Place-Based & Collaborative Projects > Corpitopia

Community-based project in Corpus Christi, Texas. Mayor Joe Adame unexpectedly attended the exhibition opening and addressed the audience during a stimulating reception that was almost a town hall meeting. This exhibition involved preliminary discussion seminars on the state of the community and what its future holds with local residents of varying ages and backgrounds by asking participants to inform me of the issues. After commentary, students generally made drawings of hypothetical additions to the cityscape while adults made maps idealizing and reconfiguring the town. Sessions were recorded, materials gathered, and the resulting exhibition is a rambling creative community studio of sorts: my large architectural drawings (in this case of vacant lots and open waterfront— kept intentionally minimal in order to not overwhelm community contributions) interspersed with residents' maps and drawings, projected video comments, a floor map/game where viewers toss bean bags onto areas of the city to "score" (downtown wins automatically), plus a workstation with computer, desk, and library.