In Cape Town, South Africa the design firms Design Indaba Trust and Thinking have teamed up with artist Faith47 to help raise funds to bring more light to their urban city. Their goal is to raise funds to light up 700 meters of Manwabisi Park, which will ultimately reduce the crime rate in the area through more light. In order to get the community involved in the project, they have combined street art with community engagement.
The Dreamland Artist Club project was named after one of the famous amusement parks in Coney Island. The project consisted of more than 25 artists coming together to repaint rides and make custom signs, murals and scenic backdrops for the legendary neighborhood. Most of the artists that participated in this project were from New York City and therefore had a particular interest in the visual culture of the city.
After researching several potential sites as far afield as Baltimore, Eisenbach and Ruppert “became attracted to the library because the plaza has never been used,” Eisenbach says, citing the fact that the library’s second-level entrance onto the plaza is locked.