FUNDRED/PAYDIRT in New Orleans
St. Roch Love Where You Live
Community Preview Event
There was much going on in New Orleans last week as Mel Chin and his
team worked to alter the fragile facade of 2461 North Villere Street
(between Music and Art Streets) into an operable safe door. The crew
began staging the sculptural alteration of the house in September.
Initial plans to introduce the project to the local community were
interrupted when Hurricane Gustav appeared on the scene. When
mandatory evacuation of the city was imposed, the community event was
postponed and the crew was evacuated with the rest of the city's
population.
...so from Mel's studio in North Carolina, the sculptural parts of SAFEHOUSE were fabricated.
Mel and Barron, chief fabricator, figure out how to make all the parts fit and the house swing open with ease.
The
crew arrived back in New Orleans to begin the installation on Tuesday, September 30. By Thursday the
hinges were on and the façade was reinforced to accommodate the 10-foot
diameter door. As the work progressed through the week, the
neighborhood watched with curiosity.
By the morning of October
4th, the crew had accomplished enough of the installation for the vault
door to swing open that evening for a big event. This FUNDRED/PAYDIRT sponsored
event was planned as a special SAFEHOUSE preview for the St. Roch neighborhood in advance of the Prospect.1 Biennial.
To build anticipation, at noon the street was closed for the party, which included
a "Paradise" slippy slide (complete with palm trees and rainbows), Moon
Walk, and a table set for the community dinner planned for 100. Local
chefs, Ms. Pat and Ms. Carol, renown for their talent in the kitchen,
cooked up a special menu that included redfish, fried chicken,
jambalaya, greens, red beans, dirty rice and a mean bread pudding.
With
the SAFEHOUSE "done enough," neighborhood favorite DJ Baby Boy set the
scene performing at top volume and Mel started the dancing.
And the dancing starts...
Just before sun set Mel led a group of
excited youth to the steps of the house and cracked open the vault door
to start a FUNDRED making fury.
Mel opens the SAFEHOUSE to the neighborhood
As some of us helped the kids with
their FUNDRED artworks, the first of the anticipated 6000 FUNDREDS
needed to entirely cover the walls were nailed to the wall with gold
tacks.
Mary helps a child work on a FUNDRED
The dancing continued until late in the evening and a good time was had by all...
Hundreds visited the SAFEHOUSE, enjoying food, music, and dance at the opening preview event!
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