'Dear Culver City' Art Installation at City Hall

Dear Culver City…, a multidisciplinary project that includes the ceramic contributions of over 1,000 Culver City community members. The project was spearheaded, installed, and coordinated by Katy Krantz, Artist Laureate for the City of Culver City.

“When I started thinking of the project, I wanted to do something big, because the artist laureate title is a big one,” Krantz told the crowd. “Fortunately my values overlap with the mission set out for the laureate which is to advocate for the arts across disciplines, promote artistic equity, cultural diversity, and access.” 

For the project, Krantz led over 30 ceramics workshops across the city, engaging with residents and stakeholders of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. The workshops were comprised of two activities: a word brainstorm and a ceramics project. Krantz asked workshop participants to think of words that came to mind when considering Culver City’s past, present, and future. These words were collected on large sheets of paper. Participants then chose one word to stamp in wet clay, which Krantz then fired and glazed. All words written on paper were alphabetized and compiled into documents, which were then given to seven local poets who created poems inspired by the collected words.

“The collected words offer a powerful snapshot of where we are as a community, where we’ve been, and where we might be going. While the words reflect quite a bit of community pride, there is still plenty of room to look critically and clearly,” Krantz said. 

Workshop participants also learned basic ceramics techniques, creating pinch pots and small sculptures that were then fired, glazed, and strung onto cables for the installation. Glazing assistance was generously provided by community volunteers and members of the Culver City Senior Center.

“I loved interacting with such a diverse range of Culver City community members,” Krantz said. “It was exciting to be able to offer free ceramics programming – people seemed to really enjoy taking part in the workshops, not only for the artmaking but also because the workshops offered an opportunity to relax and connect with their neighbors. The project also gave community members the opportunity to express how they feel about living here. I found it fascinating that the word ‘brainstorm’ was able to capture such a wide range of perspectives. Lastly, it was so exciting to work with this group of talented poets and see the work they created from the community generated words.”

The Artist Laureate Program is made possible by the City of Culver City and its Cultural Affairs Commission, with additional funding from the Culver City Arts Foundation. The installation will be on display at Culver City City Hall until early summer.

Watch the video below to see more about the installation.