Gravitating Ideas
by Erin Carty
This past week, we had the pleasure of meeting with Tunde Lawal, Community Director of the Alief Family YMCA; Jenny Waldo, a professor of the Film Department at Houston Community College – Alief Hayes; and Caroline Docwra, Grants Coordinator of the Houston Arts Alliance who lives in Alief. All of these meetings further provided us insight into various topics that we are focusing on (such as community, space, and the arts in Alief) that affect Project Freeway currently and for the future.
Our meeting with Tunde on Monday at the Alief Family YMCA allowed us to think about what can bring a community together; how to bring a community together; and what opinions/ideas people might gravitate towards. He also mentioned that there is a sense of Alief pride and when people feel that something will benefit the community, they will come out to support it. Through this conversation, we were able to gain a better sense of previous community events in Alief and the people who are helping to create positive change in Alief.
Our Friday meeting with Jenny at HCC Alief-Hayes showed us a thriving film program that is finding ways to ensure that students have as much experience in the various parts of the film industry as possible such as directing, sound design, lighting, writing, and editing. The program also offers a class on how to shoot and edit 16mm film, a medium that seems to be finding a new life in contemporary times. A surprising and beneficial bonus that we found out about was the West Houston Institute, a new space of HCC that focuses on fostering ideas and concepts in experimental spaces in Alief. Between the film program and the West Houston Institute, spaces and ideas for art seem to be expanding in the Alief area.
With Caroline Docwra, we had an adventurous Friday night. First, we went to visit Funplex, a glorious indoor childhood wonderland full of flashing lights, falling bowling pins, children screaming, and glittering ornamentation staggered around. The decor was a mix of fantasy, carnival, and Venetian design featuring oversized chandeliers, European themed architecture, and trees that lit up in a variety of colors – a fantastical space that provides families a space to hang out and have fun. Then we went to Hong Kong City Mall where we wandered through the aisles of Hong Kong Market taking in all of the various fruits, vegetables, sweets, fish, and products offered at the store. Finally, we had a (very late) dinner at Kim Son Restaurant where we enjoyed a buffet of various Vietnamese and Chinese dishes (my personal favorite was Ca Hap Tau Xi or Steamed Fish). It was here where we were able to have a more in-depth conversation and dialogue over the arts and community because nothing helps create a dialogue more than food.
As someone who is not from Houston, something that I’ve noticed throughout my time in Alief is the sense of Alief pride that comes to its residents. If you’re from Alief and you meet someone from Alief, it automatically fosters a connection – it is like its own secret code. It reminds me of when I meet someone from El Paso and we immediately bond because being from El Paso is its own unique trait, just as being from Alief is its own – you feel a sense of familiarity and family in a way. The sense of community, pride, and desire to keep improving in this neighborhood is overwhelming. With Project Freeway, I hope we can connect people together and further see Alief develop and grow in the arts and beyond.
Erin is a multidisciplinary artist and a Master’s of Fine Arts candidate in Painting and Drawing at the University of Houston. In Fall 2017 she served as DiverseWorks intern and now currently works as the Project Coordinator for Project Freeway.