The Opportunity
Catholic Charities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, in partnership with Public Art Saint Paul and the Saint Paul Design Center, is seeking an artist to develop a proposal for the design and artistic programming of the Dorothy Day Center landscape in downtown Saint Paul.
During 2010 the artist will immerse in the Center to
- gain understanding the mission, function, service and clientele of Catholic Charities Dorothy Day Center;
- explore the landscape and its relationship to the Dorothy Day facility and use by Dorothy Day clients and its place in the larger urban context at this critical downtown gateway site
The artist will submit a proposal for the Dorothy Day landscape and its artistic programming based upon insights gleaned from this in-depth exploration. The proposal may include design of the shape and form of the land, amenities and expressive/interpretive elements in multiple media (including text and sound) integrated into the site, and provision for artistic programming.
Catholic Charities Dorothy Day Center
The Dorothy Day Center provides drop-in services during the day and overnight shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness. Dorothy Day provides a hospitable environment while upholding the dignity of homeless people . The Dorothy Day Center alleviates the immediate suffering for those experiencing homelessness and provides resources to help individuals and families move toward self-sufficiency.
Services include hot meals served by volunteers, a food shelf, mental health services and medical care, including optometry and chiropractic care. Importantly, Catholic Charities Housing First Outreach staff help homeless individuals move from the Dorothy Day Center into permanent housing.
Dorothy Day’s overnight emergency shelter provides shelter housing to 150 homeless adults. Most nights, about 200 people sleep on mats on the first floor.Dorothy Day’s Women's Shelter, located on the second floor, offers a 24-hour shelter with 42 beds and supportive services to help women address their individual barriers to housing.
Public Art Project Intention
The public art project proposes to convey a positive message about the Dorothy Day Center and its clientele and about the City of Saint Paul’s concern for all of its citizens at this critical downtown gateway site.
Currently, the landscape is a secure yard where clients feel “on display” for thousands of motorists passing each day along 5th and 7th Streets just across from Xcel Center (home of the Minnesota Wild Hockey Team). The outdoor landscape provides little amenity and nothing to convey a message that this is a place where people are rebuilding their lives.
The homeless community in Saint Paul has a unique identity that is distinct from other cities, either in the immediate region or of similar size nationwide.
Gerald Lauer, Director of the Center, says, “This community has so much to share and say. What can this public art project do to embrace and encourage these individuals? How can it be a celebration about them?
“These indiviudals spend so much time waiting in lines for everything from food to sleeping space to holiday gifts. Whatever “normal” is gets distorted by the time it gets here. Often the public perceives that homeless people have nothing to offer. How can this art project change that perception for this community and for the citizens of St. Paul?”
The artist’s immersion in the Dorothy Day Center and its daily life is essential to informing the public artwork.