ORLANDO — Valencia College professor Kevin Giordano and Loyola University professor Bob Snead, presented their ongoing projects at Urban Rethink in downtown Orlando on Wednesday, Feb. 13. Giordano is working on “The Rust Belt Project” and Snead is working on his Antenna Gallery.
The event was held based on their arts in process. Giordano is planning to work on a documentary on many cities that have been abandoned, including Bethlehem, Pa., and Youngstown, Ohio. He visited these cities two years ago with a camera to find them empty and hopeless.
Giordano wants to revisit the cities to spend more quality time with the locals. In order for him to revisit, he needs support.
He was asked if he would take Valencia students and he replied “sure, I need an assistant, I need a few assistants to burden my hardships.”
The isolated cities are full of nothing, so students have to understand there is no phone service or clean bathrooms in the abandoned cities.
Professor Giordano works in the English department; he teaches writing courses, literature and film. He would like to make his documentary into a feature film, a true American film.
“He is more of an artist,” said an anonymous attendee. The attendee explained that he didn’t believe in Giordano’s vision of helping the abandon cities.
Snead was praised for his project of creating work with comedic appeal. He showcased a handful of his art projects through a “Google+ hangout,” which is an interactive chat room on the web giant’s social networking platform.
Snead has led a ”Love Walmart March” through New York City, tried to get a man to fly with more than 50 balloons, painted a mural in Mexico, sailed the Salton Sea on a boat crafted from salvaged objects and painted a mural in New Orleans just to name a few of his varied endeavors.
He was asked if he had any role models that inspired to do the creative work he does. He answered, “comedians, most of them are dead like Mitch Hedberg.”
Snead teaches contemporary collaboration, spatial principles and time/narrative classes in New Orleans.
“He has a goal, do what you believe in and do what you believe in art,” said Valencia student Ty Wright, describing Snead’s presentation.
“As weird as it sounds, every artist is expected criticism, but it’s evident with him he puts out things he enjoys that he is doing and not so much of what other people like. If they like it, they like it. That’s not the main focus on his art, which I find really cool.”
Read more about Snead at http://bob.transitantenna.com/portfolio/.
“The Rust Belt Project” is an ongoing undertaking for Giordano and on Feb. 26, he will be holding a “Talk On City Planning” event. For more information on this upcoming event visit http://therustbeltproject.wordpress.com/engagements/.
