The BLiNK Project is a Boston-based group dedicated to producing arts and cultural events in Boston, always considering the potential positive impact on local economy. The following proposal is regarding the site at 1 Franklin St. (formerly Filene’s). The proposal utilizes the site’s temporary chain link fence. For little cost, we will produce a work of temporary public art in combination with an event that would attract extremely positive high-level media coverage. Our goal would be positive press for Downtown Crossing and this project, in the Globe, New York Times, trade magazines such as Art in America, and high circulation architectural magazines such as Architectural Review. Blink will work with their connections at the Globe, Boston.com, art and architecture publications, WBUR, and a FOX 25 news anchor. The project contains 4 components.
The first component would be that of music performance. Members of the Boston Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra and clusters of percussion- based musicians, placed along Washington and Summer St. will perform at the event. Emerson and AIB professor Owen Curtin, the sound engineer for our last project, www.soundscape2007.com, will be involved regarding various components of the music’s execution, but particularly sound engineering and technical. Also involved will be Michael Vitali, a New York based musician, involved in the ongoing SOUNDSCAPE project. Michael will be involved in various aspects of the music for the event, particularly the percussion, as that is his primary instrument as a performer. He has experience directing with music and theatre productions in New York, and the Boston Theater Works. The simple nature of percussion-based music would allow us to integrate the styles of various cultures.
The second component is an architectural lighting of the sight and/or fence. Joseph Upham, the director of technology for Focus Lighting, and involved person of the BLiNK Project, spoke to the president of Focus, and they are very interested in being involved, for a very modest cost. Focus is one of the premier architectural lighting companies in the world. Projects include Atlantis Dubai-The Palm, the crown jewel of the world-renowned Palm Jumeirah development in Dubai, the “Snowflake Spectacle” project for Saks Fifth Ave., NY, and the 100th Anniversary of the Times Square Ball, New Years Eve 2007. Our contacts at Focus believe a company they work with, “Color Kinetics” of Boston, creators of many revolutionary lighting technologies, may be interested as well. Technologies employed by Focus and Color Kinetics, are low energy consumption (green).
The third component involves the fence itself. An artist, selected by contest will design a work involving aluminum elements integrated into the mesh of the fence itself. The casting of the elements onsite will be an exciting event in itself, in combination with “switching on the lights” regarding the architectural lighting.
The fourth element is restaurant promotion, enhanced by having a night in Downtown Crossing, which realizes the atmosphere and energy of a neighborhood as expressed in statements about the area’s revitalization, and visionary documents, such as the Executive Summary of Branding and Identity for Downtown Crossing. Any business could take advantage of this event, but we see a particular opportunity for restaurants, promoted by hand distributing flyer-coupons at the event, which would be tracked through restaurants to help assess our economic impact.
This event will draw people to the area during the hours following the 9-5 workday. Promotion of the event, starting just before the 5 o’clock business day exodus, and the buzz created by having music rehearsals in the weeks before, will insure this presence and atmosphere. The energy BliNK seeks to create can only be achieved by the presence of people experiencing something they truly never have before, in Downtown Crossing, the city center that most people only pass through.
There are many other plans for this multimedia event’s creative and logistical success. One of the most interesting aspects of this concept is that of old and new, with Filene’s and the upcoming development, echoed in BLiNK project no. 1’s utilization of old and new; percussive music of prehistoric times, the 6000-year-old process of metal casting, and cutting edge elements of modern architectural lighting.
For $30,000 this can be executed at a very high level, due to ready-to-go in-kind donations. This syncs with the city’s call for something to be done with a site that is currently under much public criticism and shows concern for the city by the developers. Ithaka Contracting & Design, the chief sponsor of SOUNDSCAPE 2007, owned by BLiNK Project director, Savvas Spyridopoulos, will contribute as much funding and resources as necessary to aid in this goal.
For more information and sponsorship opportunities, contact
Savvas Spyridopoulos
The BLiNK Project and
Ithaka Contracting & Design
15 Channel Center St. suite 214
Boston, MA 02210
tel: 617 669- 5690
fax: 888 205- 2175
email: info@soundscape2007.com
www.soundscape2007.com
www.ithakaco.com