selected Pomegranate Gathering Places and public art
“We aim to reinvent the commons.
Our model is to involve community members from initial design to construction to eventual programming and stewardship.
We use straw bale, round-wood (wood too small to cut into dimensional lumber), salvaged materials, nontoxic stains and paints, rocks and salvaged trees from the site, etc.
Just like Habitat for Humanity involves people in construction of homes, we involve them in construction of the spaces between our homes — gathering places.
Projects usually log between 1,000 and 2,000 volunteer hours. This creates pride and ownership. We promote the generous use of hands, or things handmade.
Whenever possible, we invite young people to work with us and, in the process, introduce them to topics as varied as participatory democracy and consensus processes, art, crafts, dignity of hands, etc.”
“When I worked in OHO, art seemed to move from studios to these cultural temples — galleries, museums and homes of wealthy people. It did not move with the same intensity into our daily lives. So I started to explore how art can be used to enhance everyday existence, bringing it to the street.”