The year 2020 emphasized globalization and the shared experiences of a global pandemic, climate change, and social justice movements in communities across the world. The 20/20 Visions project utilizes art, creativity, and the act of making as methods to communicate thoughts and feelings around these impactful experiences in ways that are inclusive, regardless of linguistic, cultural, or other barriers. Please visit the links below to learn about how you can participate in this project.
This project is made possible by generous funding from the University of Pittsburgh’s Year of Engagement grant.
Letters Without Words (K-12; Community Members)
Derived from the word “magazine,” zines are self-published works of original media that can be designed without language or technology, making them an avenue for artistic expression that does not exclude frequently marginalized groups from contributing to the project. These populations include non-native language learners, socioeconomically disadvantaged participants, and special needs participants. Ultimately, the zines will be exchanged through our partnerships across the Pittsburgh region and with educational partners abroad, including Pittsburgh’s Sister Cities.
Resources:
20/20 Visions Zine Tutorial video
Letters Without Words presentation
Collective Memory Tiles (University of Pittsburgh; Community Members)
Collective Memory Tiles are inspired by artist Ik-Joong Kang’s piece, Happy World: Scattered Crumbs, in which he uses small, square canvases to illustrate his feelings and interactions living in New York City after moving from South Korea. In a similar vein, Collective Memory Tiles consist of small plywood squares on which participants draw, paint, collage, or use other mixed media to create responses to the 20/20 Visions prompts, which will be hung together to create one large installation. The Collective Memory Tiles will be displayed both online and in-person in the Pitt Global Hub, with the intention to create a traveling exhibition. View exhibition.
Resources:
Happy World: Scattered Crumbs by Ik-Joong Kang
Mailing request form (If you are unable to pick up a kit on the Pitt campus and would like one to be mailed to you, fill out this form.)
Our Partners
Pittsburgh Banksville Elementary School
Sega Girls Secondary School, Kenya
Center for Creativity at the University of Pittsburgh
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Year of Engagement