If you are interested in creating a sound garden for your school or neighborhood park, there are different resources out there to help with equipment selection as well as funding. Check with your local department of cultural affairs. In New York City, the Percent for Art law was initiated by Mayor Edward I. Koch and passed in 1982 mandating that one percent of the budget for eligible city-funded construction projects be spent on artwork for city facilities. More than 210 projects have been completed with accumulated artwork commissions of over 26 million dollars. There are now 45 new projects currently in the works through this initiative.
Involve local artists in the process both for creative design and to pool resources to help make the sound garden a reality. You might even consider proposing your own initiative in your city such as the Percent for Art Program. Form a committee and take it to the mayor and city council. Let them know of your plan to help enhance the community physically and musically. If it can be done in one city, it can be done in two.
The sound garden brings play to the form of art, so you might check with local music companies and art councils and guilds for grants. Some of these places are glad to donate to good causes, but because they have limited funds for this each year, might feel they should limit their donations to support the arts. Let them know you are creating art and encouraging children to informally compose as they play. How could they resist helping out? You’ll never know unless you ask.
Add new comment