RubyEspinoza_PROSE

PROJECT 

This project demonstrates a positive outlook for community bonding and creativity. Generally, street art is viewed upon most as an unusual and disruptive way of expressing artwork to the public. Although many look negatively toward street art, the intentions of the artist are never to disrespect. The purchase of a small home within a preferred neighborhood will serve as The Graffiti House, where members will come together and create a collective street art house. The Graffiti House will be covered from head-to-toe, inside and out, with everyone’s street art. The house will be a single room one-story house in a desired neighborhood voted upon the whole Maricopa county. Although this will be a community project, member, known as Contributors, are those who will be recognized as regular artists that will pay a small fee that will allow for 24 hour access to the house, access to the top brand spray paint (located in a locked compartment in which we will provide the key), new coveralls once every 3 months, a filtered gas mask once every 6 months, and 1 forty page sketchbook every month. For all other people who are not Contributors, will only access The Graffiti House during the allotted time for everyday, and have access to the normal quality spray paint that will be replaced every 4 hours, can purchase coveralls, can purchase a filtered gas mask and can buy a sketchbook ranging from twenty, thirty, or forty page sketchbooks. All fees will entirely be put back into The Graffiti House. The money will be divided to pay for the house bills, and the purchasing of materials and supplies. This project will serve as a safe and immersive way of containing judgement that allows for artists and community members to present their creativity outward . 

RESEARCH 

The houses throughout the states that have been considered “Graffiti Houses” have never been officially deemed as a legal nor an agreed upon location for such content to be presented. All the houses that information could be found, reveals that some of these were purchased only after the graffiti on these houses were made, however were ultimately sold. It was found that each house was at times placed in a neighborhood that would be disturbed by the house and would be filed complaints against. The difference between this project and what generally happens with these houses is there will be an invitation to create more artwork. There will also be benefits that come with admission. The house will as well be voted upon by all the members of the Maricopa county in Arizona. The Costs of this house will be a little higher than usual not because of regular bills that are generally paid for, but because of the emissions that will be increased, therefore there will be a carbon Tax included with the payments toward the house. As mentioned the money collected from the Contributors monthly fee and any purchases made by community members will be put directly to these bills and the supplies they receive. The Contributors fee will round out to about $150 a month. This fee will include all monthly costs and allows for an abundance of supplies that will allow for constant access. 

Contributors 

• Community Members Unlimited access to Krylon spray paint 
• Red Kap Men’s Coveralls
• 3M P100 Multi-Purpose Respirator

Community 

• ColorPlace Spray paint ($20 fee)  
• Red Kap Men’s Coveralls ($30/each)  
• 3M P100 Multi-Purpose Respirator($35/each) 

            

            

 OBJECTIVE 

The main purpose for this project is to normalize street art as just another form of art instead of the bad repertoire it holds. This is as well a creative way to share artwork to those who will admire it without the fixation of who made what piece and how important they become because of their creativity. The Graffiti House will also develop community cooperation amongst not only the neighborhood the house will ultimately be placed at but from the whole county. The audience is primarily to those who will come on their own time in search of the scope of imagination from others. Generally, the audience would be everyone as it will be a public location and will not be hidden away by any fences or gates. This project will provide a creative escape for those who have a deep passion for street art but can not find a location of their own that will be legally acceptable. The interaction not only comes from the constant change of the house but as well from Contributors and community members coming together and creating what they want with a fellow artist. The experience to be taken away from this is to broaden people's perspective of what a canvas can be. Artists of all ages can freely and legally share their creativity that will be difficult to judge because of the anonymity of each piece and because of how universal street art is deemed to be. 

 STRATEGY 

Stage one: Placement 

Beginning at the start of 2022, there will be a survey sent out to the entire Maricopa County with the permission of the City of Phoenix with the following questions: 

• Please enter your area code. 
• How do you as an individual feel about street art? 
• How comfortable are you with street art in your neighborhood? 
• If you are in favor of street art where would you prefer it be shown? (Please provide the city within the Maricopa county)

Those living within the county will have exactly 5 months to answer the survey. To have a fair chance the survey will be sent through email, if any on record, and through the mail. As well the survey will be sent out at the beginning of each month to those who have not yet answered. According to the responses, there will be a decided location for where The Graffiti House should be placed. After May 31st, 2022 12:00am the survey will be closed and all responses will be read and sorted within the span of 2 weeks. After the 2 weeks, there will be determined to area code and as well neighborhood in which street art was most favored. Before officially placing The Graffiti House in a neighborhood, residents within the community and the city will be sent an official letter explaining what will be expected in the near future. Each resident will have an opportunity to express their opinion. If 50% or more of the opinions are negative toward the notion, then a new location will be looked at and the same process will be done once again to gain the community's opinion. If the case comes out that none of the 38 cities are comfortable then we will proceed with the percentage closest to 50% who had negative opinions on the idea. Depending on the length of time used to confirm a definite location, then the preparations of the house will take all about a week to complete before the recruiting process. 

Stage Two: Spreading Awareness/ Collecting funds 

The Graffiti House will not proceed with opening until at least twenty members will sign up as Contributors. These members will be sought out by volunteers who will go around door to door and as well approach people in public to ask them the same questions presented in the survey and then ultimately ask if they would be interested in becoming a member, in the case they do not wish to become a member they will receive a flyer and a sticker both with the name The Graffiti House to encourage their visit. As the members accumulate so will the funds to begin buying supplies. Stickers will be printed as well to then later be placed all around the county as a form of free advertising. Assuming every weekend this process will be done 8 hours a day, it will take up to 3 months to accumulate 30 Contributors. If the 30 have not been recruited then the time will be extended until the end of the year. Along with the recruitment of members will be the search for employees to maintain the orderliness of The Graffiti House and the ticket booth. 

Stage Three: Open House 

After the final supplies have been purchased and the house has been equipped with sinks big enough to clean supplies, a safe accessible with a key in which each Contributor will be given a copy of as well as a copy of the house key. The house will also be equipped with a ticket both big enough to store all coveralls and filtered gas masks available for purchase, as well as to store and sell the spray paint cans. Within the ticket booth will also include drinks and snacks for purchase for those creating in order to replenish themselves. Next to the ticket booth will be a locker area in which artists can rent out for $1 an hour where members can store their personal belongings as they spend their time creating their wonderful pieces. In the end, the project will be deemed effective with a positive increase after 6 months of The Graffiti House being available. With a percentage increase collectively of sales from community members and the monthly Contributors fee will determine effectiveness. With a percentage decrease then fees and prices will decrease. In the case that sales have not changed or have decreased further even after the reduction in prices then the project will be deemed ineffective. 

 EXECUTION/EVALUATION 

Survey development and permission to mail: 2 weeks 

Survey to be sent out to Maricopa County: 5 months 

Time to review survey responses: 2 weeks 

Deciding the location: 2 weeks 

Community response to the placement: 3 months 

 Possible relocation: 1 week/relocation 

Supply collection: 1 month 

House preparations: 1 month (same month as supply collection) 

Advertising/Fund collection: 3 months 

 Official opening: At the end of the 3 months 

Trial to deem effectiveness: 6 months 

 Overall the project will take approximately 2 years before the project is sustaining an effective process and can be determined that the project will be available for years to come.