While this moment is part of a much bigger movement, The Plywood Project aims to act fast. Grass roots artworks are already popping up throughout the city on boarded up shops, as artists paint some of these surfaces guerilla-style.
The Plywood Project builds on this energy, organizing key stakeholders in the city to focus attention and resources on artists and communities most directly impacted by our current crises, capture the public imagination, and inspire necessary conversations.
Even as plywood comes down from major retailers, The Plywood Project can grow to include surfaces of all kinds, as plywood is but the inspiration. While some businesses may choose to keep literal plywood up (transformed by art), any surface can be a canvas. The big idea of The Plywood Project is transformation through art, which creates essential dialogue. As The Plywood Project grows, it can include prints, posters, and publications to preserve the legacy of (and create income from) this historic series of artworks. The Plywood Project’s impact can be amplified by museum exhibitions and performances at Plywood Project sites.
A phased approach can remain nimble to scale up and evolve in a fluid situation. Proposed phases are:
Pilot (June-July): First artwork "proof of concept”
Phase 1 (July-August): 5 (or more) artworks i.e. one in each borough, or a concentrated amount in one neighborhood (exact # pending funding/space availability)
Phase 2: (August-September): Scale up as additional funders/spaces join
Phase 3: (beyond Summer 2020): ongoing growth of sites/artworks plus print editions, posters, museum exhibition(s), performances, publications