[RP TownTalk] Subject: Re: Mural Idealist

[Christopher Martin]

Marc,

I thought your misreading of verb tense lead you to your "disingenuous"
conclusion / comment.  Since your chronology of events was wrong - I thought
it might help you see that your conclusion is also wrong, at least the
disingenuous part.
You want a mural that addresses the rich complexities of history - Great.
 By all means bring an idea or two or three to the slab of concrete.
Admittedly - we've developed this community mural a bit backward... getting
community input after the fact.  Who knew there was such concern for the
concrete under the 410 bridge?  Again, at the start, we just wanted to throw
some paint / color -- on a neglected space.  It was a mural for the
community, designed by my students, to be painted in collaboration with the
community. Students, btw, for whom collaboration with the community is not a
natural or common experience.   It was not originally about the community.
 It was really originally about the community taking an opportunity to
assist students.  The town council in their wisdom and kindness approved
that idea.  Now things have changed...  and overall for they've changed for
the better.  Tougher to do, but better.

As to your idea of "delving into the history and coming up with a mural that
interprets that body of material in a multiplicity of ways (through various
creators of content and mural panels) enriches the educational value and
substance of the process for your students, as well as all of us who will
read the mural over time."  Bravo.  You should work for the county pre k-12
public school system and on this project.

I proposed - and I think most towntalkers agree - to start delving into the
rich and complex group of people that lived in the pre-colonized anacostia
river region.   Maybe carry that particular people's history to the present?
 Either way, I'm not seeing that as a narrowing of our shared history but an
expansion of it.

This concludes my brief foray into the land of town talk on this issue.
 It's been real.  I'll be sure any organizational or work sessions of this
mural project are posted.  You are all invited to come voice your opinion
and make some art.  However, I'm done defending or promoting the project -
its merits or methods -  by typing into cyberspace.  later.

Chris Martin
chrism at pgcps.org
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