What were your major obstacles?
Accomplishing the goals of our training and public project programs requires to us continuously adapt our curriculum, funding sources and contracts to meet the needs of our students and clients. Serving Weld to Work student demographics present a challenge and an opportunity to serve those with the greatest need. We constantly find ourselves modifying our applications and curriculum to match the needs of this growing audience. Our new approaches acknowledge that the financial situation of students in our workforce programs face additional hurdles such as lack of consistent childcare or reliable transportation. Additionally, these students are often transient, moving and changing phones several times a year. A lot of thought and time is spent diversifying funding sources for our programs. Funding in this economic downturn is a challenge, however, our proven capacity as an educational facility and manufacturer has helped us finance our annual high school-aged Camp Metalhead for the past five years and five job development programs for 18 to 24 year olds since 2008. Our programs are paid through program-related earned income, private and government grants, corporate giving and individual philanthropy. To build community trust and support required the Steel Yard to quickly acquire business and professionalization skills. Our first major contract, one that helped open the door to new partnerships and projects, was the design and production of 14 public trashcans for Wickenden Street in Providence. A local councilman with access to community revitalization funds contacted us to create custom trashcans to help brand a creative district. We met with the neighborhood business association to develop design guidelines: dome lid, black powder-coated frame, standard installation method, and liner. The next step was to agree on pricing and a contract. The project scope read: The Garbage Can Receptacles are a hand made product designed and produced by artists at The Steel Yard. They will have a frame made to the specifications previously provided, and each Receptacle will then be given individual attention by an artist who will embellish it based on the themes developed with the Wickenden Business District board. We assembled a team of seven artists-fabricators to design and build the trashcans. The Steel Yard served as the contracting agent with both the city and the artists. The project met all of the mission goals, covered its own expenses and was well received by local residents. We did, however, have some stumbling blocks, including having to learn about powder-coating and facing city resistance with our first installation proposal. Public Projects contracts have come a long way since then; contracts now include clearer defining roles for artists, clients and the Steel Yard.
Who or what was instrumental in overcoming these obstacles?
Working with organizations that offer social services has been informative and helpful in finding solutions for our students and keep them in our programs. We got advice along the way from artists, clients, lawyers and other arts organizations about how best to conduct the art-object commissioning process, and open communication has made all of the difference in building these trusting relationships.
What top three suggestions would you give to others attempting a similar project?
1) reach out to programs and groups that will help you understand and impact groups that are not in your circle; diversify funds; contracts should have clear defining roles for artists, clients and your organization
