Sarah B. McCann

Text It!

We use text messages to communicate quickly and immediately to our family and friends. What if we were also able to do this to a larger audience – to our neighborhood, community, the public? This project in partnership with Tinges Commons facilitated a series of text pieces painted on a sign board in the Better Waverly community. Suggestions for the sign were accepted from any and all community members that wanted to participate and were painted weekly from April – July, 2012.

Week 14 - July 28

Final day of Text It! It was wonderful. Amazing help from Laura and Quentin painting. Many people walking through who said that they saw the sign every day on the way to work. Then at 4pm mondo lemonade for all and a zine celebrating the event. Julie Sharper from the Sun stopped by and wrote this beautiful piece: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-text-it-20120728,0,5024499.story

Thank you to everyone who came out, helped with the project and submitted a suggestion!

Week 13 - July 21

Painted July 22nd due to rain on the 21st. Second to last week of painting. Several people stopped to ask "Celebrate what?" as I was working.

Week 12 - July 14

Great day to be out painting. Thanks to Jequira for texting in this week's submission. Had help painting from Quentin and Brian - many thanks to them both! Also, there were so many people out on the street because of the Caribbean Festival. Enormous amount of positive energy, music, people in costume and lots of people who stopped by to chat. One gentleman asked how I could top "Live Well" and said that he wished that would be left up longer, he showed my photos on his phone of him and his grandchildren in front of the sign. Much positive feedback on this week's sign as well.

Week 11 - July 7

Actually painted on the morning of July 8th due to the heat. July 7th was one of the hottest days we have had this summer. For the early hour, I actually had more people talk to me than I usually do. A woman driving by in a pickup truck told me that it was very metaphorical to have a new palette every day. A woman that walked by told me that the sign was her inspiration. Was glad to be out painting.

Week 10 - June 30

Suggested by an anonymous text. Had some help from Graham, extruding the letters and borrowed some paint from the Youth Dreamers. A passer by suggested the text that ended up being painted in week 11, "Live Well."

Week 9 - June 23

Text suggested via text message by CJ. While painting a man drove by who told me he loved what I did and that he did do what the sign said. He was on the board of Moveable Feast.

Week 8 - June 16

I was on vacation this week, but a joke submission turned in to a rather appropriate message and the submitter agreed to paint it while I was away.

Week 7 - June 9

Text suggested by Irene Donnelly (pictured).

Week 6 - June 2

Text suggested by an anonymous text message. A passerby who I asked for a suggestion said that he would throw the Bible at me, I said it sounded like that would hurt. Several people in their cars stopped by the side of the road to comment on the sign.

Week 5 - May 26

Text suggested by Kara McDonagh via Facebook.

Week 4 - May 19

Text suggested by me. Additional suggestions by a passer by: "How can one lead without kindness?"

Week 3 - May 12th

Text suggested by Danielle Chi (pictured). Several young people rode by on their bikes and suggested we paint, "Always Recycle." They seemed to want to help so I told them if they come back we could paint that.

Week 2 - May 5th

Text suggested by Miranda Karson (pictured). Overheard yelled from the Giant parking lot (behind the site) "Just tell me how to get there." Think this would make a good sign.