USA Projects

Back in 2009, I began looking into Jewish identity and imagining what the world would look like if Jewishness were cool.  At its heart is the question of why the mainstream accepts or rejects any cultural group and how capricious the masses can be. 

As a mechanism for talking about “what is cool,” I started referencing skateboarding in my installation through architectural ramps. Since my MFA thesis show in 2011, I have dreamed of taking this project outside the white walls of the gallery and building a public sculpture that was also a functional skateboard ramp.   That dream is about to come true. I have been selected to build a functional halfpipe that addresses the ups-and-downs of Jewish identity in mainstream American society for ArtPrize 2012. 

The topic of Jewish identity is an integral part of my personal identity, but also my artistic identity.  By appropriating other cultural associations, this large-scale, public, interactive sculpture will develop a language for addressing the myths of the Jewish people as a means of overcoming those myths.

In order to accomplish this project and participate in ArtPrize, I will make a dozen different tile patterns that will cover the curved portion of the ramp.  The patterns will address some of the stereotypes, conspiracies, and myths associated with Jews in America.  At the peaks of the ramp, the images will be the most positive stereotypes, while the valley will showcase the most evil, unflattering, dangerous stereotypes.   The significance of the word stereotype cannot be overlooked—it originated as a printmaking term, and for this reason, I believe the repetitious aspect of this sculpture will reinforce the overall concept of how myths spread.  These tiles will be created in my Philadelphia studio using screenprinting and some mixed media.

Based on my own plans, I will have the basic structures of the ramps built in Grand Rapids in pieces and I will finish the structure onsite at Calder Plaza.  During the month-long ArtPrize event, we will have performers skate the sculpture and document the performances with photographs and video. 

With your financial support, I will break outside the traditional gallery setting and literally bring my ideas to life.  Much of your donation goes into making an artpiece that will have a permanent existence, both as a durable sculpture and as a performance piece archived with expertise.

If you help me to make my most basic goal of $3,500, I will be able to make small quarter pipe ramp, which will mean that I can participate in ArtPrize in the most basic sense of the project.  However, I really need your help to make my ultimate goal of $9,000.  With that level of funding, I will be able to build the grand-scale public sculpture with the full up-and-down halfpipe, I would be able to purchase the right, weather-resistant materials, and I would be able travel to Michigan to orchestrate the whole performance.  Thank you for your time and consideration of my project.