Before I Die... in New Orleans
One month later and seven hours of stenciling yesterday, and it’s up! With a lot of help and support from old and new friends, I turned the side of an abandoned house in my neighborhood into a giant chalkboard where residents can fill in the blank and remember what is important to them in life. It’s also about turning a neglected space into a constructive one where we can learn the hopes and aspirations of the people around us. It turns out this entire process has been a great lesson, experience, and project in itself – more on that later. If you’re in New Orleans, stop by the corner of Marigny and Burgundy (900 Marigny St) to add your thoughts to the wall and see what matters most to your neighbors. The responses and stories from passers-by while we were installing it have already hit me hard in the heart. Huge thanks to Kristina Kassem, Alan Williams, Cory Klemmer, Anamaria Vizcaino, James Reeves, Alex Vialou, and Gary Hustwit for installation assistance and many others for help and support along the way. More to come. Now off to a sleepy flight to TED with spray paint under my nails...
Update - Wow. Check out the wall of responses after one day!... Photo strip here!
