Byron Nemela, Oneita Porter
and Soh Suzuki

Our vision for community-based art comes from our belief that the artwork's strength and credibility as a focal point and source of community pride must be its representative nature, and must truly reflect the community. We intend to involve the neighborhood residents in each phase of the project, from thematic development to the opening of our working studio to the public. In the end, the finished piece will serve as testimony to the collaborative spirit in which it was made, with the handprints of many people serving as witness to the power of community for generations to come.

To spark community involvement we will invite residents to a series of workshops which will progressively build from one phase to the next. We envision a working process as outlined below: 1 Theme Development. We will collaborate with the neighborhood community on the thematic design of the project, such as imagery, references, and symbols. 2 Community Mapping. We will work with residents to create maps of the neighborhood and identify locations of importance to the people living there. This workshop will act to strengthen the collaboration between residents and the artists as we further explore what to reference in the artwork. 3 Resource Gathering. We will harvest resources and images from the neighborhood so the finished artwork reflects the community. 4 Open Studio. We will provide a working studio in the neighborhood where residents will be invited to join the process of creating the artwork.

We believe this process will bring the community together to create a cohesive composition by re-imagining themes from the neighborhood into the imagery and rhythm of the finished artwork. Another level of meaning will be to pay respect to things that have come before and reinterpret them into something new. This entire process will allow us to closely explore the surroundings that give shape to our lives, a building or park bench, an ignored monument or commemorative marker, and to look with fresh eyes as we transport and transform textures, shapes, and ideas into a meaningful new addition to daily life in one Detroit neighborhood.

The strength of our team is in our emphasis on collaboration with the neighborhood community, particularly the youth population, step by step from beginning to end. With support from a group of organizations and individuals, our team will have the collective power, energy, and experience to drive this project to a successful conclusion. Ultimately, we believe an inclusive, process-oriented approach will offer neighborhood residents a sense of ownership of the project because their input, and hands-on participation, will be key to the entire process.

Our team of artists has been directly involved in opening the Ladybug Studio in Southwest Detroit with its focus on serving the people living in the surrounding neighborhood. We have the experience not only of teaching a variety of art-making processes but building bridges with the community in which we work. It is especially important for us to provide young people the opportunity to take an active role in community-based projects and gain leadership experience. Our guiding philosophy of community involvement in art education is also reflective of our work individually and as a team through the Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit, Detroit Institute of Arts, the Boll Family YMCA, and various other community-based projects. Byron Nemela will be lead artist and main contact. Onieta Porter and Soh Suzuki will round out the group of principle artists.

In conclusion, while we have a shared vision as teaching artists, it will become complete through the active efforts of many individuals and organizations from the community. We believe the cross-disciplined collaboration we imagine will plant strong seeds for the future.