Stitch For Summer: The Talk of the Town

It was very gratifying to receive lots of positive attention during the yarn bombing of Greg Johns' "Rhythm" sculpture at Glenelg.   

If 'brightening the place up for the festival' means to make people smile and feel happy, to add interest to the urban environment, to stimulate the senses and conversation in the community and to involve the community in art (in this case, sculpture and textile art), then the "Stitch for Summer" project of the City of Holdfast Bay has been a success. If it was looking for a broad range of community involvement, it has succeeded there too.

According to Project Officer Jenni Reynolds (Arts and Youth Officer, City of Holdfast Bay), "We have had an amazing response from far and wide to the yarn bombed sculpture. People just love it. On the Jetty Rd, Glenelg Facebook page over 1650 people have viewed it, 300 have liked it and 49 people have commented."

It seems to be 'the talk of the town' at the moment.  Here is a collation of published pictures and news.

The City of Holdfast Bay placed on its website a small story in the News section, ""Rhythm Sculpture Yarn Bombed": http://www.holdfast.sa.gov.au/page.aspx?u=1383&c=16963

On Wednesday 20 February 2013, The Advertiser newspaper mentioned it on their "Fringe Know and Tell" page:

A group of community artists yarn bombed the Greg Johns Rhythm Sculpture on the lawns outside the Grand Hotel over the weekend. Word is that Johns is a fan of the City of Holdfast Bay's woolly addition to his work. Why? "Because it's Fringe time!"

Adelaide Now has published a story online, soon to appear in the Guardian Messenger
(25 February 2013) newspaper, "Glenelg sculpture 'yarn bombed' to celebrate Fringe Festival": http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/glenelg-sculpture-yarn-bombed-to-celebrate-fringe-festival/story-e6frea83-1226584889024

The same story is also getting a run in Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/glenelg-sculpture-yarn-bombed-to-celebrate-fringe-festival/story-fndo471r-1226584889024

...and it is linked in chat forum site Topix's Adelaide page in the hobby section for knitting. The forum has a different title "Glenelg Sculpture All Stitched Up" but the article is the same: http://www.topix.net/hobbies/knitting/2013/02/glenelg-sculpture-all-stitched-up

In this article, yarn bomb facilitator Irmina van Niele mentions the residents of Eldercare Allambi who donated their time and energy crocheting and knitting squares. If you would like to see pictures of these skilled ladies, they are acknowledged in Eldercare's website: http://www.eldercare.net.au/index/index.php?view=article&catid=30%3Awhats-new&id=152%3Aresidents-get-knitting-for-fringe-festival&tmpl=component&print=1&page=&option=com_content&Itemid=193
 

I'm told that the Adelaide Review magazine uploaded the stop-motion video clip and a couple of images. I couldn't find them when I went to have a look so if you find them, please send me the link and I will add it here.

If you haven't seen the clip, it was posted to my previous blog entry Stitch For Summer: A Colourful Rhythm. It shows the entire installation process in just 11 seconds!

The video also appears on the City of Holdfast Bay's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/#!/CityofHoldfastBay?fref=ts

• Stop motion video: https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v=10151247005367261
• A photo of the finished sculpture: https://www.facebook.com/CityofHoldfastBay?fref=ts#!/photo.php?fbid=10151471092920236&set=a.364954180235.199069.206361860235&type=1&theater

Pictures of the finished sculpture and the yarn bombing also appeared on the Facebook page for Jetty Road, Glenelg (remember to put in the comma when searching for it): https://www.facebook.com/#!/jettyroadglenelg?fref=ts

• Five photos: https://www.facebook.com/CityofHoldfastBay?fref=ts#!/media/set/?set=a.10151471413830236.535246.206361860235&type=1
• My favourite comment from the Jetty Road, Glenelg page is by the Friends of the South Australian School of Art Inc:

"Best yarn bombed work we've seen. Love to know who the 'bomber' is and if we can use this image in our Friends SASA March/April Newsletter. Greg Johns is a graduate of the South Australian School of Art. (1978)"

The Adelaide Street Art Facebook page shared the Holdfast Bay photo on the 16 February 2013. There are heaps of different comments here with mixed (and entertaining) views. May I reassure everyone that the yarnbombers were definitely NOT an "army of nannas"!
https://www.facebook.com/AdelaideStreetArt.

Adelaide Flashmob shared their approval in their comments and 65 'likes' on their Facebook page on 17 February 2013: https://www.facebook.com/#!/AdelaideFlashmob?fref=ts

It is good to know that Adelaide's Hungry Creatives appreciate everyone's efforts as expressed on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/#!/HungryCreatives

"Imagine the hours put into creating this piece."

Please take the time to have a look at these links and let me know if you find details of the Rhythm yarn bombing published anywhere else. I am keen to collate all of the news here.

Feel free to add any other comments you might have about this particular project or yarn bombing in general. I know there are a number of other Fringe activities involving textile art.
I can't get to all of them and would love to see your photographs and read your reviews.

LINKS 

• Adelaide Fringe: www.adelaidefringe.com.au
• Friends of the South Australian School of Art Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/friendsasa
• City of Holdfast Bay http://www.holdfast.sa.gov.au 
• Hungry Creatives: http://www.hungrycreatives.com