Building Stronger Community Networks Through Public Arts

The Steel Yard

Howie Snieder

Providence, RI

Project Dates:

2001 - Present

Tags

2011 CCX presenter, Workforce Development

Posted Date:

Oct 21, 2012

The Steel Yard was founded in 2001 at the Providence Steel and Iron (PSI) complex in Providence, RI with the conviction that the industrial site had not yet outlived its purpose. Artists & community members built this non-profit around the simple idea that by reconnecting people to how things are made & teaching them about process, endless possibilities open up. The Steel Yard serves as a sponsor & catalyst for innovative approaches to urban revitalization, arts promotion, workforce development & community growth. The Steel Yard began with the intention of furnishing local metalworkers with access to a well-equipped shop for the creation of new projects and partnerships. We converted PSI’s ornamental shop into an industrial arts studio, which can serve professional artists and education.

Project Goals

What were the project goals?

The Steel Yard mission is to offer free and subsidized art and technical training programs designed to increase opportunities for cultural and artistic expression, career-oriented training, and small business incubation. Designing and funding our programs is a community effort requiring support from local government, schools, businesses, individuals and granting and serving organizations. The sale of public art products including trash cans, bike racks and fences helps further subsidize and fund training and employment programs at the Steel Yard. Business organizations and community leaders have collaborated with the Steel Yard to locally produce high-quality and unique urban furniture. The high visibility and impact of these projects help broaden and strengthen the Steel Yard’s local networks and stimulate continued support. Our training opportunities focus on teaching core skills and encourage students to explore and experiment in a safe and creative environment. The purposefully small class sizes, 5 – 10 students, allow for ample individual attention and encouragement. This is evident in Steel Yard alumni, who often return to take additional courses, volunteer at events, work as teaching instructors or work in public projects. For some, our courses inspire them to take on new job opportunities and even change careers. Their increased understanding of the built world makes them ambassadors for our work.

Have they changed over time?

As we have grown, paid opportunities have been made available to local residents to produce functional public art that beautify New England neighborhoods and increase their quality of life.

Who are the project partners and stakeholders?

Among our supporters are the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, Ocean State Charities Trust, Fabricators and Manufacturers Association, Providence’s Office of Parks and Recreation, Mid City Steel, Whole Foods, Bank RI, Textron, the Office of Arts, Culture and Tourism and local community development corporations such as Olneyville Housing Corporation and Community Works Rhode Island.

Project Specifics

How was the project implemented? What were the steps taken?

Together with artists, local organizations and schools we continuously develop high quality industrial art programs that are accessible, inclusive and representative of our community. Our youth and Weld to Work programs for young adults were developed in response to community needs and have been the most successful at reaching local underserved and underrepresented groups. Program applications are distributed through contacts and organization serving these demographics. These paid programs offer in-demand work skills through intensive metalworking and job readiness training, industry related tours, and the opportunity to fabricate a public project for the community, thus connecting local residents to local art projects. The Public Project commissions allow us to work with innovative and community minded professionals, artists and fabricators, who often have their own established careers, are hired to design and build custom functional art for public spaces. They are one of our core constituencies, and they are seen in the community as inspiring leaders who teach through example and share their knowledge as mentors.

Have they been refined over time?

Overtime, we have learned how to best utilize the unique exchange of knowledge and programming found in the shared working environment of our shop.

Obstacles

What were your major obstacles?

Accomplishing the goals of our training and public project programs requires to us continuously adapt our curriculum, funding sources and contracts to meet the needs of our students and clients. Serving Weld to Work student demographics present a challenge and an opportunity to serve those with the greatest need. We constantly find ourselves modifying our applications and curriculum to match the needs of this growing audience. Our new approaches acknowledge that the financial situation of students in our workforce programs face additional hurdles such as lack of consistent childcare or reliable transportation. Additionally, these students are often transient, moving and changing phones several times a year. A lot of thought and time is spent diversifying funding sources for our programs. Funding in this economic downturn is a challenge, however, our proven capacity as an educational facility and manufacturer has helped us finance our annual high school-aged Camp Metalhead for the past five years and five job development programs for 18 to 24 year olds since 2008. Our programs are paid through program-related earned income, private and government grants, corporate giving and individual philanthropy. To build community trust and support required the Steel Yard to quickly acquire business and professionalization skills. Our first major contract, one that helped open the door to new partnerships and projects, was the design and production of 14 public trashcans for Wickenden Street in Providence. A local councilman with access to community revitalization funds contacted us to create custom trashcans to help brand a creative district. We met with the neighborhood business association to develop design guidelines: dome lid, black powder-coated frame, standard installation method, and liner. The next step was to agree on pricing and a contract. The project scope read: The Garbage Can Receptacles are a hand made product designed and produced by artists at The Steel Yard. They will have a frame made to the specifications previously provided, and each Receptacle will then be given individual attention by an artist who will embellish it based on the themes developed with the Wickenden Business District board. We assembled a team of seven artists-fabricators to design and build the trashcans. The Steel Yard served as the contracting agent with both the city and the artists. The project met all of the mission goals, covered its own expenses and was well received by local residents. We did, however, have some stumbling blocks, including having to learn about powder-coating and facing city resistance with our first installation proposal. Public Projects contracts have come a long way since then; contracts now include clearer defining roles for artists, clients and the Steel Yard.

Who or what was instrumental in overcoming these obstacles?

Working with organizations that offer social services has been informative and helpful in finding solutions for our students and keep them in our programs. We got advice along the way from artists, clients, lawyers and other arts organizations about how best to conduct the art-object commissioning process, and open communication has made all of the difference in building these trusting relationships.

What top three suggestions would you give to others attempting a similar project?

1) reach out to programs and groups that will help you understand and impact groups that are not in your circle; diversify funds; contracts should have clear defining roles for artists, clients and your organization

Project Impact

How has this project contributed to creative community building?

As previously mentioned, Steel Yard programs contribute to community building by training local residents to produce functional public art that beautify their neighborhoods and increase their quality of life. Our programs increase opportunities for cultural and artistic expression, career-oriented training, and small business incubation.

How did it achieve your original goals?

We are a creative outlet, a training ground, an employer and the site where local functional public arts are made. Not surprisingly, some of our programs have inspired participants to change careers. Far from limiting our work and outreach, focusing on our community has made us stronger, broadening and strengthening our networks and stimulating continued support. While students often return to teach, work in public projects, volunteer, donate or to receive additional training, our clients solidify their commitment to our work and programming by searching for funding to work with our organization.

Were there unexpected impacts?

An unexpected impact is the reintroduction of public art commissions that echo the great renaissance artisans’ tradition of active community commitment. Renaissance artisans designed doorways and fountains, horse hitches and handrails, our Steel Yard projects fabricate public bike racks, tree guards, and garbage cans. We build lasting personal and professional relationships between city planners, neighborhood residents, local artists, fabricators and politicians by staying relevant to community needs.

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