This blog belongs to the Art In The Everyday course at Eastern Connecticut State University which explores everyday life experience through various frames of reference, including: sound, ephemeral sculpture, movement and community building.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

By Lauren, Tara, Olivia, and Brittany

Our main goal of this project was to include all the people of Willimantic. We wanted to get to know the people that we live in the same town with so we decided to make a book of the different people in our town and have them write their name, age, whether they live in the town or not, and a short question about Willimantic. We took their picture having them stand or sit on top of a round platform where a frog used to be.

Overall the project was very successful. We got at least 16 people involved in the monument. All of them were very willing to help and nice to us. It gave all of us a different view on the town of Willimantic and the people who live there... in a good way. We plan on placing the book in a small cafe on main street, Cafemantic, so people can read and write what they think Willimantic is all about.




















































~Hidden Paradise~






This is our ~Hidden Paradise~ We followed the same idea we had originally which was that Willimantic is stereotyped for all it's negatives while the positives of Willimantic are always overlooked- people forget about the good in the world and seem to focus on the bad, especially in Willimantic. Our Hidden Paradise was created into a room, one that served a purpose of capturing all the beauty and hidden wonders along the Willimantic River. We wanted whomever was to find the spot to be able to interact with what was around them to truly capture the hidden wonder and appreciate it for all it's worth. In order to do this we provided three arm chairs, two small tables, a mirror, wind chimes, and a journal with a pen. In the journal we instructed visitors to write about whatever they wanted while at Hidden Paradise, while taking in the beauty of the area and reminding them of the good in Willimantic. We were surprised to find that so many anonymous people signed the journal with their thoughts and feelings in just a couple days. We really felt like we accomplished our goal and motive when we read that we saved two people's lives during those couple days. . . .Thank you Hidden Paradise.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Red Plastic Cups; Scrapbook photos














































Seeing as our first two cameras broke we had to use my camera for my photos. I also took pictures of both mine and Kim's post it notes so you can see them close up.

Footbridge Fortunes by: Holly M., Kelsey O., Kerry L. and Lindsay D (click to enlarge).

We put fortunes all around the footbridge. There are more fortunes than these pictures and are spread all throughout the bridge. Some are when you look up, look down, on the railing and the beams of it.














Sunday, April 11, 2010

Willimantic Floating Away

My group and I built a boat that we covered with pictures of Willimantic. These pictures represented the good parts of Willimantic and it also represented the diversity in this town. We wanted to show the history of the town and make the collage feel like a children’s story. We put the boat in the middle of the river and it floated down into a waterfall. Wanted to symbolize how the good parts of Willimantic have left and many people don’t realize how much history is in this town. Here are some pictures and a video.

New and Old Willimantic


In the heart of the business district a fire broke out in the Holmes building killing the Neckwear Manufacturing Co. which was located there.




The Grant House was around in the 1800 and has now been adopted by Eastern Connecticut State University.




Benny's once stood here for many years but went out of business. Now Lots & More stands in its place.




The Savings Institute on Main Street used to be called the Savings Institution. On Sept. 3rd 1889 the Normal School Opened up on the 3rd floor.




Frogs are a big thing in Willimantic. But in the early 2000's the four frogs on the frog bridge were built and set in place.


This was the first mill to be completely run by electricity!



Our science building was a new edition to Eastern Connecticut State University in 2008