Sign Language
A short video taste of Sign Language:
Also, check out this video from the Chinese-language station New Tang Dynasty TV (NTDTV). Much of it is interviews in English, with nice footage of the signs.
Sign Language is the latest project of TRYST.
May 8-18, 2009. On Doyers Street between Pell St. and Bowery in Manhattan's Chinatown. .
The opening party was May 16, 3-5 PM in nearby Columbus Park. Click here for some photos of the day, by Ryutaro Ishikane.
Made by TRYST in collaboration with workshop participants from the CPC after-school program, PS 124: Becky Chan, Jia Wen Chen, Natalie Chen, Jacquelyn Kan, Cody Fung, Amy Li, Kelly Tan, Michael Tse, Alice Vo, Connie Wu, Crystal Wu, Michelle Wu, Bonnie Yu, Bonnie Zeng, with store owners from 10, 15, 15-17 and 17 Doyers Street and Nadia Coen.
Translator and Community Liaison: Mee Mee Chin
Production Manager: Holly Ko
Workshop Assistants: Lydia Bell and Kily Wong
Documentation: Arturo Vidich and Lydia Bell
TRYST collaborated with 14 fifth graders and 5 shop-owners to create dramatic temporary new awnings for the hair salons of Doyers St. Tucked in a quietly historical nook, the signs bring life and color and a new perspective to the oldest street in Chinatown. Each sign is a secret map of the street, with the children's original photos that highlight the details of Doyers St. arranged in bold designs created collaboration with TRYST and Nadia Coen. We also worked with co-owner Christina Seid to make a sign that will be a permanent fixture for the original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. More...
Special thanks to Timothy Chen and Pauline Chen of CPC, and the generous shop owners for their participation and open minds and to Calvin Chen of Creative Signs for his enthusiasm in creating the final product. Many thanks also to Amy Chin, Hao-wen Wang, Anne Frederick and Wellington Chen for connections, information and encouragement, and Kay Takeda and Natasha Chuk at the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council for steering us through the GAPS process.
Sign Language has been made possible, in part, by a grant from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council with the generous support of The September 11th Fund, public funds from the Fund for Creative Communities, supported by the New York State Council on the Arts, and support from Materials for the Arts/NYC Department of Cultural Affairs/NYC Department of Sanitation/NYC Department of Education.
Working on the Ice Cream Factory sign
Cody Fung's collage
Children's collages in preparation for sign-making