By: Bre Lillie, Contributing Writer
When the Northside Initiative planning meeting took place in January of 2013, one question surfaced regarding the history of the area: How will the revitalization process maintain and incorporate elements of local culture that are important to current Northside residents? From this question, the idea for Artlets in the community was created.
Artist Eli Blasko was commissioned to create four Artlets, gazebo-like structures that can be used for creative gatherings such as concerts, poetry readings and exhibitions, for the Northside neighborhood. Blasko first heard about the project when he was in Spartanburg as a Hub Bub Artist-in-Residence. He was able to briefly participate in the planning process before leaving to complete a six-month residency in Texas. When he later heard that the Northside was seeking a skilled artist and woodworker to create the pieces for the project, he jumped at the opportunity to return to Spartanburg and be a part of the neighborhood’s revitalization.
Phase I of the Artlet project began last May and included research of the area, selection of sites for the individual Artlets, as well as fleshing out the designs. Phase II began in August and included design refinement and mobilizing workforce training. Phase III will begin in November when the construction begins. The final phase, Phase IV, will measure community engagement and evaluations of the Artlets from March to May next spring.
Arts Partnership through the Chapman Cultural Center, which is the lead arts agency for this project and holds the grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, is a community partner and stakeholder. Other partners include YouthBuild, Spartanburg Community College, The Northside Development Group, Wofford College, the Northside Voyagers, the South Carolina Historic Review Commission, Milliken Foundation, Art-Force and Art Works, as well as a generous, anonymous donor who funded the creation of the art studio where work on the Artlets continues to take place.
The inspiration for the Artlets as a whole began with the concept of the front porch and its importance as a meeting place where localized culture is created, a place where music is played and a place where friends and family spend invaluable time together. It is also a private space where one can read, write, reflect or spend some time away from the world.
‘Home’ is the concept of the first Artlet that’s based largely upon the National style architecture that is historically common among Northside residences. It’s a utilitarian style of architecture that was chosen because of the need to quickly and efficiently build housing for workers, largely employed by what once was Spartan Mill and is now VCOM. However, this historic style is slowly being demolished and replaced. One beautiful thing about using this style of architecture as a starting point for the project is that, insofar as its design is simple, it allows for decorative elements to easily be added.
‘Nest’ is the theme of the second Artlet. The construction parallels that of the Carolina Wren, taking bits and pieces of the materials in its immediate environment to create a comfortable sanctuary. The Nest Artlet will be built from wood that will be repurposed from Northside homes as they are demolished as well as natural materials sourced from the area. Blasko hopes this will further preserve the history of Northside by utilizing the material memory of the properties. Basing this Artlet off of a natural form, like the nest, was also a nod to the stories that some of the Northside Voyagers, those leaders who bridge the Northside residents with the revitalization efforts, have shared about growing up in the neighborhood when it was woodsy, lush and full of fruit trees; Spartanburg’s own Garden of Eden. The Pearl Street lot where this Artlet will be located is the greenest of the four sites, and it seemed fitting to put this structure here. The Artlet is being built into a large Laurel Oak tree that will help support it, which also parallels the way that Carolina Wrens build their nests into specific nooks and cavities that they find.
The third Artlet will be located across the street from Harvest Park and will function as a place to host performances while also providing shade and shelter for community members. The shape of this Artlet will be heptagonal, like a megaphone or train horn, and is designed to work as a natural amplifier for any kind of performance going on in the space. This shape also references the seven railroads that made Spartanburg into Hub City.
The design of the fourth Artlet is still underway.
Blasko’s favorite part of working on the project so far has been hearing the stories of the Northside from residents and learning about how the culture of the area developed. He says, “I hope residents of the community will gain a sense of pride and ownership about where they live and where they come from through the creation of these Artlets… that they will feel like they’ve helped make this project through sharing stories and giving feedback.”
When asked what he would like to share with residents about the continuation of the project, Blasko emphasizes that he would love to see people visiting the studio to learn more about the project, share stories and give feedback. “There are lots of opportunities to engage in ways that play to someone’s strengths or talents,” he says.