Using Creativity to Address Complex Community Problems
Contact us at:
yvonne (at) regoparkgreenalliance.org
RPGA Studio is a Social Practice non-profit, founded by Yvonne Shortt, that uses art + design + technology + education + activism to address community issues. Communities we focus on include Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. The methodology is question-based, and the approach is personal—much of the work starts in a little house in the community where Ms. Shortt raised her children. Many of the projects happen because of someone in the community bringing a problem to the studio and asking for help. Diversity in nationality, income, race, sex, and ability are vital to the success of the organization.
Artist Frameworks
Yvonne Shortt and RPGA Studio have developed frameworks for artists to address the scarcity mindset, be empowered, and come together to present art.
Scarcity mindset - rooted in the othering of self and judgemental comparison to the other. The need for exclusivity over sharing; belief in limits over surplus. Instead of looking inward one looks outward for nourishment. This looking outward may lead to involvement in non-horizontal networks and abusive systems, the belief that change isn't possible, and the movement toward acceptance of destructive ideologies. The ego may also start to drive decision making in disruptive ways including the belief one must get to the top and the disconnection from relational and nurturing infrastructures.
Institutions and collectors have long acted as gatekeepers of art history, culture, and value. Within the Artist as Collector framework, artists are part of the process of deciding what art is remembered. Through a stewardship module formed by a small group, the artist selects the art and becomes its steward. Focused on mutual generosity, this model acknowledges the artist as an art historian, collector, and innovator.
Download the Artist as Collector Framework, here.
Artist Open Call Framework
Through the Artist Open Call, artists self-select to participate in opportunities, rejecting the traditional selection process as hierarchical and driven by a scarcity mindset. Artists meet weekly to build trust and connections through Zoom or in-person conversations. This preparatory exploration then impacts the creative process on-site.
It has been prototyped at A.I.R. Gallery, New York, NY and Ely Center of Contemporary Art, New Haven, CT.
Download the Artist Open Call Framework here.
Dance & Social Issues
Investigating Domestic Abuse with Yvonne through workshops, Chieh and Rosie explore desire, control, and toxicity.
Algorithm Bias
This video was first seen at a private university where a person of color had been reduced to a silhouette by a camera algorithm. After seeing the video the university made the decision to purchase a new algorithm. Eventually, the video went on to be seen in Times Sq.
New Mural on 63rd Drive
Love Yourself and Others
Love Yourself and Others is a mural project to say what we want in our community. It is designed by Yvonne Shortt and the students at PS 206.
This program is made possible by an Innovation Grant awarded by the NYC Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes. For more information, visit http://nyc.gov/stophat
Funding provided by departments of cultural affairs immigrant initiative funded through NYC Councilmember Lynn Schulman
A Net of Resilience
Resilience comes from connections with others. We all trap ourselves in a net of our own fear and shame sometimes. But a safety net we make together with a group of supportive people helps us survive and thrive.
In this collaborative art workshop, we created a net using rope with dancers and community members, had discussions around resilience, and created dance pieces.
Juniper Valley Park
Saturday, May 14th 11am-1pm, 2-4pm
Sunday, May 15th 11am-1pm, 2-4pm
Funding for this program provided through the Mayors Office initiative to end Domestic Violence awarded through Council member Holden and administered through Safe Horizon.
Collaborative Net-making Workshop
Podcast 5 Questions
5 questions is a conversation between artists who are obliterating the scarcity mindset in the art world. Yvonne shortt and Daria Dorosh interview these artists to broaden the reach of these disruptions and keep the ripples of change in motion.
Listen here:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/5-questions-with-yvonne-shortt/id1613953289
Community Raft Build
RPGA Studio with the community is investigating materials to build water floats such as wood and bamboo. Being near water provides benefits to our mental health including lowering our stress and anxiety and making us feel calm and positive. This project shares the knowledge of raft building for the community to enjoy those benefits with low-cost materials.
> Bumper Raft 4'x6' Assembly Instructions
More build instructions and material lists will be shared online for any community groups to download and build their own raft.
Thank you New York City Department of Cultural Affairs for the funding.
Topsy Hair Salon
Yvonne Shortt and RPGA Studio are looking at hair as cultural identity, beauty, and beliefs. Hair Salon of Topsy installation is one of the latest projects created based on this idea. Many different hairstyles adorned by Topsies represent diversity, and the images will be fabricated as aluminum discs and installed on the fence of Captain Tilly Park in Jamaica Hills, Queens, New York. Thank you Council Member James Gennaro for the funding.
Anti-Bullying
Campaign
The School Fence Project created and promoted community involvement, and invited community residents, parents, and students to help design, build, and install art sculptures around school fences in response to community bullying. The fences are a perfect way to get people to come together and because they are often in the hub of a community they are great for an anti-bullying campaign for reinforcing positive community behaviors. In this Anti-Bullying School Fence Project, students get to express their ideas to their community neighbors. Residents become familiar with the issues students present and are more involved in school systems. According to data from Harvard University, those who bully in schools are more likely to become domestic abusers. Thank you Council Member Robert F. Holden for the funding to tackle domestic abuse at the root cause level.
Arts & Science Programs
Thank you Council Members Karen Kozlowitz for the funding for our arts and science programs, including 3D design and printing, stop-motion animation class, and school murals.
Sanctuary
Hair Sanctuary, Socrates Sculpture Park (Long Island City, NY) 2021
Yvonne Shortt and RPGA Studio create Sanctuary together with the community. It is a space for discussion and self-reflection. Each Sanctuary includes sculptures created inspired by narratives collected from communities: In the Underground Railroad Education Center’s garden it commemorates all the everyday people who each took part in the Underground Railroad movement; Hair Sanctuary shares Hair stories which touches topics such as race, identity, equality, life, death and the list goes on. Listen to the hair stories here.
If you would like to share your hair story, email a voice recording or a paragraph to: share.hair.stories@gmail.com.
One of the Afro picks installed around the Hair Sanctuary. It’s inspired by one of the stories: “My hair is the difference between life and death.”
Cinder blocks in our community have long symbolized decay but in this installation they are used to build a sanctuary.
Sanctuary, Underground Railroad Education Center (Albany, NY) 2021
Students from the local community worked with RPGA Studio, learning how to use a level, circular saw, mortar, and to sculpt using porcelain clay.
As you walk around the sanctuary little pieces exist in the holes of the cinder blocks. They are fragments: A grandmas shoe, relaxer, a piece of braided hair.
RPGA Studio has been working with public schools, afterschool programs and community members on public art initiatives. We created this instruction video for them to learn the tips to take good photos of their artwork. We have posted it online for anyone to watch and learn. Feel free to share with others who might be interested!
INSTRUCTION VIDEO:
HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH YOUR ARTWORK WITH A PHONE
Empowering Ourselves While Building Our Community & Networks
Creating a framework where 250 women learn and share
Building skills while advocating for changes in how women are portrayed in the construction industry
Building a design studio to practice what we learn
Age of the participants who learn new skills with us ranges from 17 to 65+
Teaching women all over NYC and then having them teach more women
Creating opportunities, access, and equity in our communities through activism
Using Art To Beautify and Activism to increase Quality of Life, Safety, & Health
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Public Performances for reimagined possibilities for local public community spaces
Teaching skills to empower local community members and revitalize public spaces
Learn installation techniques to keep public art costs down
Teaching youth how to take charge and empower others.
Using crocheting to address homelessness in our comunity
Working in the community is contagious and often brings in more people- U.S. Army
Bringing Youth and Seniors Together for Action and Dialogue
Senior learning to use a miter saw
Senior learning to crochet from high school student
student learning to paint from an elder
Beautifying school fences to connect seniors and elementary school kids
Adults land children working together to revitalize spaces
Bringing members of the community together of all ages for transportation safety
Creating with Community & Getting People To Take Action using Public Art as a Tool
Revitalized space used by thousands daily and taught design and painting skills to 30 youth
Collaboration with DIVAS to teach and have others take action
Collaboration with the DOE to advocate to reopen a park. Raised $100,000 and reopened a park.
Collaboration with houses of worship,
businesses &
NYC agencies to revitalize a downtown hub. Raised $160,000 over 11 years
Mural that raised over 130,000 for increased services
The mural collaboration helped bring in a CASA grant for the following year for the partner organization for continued revitalization.
Boots on the ground to address safety, homelessness, and empowerment
Collaborative build of a kiosk
Kiosk on the street for transportation safety advocacy
Signing transportation safety petition
Creating salads so good the kids thought it was candy
Community conversations
Popup reading library kiosk
Rethinking How Art Can Be Used to Get People Outside and Healthier
Co Creating Sculptures increases knowledge and fitness
Running 5K's helps others grow their body and learn to make healthy choices
Giving out canvas bags designed by community artists in parks
Creating salads so good the kids thought it was candy
VR designed artwork to promote less litter in our community
Our Popup Library in park brought people out for reading, walking in the fresh air, enjoying healthy snack
Empowering Youth, Schools, and After School providers through art, design, and technology
Through in-school and after-school programming, students learn tools across disciplines, practice what they learn, teach what they learned, and use it to improve their community. See 3 examples of our impact on students and communities below.
1.Innovative design & Implementation: students designed and tested Hanky Family Kit plus advocated for structural fixes in their bathrooms. Awareness helped Raised $230,000 by activating parents for participatory voting. The kit for students promoted hand sanitization, personal responsibility, and innovative bathroom practices for 800 kids
2. Innovative Problem solving: To decrease bullying and religious tension in one school, students designed, funded, and are currently implementing the Acts of Kindness Video Game Club. They created a framework whereby each week students who are kind are nominated for the video game club. Students can be nominated by other students, lunchroom monitors, and administration. The nicer you are the higher the chance you have of being selected for the club for 1 week. Students designed and held a video game fundraise,r raised 1000 for the hardware and got administration by in. This year the club will be run by the principal/
3. Teaching what we learn: Created a curriculum in 3d design and fabrication and trained over 30 after school providers including Woodside on the Move and Divas For Social Justice. RPGA also created a design tournament that impacted over 10,000 families throughout Queens over 7 years
Women Who Build -
Artists Who Own
Tool Lending Library