May 18, 2006
The Coleman Center is pleased to announce The Darkest Hour is Just Before the Dawn, a new project of their Public Artworks Program by resident artists Owen Mundy and Joelle Dietrick. The project is named after a quote by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and explored the optimism of the region, both past and present, by collecting lamps and stories from the residents of Sumter County.
The artists asked community members to lend them a lamp from their home that was then installed in a vacant retail space in York, Ala. The space, formerly the York Real Value grocery store, was abandoned over 3 years ago, and used last year to house FEMA water after hurricane Katrina. Much of the water had been demolished due to its mishandling, and with the help of community volunteers, city employees, and Coleman Center staff, the artists cleaned the bad water and debris out, preparing the space for the installation. The building, which was owned by the City of York and offered to the Coleman Center for the span of the project, received heightened attention as soon as the artists began cleaning and preparing to install the lamps. After being the talk of the town for several weeks, the building finally sold as a result of its new look and high profile within the community.
The lamps were installed using re-purposed FEMA water boxes found in the space. Each day around dusk the lamps turn on one by one, representing the participants in the project, as well as the possibility that collective action can impact our communities in positive and lasting ways. Dietrick remarked that the metaphor the lamps create reminds her of candles at a Christmas Eve service and said, “the underlying focus is the room full of lamps—fading in and out, pulsing at their own pace, human in the imperfections and variety, and more powerful as a collection.”
All participants received a handmade lamp from the artists that displayed the quote from the project when turned on in return for the lamp they lent to the project. The act of cleaning a discarded space, making it alive again, communicates the idea of hope. The artists enjoyed working with the York community and would like for the installation to resonate in the minds of residents and continue to be a source for optimism.
About the Artists
Owen Mundy was born in Southern Indiana. He was a photographer in the U.S. Navy for 2 years, later earning a BFA in Photography with a concentration in digital art from Indiana University. He co-founded the nonprofit community arts organization, Your Art Here in Bloomington, Indiana. The mission of Your Art Here is to reclaim visual space by putting art on billboards and other public spaces usually reserved for commercial messages. He also founded yourarthere.net, a web hosting project for artists, galleries, and activists. Mundy is currently working on an MFA in Visual Arts at the University of California, San Diego. More of his work can be seen at http://owenmundy.com
The Darkest Hour is Just Before DawnJoelle Dietrick was born in Pennsylvania and completed a BFA in painting and a BS in Art Education at Penn State University. After working at various museums and Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Art, she taught high school art in the United States, Bahrain, and Germany. Since returning to the University of California, San Diego to pursue her Master of Fine Arts, her artwork has investigated the psychological of female expatriates and their attraction to a nomadic lifestyle. Beginning August 2006, she will be an Assistant Professor of Art at Florida State University. More of her work can be seen at http://joelledietrick.com
For more information please call (205) 392-2005, or email info@colemanarts.org.