Something Good
a public art exchange project

assortment of goods collected during project development in Minneapolis, 2016

assortment of goods collected during project development in Minneapolis, 2016

DURATION

1 month residency

date/location

April 23 - May 7, 2018;
August 6-20, 2018
Lanesboro Arts, Lanesboro, MN

materials

Donated goods & stories; installation included table, chairs, tent, flags, signage, etc.

 

Summary

Something Good is a public art exchange project that uses the platform of a yard sale to engage community members in conversations about value, commodities, sustainability, and the power of the stories embedded in an object’s history. This project was an experiment inspired by the Buddhist practice of dana (generosity).

The first iteration was completed in exchange with Lavelle’s friends and colleagues, and presented to neighbors in her front yard in Minneapolis in 2016. Based on this successful trial, she was invited to participate in a 2-part community residency at Lanesboro Arts in Lanesboro, MN (population 754) in 2018, where she expanded on the project to include deeper and more sustained community engagement.

In her first two week residency in Lanesboro she hosted storytelling/listening events and discussion groups focused on the topics of radical generosity (giving freely, joyfully) and value (in all ways, beyond monetary). Then she set up a storefront collection space, where locals were invited to offer up ‘something good’ to the project by donating an object and its story. Over 50 goods and stories were contributed through this process. She returned later in the summer for her second 2-week residency, where she set up the yard sale installation and held distribution events. Locals and visitors were invited to sit down individually or in small groups with Lavelle, and working from a script of prompts she engaged visitors in conversations about their current mind/body/emotional states. Lavelle then served as a matchmaker of old goods to new recipients, based on connections between their stories. If the gift was accepted, the new recipients were invited to write a note a gratitude to the donor, which Lavelle delivered. In this iteration, all but 3 participants accepted their offerings, and Lavelle was left with only 5 unmatched goods. She will hold on to these until the next iteration of the project.

 

CREDITS

Presenter:

Something Good was presented by Lanesboro Arts as part of their Artist in Residence program funded by the Jerome Foundation

https://lanesboroarts.org/lavelle/

Creators:

Concept, Design and Performance by Erin Lavelle

Objects and stories offered by residents and visitors of Lanesboro, MN and surrounding towns

Documentation by Erin Lavelle, James Orione and Adam Wiltgen

Installation Hosts: Patrick Danz, Catherine Glynn, Jeremy Van Meter and the Lanesboro Farmers’ Market

Discussion and Event hosts: Anna V’s B&B, Discovery Faith Community, The Granary, High Court Pub, Kenilworth Apartments/Semcac Senior Dining, Lanesboro History Museum, Lanesboro Public Schools, Coffee Street Fitness Yoga Class

Special thanks to Ed Taylor for installation materials