The 2024 Culture and Community Design cohort completed their first public engagement event with community partner, Village Skatepark ATL. After prototyping ideas, the class collaborated on a creative wayfinding system to elevate the Skatepark’s work as development in the area moves forward. In another take on, “If you build it, they will come,” the CCD class presented an alternative – ‘help them come by leading them to what you built.’
Village Skatepark ATL, located in Atlanta’s Bankhead neighborhood, is a family-owned indoor skatepark nonprofit centering mobility, justice, youth engagement, and community building through skate culture.
On-site fabricators, Atlanta Forest Products and Grain Design Products, supported the class in creating two landmark sculptures on the property. Community members then carried the oversized sculptures in processions that ended with a planting ceremony to plant gathered flowers and plants in the giant skateboard’s wooden basin.
Aquinas Adams of Grain Design Concepts and artist Gavin Bernard install a wheel onto the base of the sign
Members of ARC’s Culture and Community Design program prepare the garden bed at the base of the new sign
Members of ARC’s Culture and Community Design program and community members team up to carry the sign to its intended location on Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway
One of the signs created for the skatepark was built in the shape of a skateboard wheel and will sit at the entrance to the skatepark
The finished sign at the skatepark entrance on Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway
Members of ARC’s Culture and Community Design program and community members carry the new sign to the street entrance of The Village Skatepark
Perspectives on a Powerful Project and Community Impact
This is the second class of the immersive program where participants examine the space between community building, arts and cultural work, and urban planning. The class layered coats of paint on the larger-than-life-size skateboard and ramp, and carefully stenciled the letters onto the wheel. Other participants gathered plants and flowers for the skateboard wooden basin, and a team of documenters navigated about the workspace capturing everything via drones, cameras and cell phones. The 2024 class is comprised of artists, organizers, local officials, and planners, who work with community organizations, serving underrepresented populations, to design projects and planning initiatives focused on arts and culture.
Aysha Pennerman is the current Georgia Council of the Arts sponsored CCD participant. She specializes in public art and paints murals. Pennerman was most excited about how much the group accomplished in such a short amount of time and money. And talk about creativity!
Approximately 85% of the material used was from objects that were reengineered. The shape of the skateboard was designed from a walk-in refrigerator door, and the axel was made out of PVC pipes and buckets.
Not only did the project benefit Village Skatepark ATL, it also enhanced the artisans. Pennerman explained, “The two fabricators that worked with us showed us how to use table saws, drills, and other equipment which increased our confidence and helped us imagine things we can make in the future using our newfound skills.”
Village Skatepark Owners TK Aart and Max Kollman both agree that the CCD program gave them great insight on ways to improve the business - both visually and internally.
“Seeing the sign being designed, created and installed felt like another great step in the direction that we’ve been aiming towards,” TK shared. “We feel like people really were able to come together to bring the vision forward, and it’s going to be a great resource for helping our patrons and the neighborhood connect with us.”
When asked what he wanted people to know and understand about Village Skatepark, TK said, “We want people to know that we are a recreation center based around action sports that is determined to serve and educate the society about the benefits and community behind actions sports. We are open and willing and in need of the community and city’s support to continue to maintain, as well as expand our operations.”
Check out pictures in the gallery.
What’s Next ATL, produced by the Atlanta Regional Commission, is a community resource that explores how metro Atlanta is growing and changing, and how the region is addressing its most pressing challenges.
