Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Assignment 5: Monument Intervention

Perpwork :Day # 1

My focus for the Monument Intervention Project was at the Japanese Tea Garden locateted in the Golden Gate Park. My partner for this project was Tane. We both researched on the location where we would find man array of monuments so that we could have a better selection. We narrowed it down to the Golden Gate Park and the Legion of Honor. When we were reserching the Golden Gate Park, we both found web sites that provided that key monuments that are the most popular. Tane found a pdf of building and Monuments in Golden Gate Park, which has a short description of the building and monuments.There was section made to show which monuments was adopted and funded. We visted Golden Gate park on Friday monring. We decided to check out the monuments that had the most funding and least funding or adoptions. It was interesting how much money was donated to care and maintain the art piece. We also visted other monuments that was suggested in our reserch as well. The monuments that caught our attention was the one with the most money which was the buddha $28,150 maintenance endownment funding and Conservation Funding $81,000) in the tea garden and the monument that receive the least funding is the Hagiwara family plaque ( $3,850 maintenance endownment funding and conservation Funding $2,000) which was also in the Tea garden (http://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/recpark/Capital_Improvement_Division_New/BuildingsAndMonuments.pdf. ) 
Tane and I went into the tea garden to look for the Hagiwara family plaque, I totally walked passed it because I was completely distracted by the beauty of the lush green plants and enchanted surroundings of koi fishes swimming in the pond, blush pink cherry blossom flowers in full bloom and skilled architecture of the buildings. Tane had to tell me that I just walked right pass the monument for me to stop and recall what I was looking for. The Hagiwara family plaque was mounted onto an enmormous rock that sits in front of the park enterance and exit. At first glance you it looks like that it was a large rock in between 2 trimed bushes. The plaque does not stand out from the rock texture. I believe that this maybe a deliberate decision, they probably want honor  this this family with something that hold significant meaning that would tie into the garden,so the plaque to blend into the garden as though they are one with the garden.

History of  monument:

According to my reserch the Hagiwara family was one of the many family that taken over from Japan to live in a villiage created for the Worlds Fair Exhibitition in San Francisco in 1894. They started with 1 acres and expanded to 5 acres of land to complete the village and garden. The Baron Makoto Hagiwara was the great grand father that negociate a deal with the superintendent of the park name John McLaren, who agreed to keep the Japanese village and garden as a gift to San Francisco.


Creating Awareness:Day #2


Tane and I email each a few ideas that we had during the weekend of how we would raise awareness. Tanae and I both agree on using chalk to guide people to the Tea garden. Tane suggest maybe posters if it started to rain. I went shopping at Target and found glow stick bracelet and was inspired to use it for something. We end up making information bracelets that has fact about the monument and clue to where to find the piece as well. I though that it would be cool if we could track all of the people that we gave a bracelet too with glow sticks. We could count how many people actually checked out our monument by the amount of glow sticks bracelet that is in the garden. It using the concept of "Where is Waldo" to  make the bracelet more simulating. I bought 20 bracelets and divided it in 2 between me and Tane. I would do my set of 10 facts or clues and Tane would do her own. So, we had a more random selection of information. It looks something like this:

Front of tag/card:
Can you find this mysterious rock? This deceiving rock holds great value then you can imagine.
For clues and facts to where to find this rock flip over.

Back of card:
Makoto Hagiwara Family Plaque

1) It is located in an enchanted garden where koi fish swims, tea is served and cherry blossom blooms.

2) It was created to honor a family that once lived and maintain this garden as though it was a village in Japan from 1895-1942 which was the beginning of WWII when they are relocated to live in a concentration camp.

3) It is located in a location where "hello" and "good-byes" is usually exchanged.

4) It is sitting in a place where the care takers was suppose to over see the garden for 99 years.
More facts and information available at the Tea Garden gift shop


Tane and I met up early Friday morning to make the bracelet. I printed my information and then pasted on an index card. Then I made holes in the cards so that I could put it on the bracelet. When we were done, we headed over to the Park.

Unforeseen Conflicts:
When we arrived at the Golden gate Park, we decide to draw chalk arrows on the side walk for tourist and visitors to follow. We are in the mist of creating arrows on the floor when I could hear a horse coming toward me. Then a man in the park ranger uniform asked me what I was doing. I told him that I was creating an awareness for my monument project. He said that I had to stop because we need a permit to have access to certain parts of the park. If we don't stop he's going to have to give us a citation. I inquire if I could still pass out my flyer's? He said I may do so but it has to be 15 yards away from any entrance of the Tea garden. I was content with what I already have done so a permit wouldn't be necessary.



Passing out bracelets: Just say "Hello"
We  approach people around the park and told them that we are student trying to raise awarness for a monument in the Tea Garden. had a good conectionWe explained the information barcellet and told them to have fun. We took turn talking to people because the other person had to take a picture of us talking to person. We were there for 2 hours talking to people. Tane had a good connection with the younger people and I could help talking to elderly and  a mature crowd. We decided that we are going to avoid elderly people because they tend either ask a lot of questions, most of them not related to the monument and get side tracked about the topic and quiz us on life.
Someone asked if I was Japanes and I lied and said yes, I figured they would take my cause more seriously if I was Japanese that's why they asked. The response we got from people was that they thought it was cool to learn something new and that they are looking forward to checking out the monument. Some people were in a bad mood and didn't reply to us so we left them alone and another couple asked if we needed a donations.

Tane:






Chi:


Results:
When we were done with the bracellet, we stopped by the monument and stood by the enterance to see if there were people that we had approached earlier and there were a few people. By knowing that someone knows something about our monument and is there to apprciate its value, make all our work worth it. We had fun as well.
 













 






2 comments:

  1. Chi:
    I visited the Asian Art Museum today and I found information on the Hagiwara Museum. I'll bring photos in tomorrow and maybe we can add that to your blog.

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