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Introduction Since 1985, the Scottsdale Public
Art Program has completed more than fifty permanent and temporary works
around the city. Functional and aesthetic contributions by artists are
found on neighborhood walls, streets, parks and municipal buildings. In
its third consecutive year, the Poetry Bus has become a tradition, proving
to be a positive undertaking for all involved. Description Excerpts of young peoples poetry displayed on a Scottsdale City buses, using vinyl-imprinted text that wraps around the bus. The most recent bus completed on May 15th, 2003, Life in Motion, was completed with the help of individuals from The New Foundation & Coronado High School, under the direction of Rita Maria Magdaleno, Poet-in-Residence and the Scottsdale Public Art Program. Creative Process/Collaborators for Creative Expression All three poetry buses were
achieved through careful collaboration. The third Poetry Bus was conceptualized
and materialized through collaborations between seniors from The New Foundation
and from Coronado High School, Rita Maria Magdelano (a published author
and poet), the City of Scottsdale Transportation Department, the Scottsdale
Public Art Program and the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. Margaret
Bruning Associate Curator of Public Art, Sally Lindsay Associate Curator
of Education, Rita Maria Magdaleno Poet-in-Residence, Michelle Korf, Director
of Transportation City of Scottsdale and Jewel Owens Director at The New
Foundation and the Public Art Committee worked with graphic designer,
Ramon Garcia from Opus Design Group to create a comprehensive design that
would show off the poetry and convey a cohesive concept but still maintain
a needed level of safety. Artist Rita Maria Magdaleno received
her Master of Arts in English and American Literature. She lives and works
in Tucson, where she has published numerous books and poems. She has received
the Award of Excellence from the Arizona Museum Association along with
various other grant and acknowledgements. Ms. Magdaleno is actively involved
in the community, and especially with young people. Magdaleno teaches
at the Writing Works Center, at The University of Arizona Extended Campus,
as well as at many workshops and specialized programs. Q & A with Rita Maria Magdaleno Q. You often work with children.
Why do you feel that working with young people in this way is important?
Poets and Poetry Rita Maria Magdaleno organized
and implemented several workshop sessions for the students to further
develop and conceptualize their poems. She worked with teens in a series
of writing activities, centered around the theme Life in Motion
in which they produced countless poems. These activities included "I
Am" where participants generated a concrete list of details, creating
a self descriptive poem, as well as "Geography of the Heart: Writing
from our personal landscape," in which Magdaleno helped members of
the group to facilitate observational skills, understand imagery, create
similes and use descriptive language comfortably throughout their poems.
Each person also read the work of various authors and genres to motivate
and shape their own creative output. Through Life in Motion
students explored their dreams, their concept of self, in the present
as well as the future and their need to look beyond the ordinary to understand
the world around them. Through the work sessions numerous poems were created,
Magdaleno worked with students to choose the work that would most powerfully
demonstrate the concept at hand. For 31 years The
New Foundation, in southeast Scottsdale has been dedicated to providing
quality behavioral, health and educational programs to youth and their
families. This non profit organization works with adolescents, ages eleven
through seventeen, male and female. The residents at this treatment facility
are economically disadvantaged, culturally diverse, and/or emotionally
or behaviorally impaired. The approach used at the foundation is one of
continuous care, where through individualized, highly structured programs,
education and treatment positive changes are encourage and supported.
The organization encourages its staff to serve as role models for its
clients promoting societal values and hopeful expectations. Design and Application of Vinyl There were a number of factors to consider in the designs and deliberations of each bus including traffic safety, readability, artistic integrity and application techniques. Opus Design Group worked with public art staff and the poet-in-residence to create a design that would show off the poetry, making it readable on the side of a moving bus without being distracting. Phrases of poetry were used sparingly; letters became artwork and the words created a wash of poetry, creating a strong visual impact. Completed poems were placed on placards inside the bus. The artwork and poetry was eventually reproduced onto countless 3' x 8' strips of vinyl material with adhesive backing. A four-person crew from Ad Graphics spent two days carefully adhering the vinyl to the bus. The effect is similar to that of a giant bumper sticker. Every piece was carefully aligned to ensure there would be no spaces between words or colors. Experienced installers used industrial size squeegees to remove bubbles and exacto knives to hand-cut around all rubber moldings and fixtures. Such details as small as door hinges, molding and blinkers had to be considered when deliberating design, application and durability. Viewing The buses travel all throughout the city of Scottsdale. They each travel various routes and throughout the day stop at Loloma Transit Station, on Second Street and Marshall Way, in downtown Scottsdale. City of Scottsdale bus schedule Public Comments "Public Art makes our city
a real community!"
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