After several weeks of intensive research along Waters, a team of graduate students in a Sustainable Practices class discovers that a series of mostly derelect planters placed along Waters years ago in a past beautification attempt have become a sore spot for many people in the community; a reminder of broken promises. Working with Visiting Artist Jerome Meadows, Team ArtMe is exploring ways in which the planters can ‘grow’ something new, exciting, hopeful and lasting…

By Sarah Tolzman

After some preliminary research, ArtMe sets out to inventory the planters. Before setting off down the road, we sat down to discuss the scope and goals of our project. Jerome lends an experienced voice to our initiative, and encouraged us to think about these key points as we move forward:

—Whatever anyone might do with these planters, it will not be an end result.

—ANY reaction to ‘planter art’ by members of the community (good or bad) has the potential to stimulate conversations about the planters that are currently nonexistent.

—Conversation indicates value, value incites input, input leads to community expression.

—This project will demonstrate a transitory precedence; a sense that Waters Avenue is in a new state of transition.

When we took to the street, our team walked south on Waters Avenue from Meadowlark Studio (at Waldburg Street) to Victory Drive, and back up the east side of the same street. Along the way, ARTme recorded the locations of each concrete planter on a map, while noting peripheral landmarks and nearby businesses. A teammate also recorded each planter and its environment photographically. We used the following questions as guidelines for our walkabout:

—How many planters are on Waters Avenue?

—Where are the planters located? Is there any noticeable pattern to their placement?

—What is the physical state of these planters? Are they damaged? Are they painted? What do they contain?

—Can any planters be moved easily? If so, which are the best initial candidates to be relocated to Jerome’s studio for our project?

—Have any planters been maintained by citizens?

—Does any planter indicate signs of ownership?

—Do any community members know about them or their history?

—Are there any locations that might benefit from having a planter?

—How do residents treat their communal space?

In the days following our walk, the team compiled notes and photographs into a map; a record of locations, local businesses, and the planters, which are categorized by degree of accessibility to our initiative. We learned that…

—There are 28 planters located up and down Waters Avenue corridor

—Planters are generally located in pairs adjacent to businesses, supporting the popular theory that they were funded and distributed by a (now defunct) business association in the 1980’s.

—6 of them have been rehabilitated and maintained by local businesses

—Many are located in front of abandoned, demolished or inactive businesses

—A few show signs of a previous rehabilitation effort

—When asked about the planters, most citizens are oblivious to their existence entirely

—Some active businesses (like the Bah’ai center) do not have planters, but have nurtured their own flowers and plants in cracks in the sidewalks, window boxes, and store-bought planters.

—The planters that are unused but located by active businesses are prime candidates for the first stages of rehabilitation. We hope that we can skirt bureaucratic concern by contacting these businesses directly and negotiating work on their planters.

Onward…