Thanks to a $150,000 grant from
ArtPlace America,
the Department of Making + Doing (DMD), located at
the University City Science Center, is embarking on an 18-month "placemaking" project. They hope to transform the 37th street walkway in University City into a tech-arts hub. The $150,000 is part of $1.2 million given by ArtPlace to placemaking projects in Philadelphia.
DMD will engage surrounding universities and greater West Philly, including Mantua and Powelton Village, in a series of events aimed at developing the walkway. The space connects the Science Center,
International House, several local businesses and Lancaster Avenue's commercial corridor.
"We want to get as many people involved as possible and mix a lot of different communities," says Dan Schimmel, director of
Breadboard, a DMD partner.
The project's centerpiece is a "pod," a temporary structure located at the Market Street intersection that will serve as a space to spearhead art projects. Group work will continue at the DMD and
Esther Klein Gallery spaces.
The engagement is part of the Science Center's larger efforts to encourage pedestrian-centric development. All four DMD partners -- Breadboard,
The Hacktory,
The Public Workshop and
NextFab Studios -- have strong track records of engaging diverse communities in maker activities, often utilizing cutting-edge technologies. This will be their first opportunity to fuse those histories together.
"We're all loosely orbiting around the theme of 'placemaking,'" says Schimmel. "This grant gives us the opportunity to collaborate -- rather than coordinate what we already do -- and develop new programing."
Source: Dan Schimmel, Breadboard
Writer: Dana Henry
The University City Science Center has partnered with Flying Kite to showcase innovation in Greater Philadelphia through the "Inventing the Future" series.