Submitted by Taylor Rupp, Lansing Resident
My idea is…
“Driving along the Michigan Ave Corridor, it is one square building after another, often with unpleasing pipes, smoke stacks, and metal fencing on the roofs. These ‘pictures’ would hide that. It would be lovely to drive down the road and glance up to see whimsical silhouettes on the roofs of some of the buildings. They would be simple, black, sturdy metal cut outs of a man, a woman, flowers, or even more artistic pieces. Much like the mysterious silhouette of the man that used to be on the roof of UrbanBeat Event Center in Old Town Lansing. These flat, metal structures would ideally be designed and perhaps crafted by local artists. Recycled metal could be used from Friedland Industries heavily reducing the costs of production& materials.”
My idea contributes to a vibrant community by…
“Having these structures on top of the roofs breaks up the monotony of the ugliness you usually see when you look up. It encourages passersby to see the city from a new angle, and a new view. It engages artists and businesses to design and work together for the creation and placement of these figures to tell a story that would then bring the pieces together in a more cohesive way that connects all of the buildings along Michigan Ave and encourages people strolling along the sidewalk to finish the whole story. If the silhouettes are unique and different, engagement with the community can involve having families and children submit their own stories using the silhouettes as the ‘pictures.'”
