Free Flags for franklinton
celebrating the community
As an honors class at CCAD tasked toward public art, we hopped on board the city's rejuvenation plan of a small sect of Columbus, OH called Franklinton. It's a quirky post flood plane community & a recent destination for the arts in town. Our plan was to engage in dialogue with the community to help design & synthesize a flag representing the essence of Franklinton. Ultimately, the goal being to manufacture and distribute physical flags to as much of the population as possible, businesses, abandoned houses & all. Thanks to the Columbus Foundation, we have obtained a grant to manufacture and distribute a sample size of 500 flags to the community. The task of synthesizing and silk screening the flags has been picked up by a local print shop, Abnormal Allies. We will gain insight into the subject matter of our proposed flag, via a consensus of the area's youth and community centers.
Challenge
Given the task of engaging the community with art, our class hoped to make something which would enrich & enliven the sense of unity in the area. Free Flags for Franklinton became an apparent path for the class initiative given the high contrast between the visible state of Franklinton, and the true strength of their Community. Organizations such as Franklinton Gardens, 400 West Rich, Gladden Community House and a slew of community events- all validate localized sense of caring for this original sect of Columbus that has been largely ignored by the rest of the city due to its flooded past.
Our goal is to leave something behind that speaks to and of the community- in Sign & Signified, rather than giving the area an art object, such as an ideological bronze statue.
Our goal is to leave something behind that speaks to and of the community- in Sign & Signified, rather than giving the area an art object, such as an ideological bronze statue.
Solution
Create an object which blankets the area with a sense of its self, a visual moniker. Gift the community something physical with relates each individual to each other, something to display proudly. The art which we contribute makes the community the destination, rather than it having a physical presence at an exact location as with most public art.
The project
Flags for Franklinton originated as a response to the Honors Seminar entitled Public Art Community Engagement. It is a new course designed to challenge our most motivated students to research and develop ideas that extend beyond the walls of the institution. The dire conditions of West Franklinton prompt an urgent need for innovation.
As the Faculty Advisor, I couldn’t be more pleased with the thoughtful energy of this inaugural group. Although the initial idea for the project came from Tayler Beck, it has truly been a group effort infused with collective research and lively conversation. Tayler’s collaborators include Callie Whiteman, Marissa Ohms, Michael Geiger, Esteban Gonzalez, Austin Burnside, Amy Schuessler, Ayanna Williams, Shannara Stetson, Scott Schaaf, Jacq Wagner, Mackenzie Fields and Mark Mounts.
-Tim Rietenbach
As the Faculty Advisor, I couldn’t be more pleased with the thoughtful energy of this inaugural group. Although the initial idea for the project came from Tayler Beck, it has truly been a group effort infused with collective research and lively conversation. Tayler’s collaborators include Callie Whiteman, Marissa Ohms, Michael Geiger, Esteban Gonzalez, Austin Burnside, Amy Schuessler, Ayanna Williams, Shannara Stetson, Scott Schaaf, Jacq Wagner, Mackenzie Fields and Mark Mounts.
-Tim Rietenbach