Current & Upcoming Events

Wednesday, October 13
7 to 8:30 p.m.
Ann Arbor District Library, Multipurpose Room
343, 5th Ave

Public Art Presents
Bill Burgard, Mark Tucker, Nick Tobier, Margaret Parker

Four public art projects in the works in Ann Abor will be viewed and discussed: the Maynard Street interactive light sculpture, "Sound Fall" with UM School of Art and Design's Bill Burgard; the Lucky Kitchen Mural on East U. with Residential College's Mark Tucker; the Farmers Market Project with UM School of Art and Design's Nick Tobier; and Art Pro Tem's temporary installations with Director Margaret Parker. Bring your ideas for public art in Ann Arbor and let's talk.

Past Events

1. Current Event: The Bill of Rights
2. October 15, 2003: artTALKS

A Public Construction: The Bill of Rights
A Participatory Art Installation
On Display until October 18, 2003

In this time of upheaval and uncertainty in our country, the Bill of Rights is one of the central texts that pull Americans together as a people. The first 10 Amendments to the Constitution detail the government's responsibility to the governed, a unique backbone that has given America great strength and flexibility and made it a haven for individual freedom. In this show, ten artist groups post a sign of one of the ten amendments in ten different locations around Ann Arbor and they add their own visual response to their amendment. During the month of the show, viewers are invited to leave their own comments, reflections or memorabilia about each amendment.

What makes this show art?
A primary function of art is to see ordinary, forgotten or ignored things in a new way. In this show, the process of seeing anew evolves on four levels. First, by bringing the ten Amendments in the Bill of Rights out into the open, Art Pro Tem makes a basic structure of our society available to be read, reevaluated and appreciated by the general public. Second, artist groups or organizations from the Ann Arbor area bring their own insights to a specific amendment, and post it publicly in their own neighborhood. The third step involves the viewers, who are asked to turn the installations into a community collaboration by adding their thoughts throughout the show. The fourth step happens on our interactive website, artprotem.org/Bill_of_Rights, where the installations are pictured and comment is solicited from around he world.

The design of the installations
The installations are based on construction fences or restraining fences, such as those around the World Trade Center site, where interested visitors have been moved to leave their thoughts or mementos inspired by the site. The ad hoc manner of public memory-making that has arisen in response to recent events of shock, terrorism, crime and loss is put to use here as public participatory art-making.

Each installation has a 2'X3' sign with one Article from the Bill of Rights mounted on chain link fencing or a similar construction freely adapted to fit the specific sites. The sponsoring art group includes their interpretation of the amendment leaving space for viewers to add their insights throughout the show. An information statement and map of all the installations is available at each site. The installations are outdoors, free and open to the general public. A photographic record will be kept of each site to show how it develops over the month.

Sites and Art Groups
A subtext of the show is the strength and diversity of the visual arts community in Ann Arbor and the public's involvement in it. Sites under consideration are the fence at Liberty and Ashley, the gate beside Art Oasis on North Main, the wall beside 118 W. Washington St., the fence behind Community High School, and construction fences around the downtown and campus areas. Some of the groups involved are Work Exhibition Space, Art Oasis, The Prison Creative Arts Project, Community High School Art Department and 2 other public schools, the Art Center, and Art Pro Tem. A complete list of sites and artist groups will be available closer to the time of the show on our website, artprotem.org.

Interactive web project at artprotem.org
Our website, artprotem.org, includes an interactive feature under "Bill of Rights", which allows for response to each amendment. Please visit and add you thoughts and visual ideas to this site. Because the Web draws people from around the world, it will be interesting to see how far this show reaches and what people from other countries and cultures have to say about this seminal American text.

Responsibility
This show as presented by Art Pro Tem is politically neutral. It aims to give the widest possible audience a chance to read the Bill of Rights in public and add their own reflections. Art Pro Tem and the participating art groups are not responsible for the opinions added by the public. Additions not about the amendments may be removed.

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artTALKS
Wednesday, October 15
7 to 8:30 p.m.
at the Ann Arbor District Library, Multi Purpose Room

A Public Construction: the Bill of Rights
A Unique Community Collaboration

Want to talk about this show, find out how it was put together, hear from the artists and tell them what you think? Join Margaret Parker, Director of Art Pro Tem, and members of the other nine art groups that participated in this show at the Ann Arbor District Library for a round table discussion.

Cosponsored by the Ann Arbor District Library. Free and open to the Public.

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