FIGMENT
I recently participated in coordination of FIGMENT Oakland - a free, inclusive, experiential arts event. Held in multiple cities, FIGMENT draws tens of thousands of participants each year. We brought this family-friendly event to Oakland for the first time, through a joint effort with Mosswood Park.
MY ROLE: I assisted in events coordination and organization, as well as creating my own art participatory art project. Over the course of the event, more than 200 attending kids typed Poems on Postcards.
THE CHALLENGE: FIGMENT is a forum for the creation and display of participatory and interactive art by emerging artists across disciplines. Despite being a nationally-recognized entity, most coordination is handled on the local level, with very little guidance or support from the larger collective. Since this was Oakland’s first event, we were starting from scratch - which means artist recruitment, public awareness, and fundraising efforts were all starting at ground level.
SUCCESSES: Volunteer and artist recruitment were a smashing success. We had more projects than anticipated, with additional artists joining in as late as the day of the event, itself. Turns out the Bay Area has much to offer in terms of participatory art! Feedback from all sides was immensely positive, and we were invited to return next year.
FIRSTS: Because this was Mosswood Park’s first time hosting FIGMENT, we didn’t really know what to expect, as far as turn-out. Attendance was great - though feedback from participants and artists alike emphasized that most had no idea what to expect, pre-event. All were exceedingly pleased with their experience, and excited to attend the next FIGMENT, as well as invite others.
LESSONS LEARNED: Most of the families who initially attended arrived at the event through happenstance, during a casual visit to the park. We were fortunate that news spread quickly via word-of-mouth, as those who arrived by accident were quick to call family and friends in the community and notify them of FIGMENT’s presence.
At a post-event review, we discovered that community outreach had been spearheaded by volunteers who were not familiar with the community or neighborhood - which resulted in largely ineffective marketing of the event. Next year’s outreach strategy has been corrected accordingly, and outlined in advance.
Overall, this was an amazing event - volunteering was both fun and inspiring, and I had a blast typing Poems on Postcards with more than 200 kids and families. If you’re interested in learning more about this event, or participating as an artist or volunteer, click here to get involved!
