The “Butler Planner” would look exactly like out real planner and would have the same design on the front of the cover. The books in the back of the Planner where we can sit and study would be different colors, which include green, purple, red and yellow. The green book has a saying that says “The Butler Way” and a map on it because it is leaning against the tier of books. This map would be useful for anyone who doesn’t know where everything is located on the campus. The other three books have words the Butler students either represent of strive to achieve: courage, respect and values. They are strong words and they would remind Butler student of what Butler University believes in. Also, throughout the lawn we have books that are propped open so students can sit and eat or read. These books would be different colors depending on what color fits best with its surroundings. We decided to add more to the books we could add bookmarks to the books where students can still sit and enjoy the sun and nice weather.

As a group, we loved this idea, which is why we were so passionate about it. We, as Butler students, would love something like this on campus. By working on this project, we accomplished our goal of making a public art display and making is useful to the Butler community. It fits all of our criteria pretty accurately and best of all, we loved this project and coming up with the idea. We actually had fun with this.