A unique idea came to present itself when I first moved to Eugene from Portland. I was living in the Whiteaker district in 2005. The place I was renting was owned by a guy that started the last Friday Artwalk. We were walking through “The Whit”during a Friday early evening and I heard music playing. When we approached, there were people eating and dancing on the street. There was a band playing in a garage and next to the make-shift stage in the garage, was a giant plywood board. The board was drawn and divided much like a giant puzzle. I noticed that it was divided by properties. some had one, some had two. Each was decorated differently. Some looked like grateful dead motif’s, another like a vw bus, another had a blue bus that said “Further” on it. There were tie-dyed tiles, some looked just like the buildings and properties that they represented. Each neighbor, renter, even squaters had to decorate their tile and bring it to the event. The event was called, “The Whiteaker Block Party”.  It was the most real and meaningful stranger gathering I have ever been a part of.

Peace-out!

DougW

Understanding Community Cultural Development

Humankind owes its very existence to community culture. Since the beginning of our development as a societal species we have relied on others within our communities for survival. People have always gathered around the hearth to share the hunt, make clothes, eat together, and stay warm. This very primal instinct to gather is counter to how we have been trained as a society, to slowly lean towards autonomy.  Finding the remedy compels me to strive towards finding ideas to bring us back together as a collective of individuals. Public art events, concerts, and theatrical displays are just a few things that seem to draw people together.

Finding identity within a community or group gives people a sense of belonging. It helps to alleviate issues associated with depression and loneliness and offers a sense of fulfillment that sitting alone at home and watching TV could never hope to. As an artist, folklorist, and as a non-profit manager, I will always continue to work on finding ways to make it easier for people to come together and build a sense of unity. There is nothing more satisfying than organizing an event that has a buzz that leaves everyone smiling and asking for more.

I have many questions and concerns about how to read an area for the purpose of bringing all types people together. An event that allows people to share with one another where they can add their own cultural influences without feeling vulnerable. Be it, food, music, story, I would like to have a greater understanding towards methods of making public places home.

Doug Wiltshire