Before I Die What is important to you It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day and forget what really matters to you. With help from old and new friends, Candy turned the side of an abandoned house in her neighborhood in New Orleans into a giant chalkboard where residents can write on the wall and remember what is important to them. Before I Die is a public art project that invites people to reflect on their lives and share their personal aspirations in public space. Painted with chalkboard paint and stenciled with the sentence “Before I die I want to _______”, the wall turned a neglected space into a constructive one where we can restore perspective in our daily lives. It’s a question that changed Candy after she lost someone she loved very much. The wall helped her understand her neighbors in new and enlightening ways and remember she is not alone. By having more ways to share our hopes, fears, and stories in public space, the people around us can not only help us make better places, they can help us lead better lives. The project blew up in ways she never expected and people’s hopes and dreams have ranged from the funny to the heartbreaking: Before I die I want to… sing for millions, see my daughter graduate, eat a salad with an alien, straddle the International Date Line, see the leaves change many times, be someone’s cavalry, make it in the hip hop, hike the Appalachian Trail, cook a souffle, hold her one more time, help numerous children, love and be loved, abandon all insecurities, be completely myself… The project was featured on NBC’s Rock Center with Brian Williams, and The Atlantic called it “one of the most creative community projects ever.” After receiving many requests from people around the world, she and her Civic Center colleagues created the project website www.beforeidie.cc and a Before I Die Toolkit to help people make a wall with their community. Thanks to passionate people around the world, the project has expanded to South Africa, the Netherlands, Mexico, Australia, Portugal, Kazakhstan, and beyond. Taken together, the Before I Die project offers a snapshot of the values our neighbors hold dear. You can also take a piece of the dream home with you with a limited edition painting and submit your dreams on the project site. The project is growing every day and together we can make public spaces that better reflect what matters to us as a community and as individuals. Developed with generous support from the Black Rock Arts Foundation. Visit the project site beforeidie.cc for more. February 2011 and beyond. 41′ x 8′, Chalkboard paint, stencils, spray paint, chalk. New Orleans, LA. Self-initiated with permission from the property owner, residents of the block, the neighborhood association’s blight committee, the Historic District Landmarks Commission, the Arts Council, and the City Planning Commission. Project coordinator: Kristina Kassem. Installation assistance: Kristina Kassem, Alan Williams, Cory Klemmer, Anamaria Vizcaino, James Reeves, Alex Vialou, Sean Knowlton, Carolina Caballero, Earl Carlson, and Gary Hustwit. Concurrently installed in East/West Galleries. You have permission to use photos below for publicity of the project. Photos by Civic Center, unless credited otherwise.
