FoundSpace 2016
Jenny Dowd
This week I had an incredible experience while working with the FoundSpace project at Rendezvous Park. Partnering with the JH Land Trust, FoundSpace connects people with land through art and conservation, ultimately educating the public about open spaces in the Jackson Hole area.
This year my role as an Assistant Gardener meant that I helped artists install multiple sculptures that interact with the R Park space.
Installations include a Pond Flute by Bland Hoke, a Ring of Fire installed by Ben Roth designed to encourage a refreshing jump off a bridge into a pond. A mobile art studio became a place to create nests as well as Leaf and Secret Message Poems with Matt Daly as well as an Uncommon Garden that encourages the use of all senses by Bronwyn Minton.
In the mobile art studio participants were also encouraged to make pirate ships that contained treasure maps. The ships were let loose into the stream or pond. In order to help find out where treasure might be found in the park, I made a few wacky, awkward nets that could be used to fish out a ship so the map could be read.
There is much more happening within this space. While best experienced in person, you can find some great videos here.
The best part is that the artworks will remain in the park until September, so you can visit and interact with R Park through the eyes of artists all summer!
Now I have a year to think about this experience and prepare for next year. I'm thinking a lot about how I interact with open spaces and also how I can encourage participants to discover these special places.
Standing in a grove with a poem that can be read in any order:
Me (wearing part of the poem) Bronwyn Minton, Matt Daly