Artist Hope London & Ojaydart

The image (left) shows the importance people attach to making their mark on a place of significance. It was taken by UK based artist Hope London during a visit to the site of the World Trade Center in her home town of New York, following the devastation of 2001. An anonymous artist had painted words including "Unity, Freedom, Community" onto canvas, pinned to a temporary wall. Visitors to the site added their own comments, creating a powerful piece of temporary artwork, a true "ojaydart".

The term "ojaydart" was coined many years ago in New York when Hope and her fellow art students at Queens College found the term "objet d'art" just a bit too highbrow for their neighbourhood.

Hope moved to the UK in the late 1980s and after serving as consultant director of Manchester's Castlefield Gallery, became involved increasingly in public art, public realm design and working with communities.

Her interest in regeneration and renewal have led her to a Victorian-era former creamery building in Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland, where she is in the process of creating a studio, workshop and exhibition space.

RECENT COMMUNITY PROJECTS
Below are some examples of work made by communities in collaboration with the artist in 2008 and 2009.

"Fish In the Sea, You Know How I Feel" and "The Container Project" are examples of effective temporary (medium to long term) art and regeneration projects on a low budget.

The Container Project involved working with community groups to design and paint two huge shipping containers outside The Furniture Project (a charity that repairs and sells used furniture and provides employment for local people) in Stranraer, South West Scotland. NHS Building Healthy Communities supported the project, helping to raise funds along with The Furniture Project, and organising the workshops and volunteers.

"Fish in the Sea", sponsored and organised by the Wigtownshire Community Safety Forum with the help of many other community groups, was completed in Summer 2008 with young people at risk, to deal with a graffiti-covered 8 by 20 foot door on a public building near the seadside. The artist and young people had only two days in which to design and execute the mural. The main purpose of the project was to find a creative way to allow the young folk to contribute something tangible and positive to the community. To date, it has not been vandalised and represents an exemplar project for the area.

An article on the project - "At risk of transformation" - is featured in the Regeneration issue of Arts Professional magazine (Issue 182 / 17 November 2008).

Also in 2008, Hope worked on a long-term project with members of the Youth History & Regeneration group in Stranraer to design and write "The Big D", a 12-page full colour, illustrated newspaper for the Dick's Hill neighbourhood. For more information, contact the email address below, or the Youth Issues Unit, Dumfries & Galloway Council (see www.dumgal.gov.uk).

CONTACT
For further information contact Hope London on ojaydart@aol.com or on mobile 07702 421720.