Another reason why our center remains empty is how fancy it looks. The building was renovated a couple of years ago, and the only thing about it that isn't brand new is the brick on the outside. Most people don't think of a community center as being squeaky clean and newly renovated. The building intimidates people, partly because it's dark and empty and locked during the day, but also because it looks like a fancy office building. I've worked in programs that struggled with the meager facilities they had, but at our center, it's our nice facilities that work against us in some ways. The people we are really trying to reach out to in our neighborhood are also the ones who don't work in a high rise downtown, who aren't used to coming into a building that looks like this, and who are less likely to feel like they're welcome here. On top of all this, the sign on the building advertises the general name of the building (which houses two organizations), with the name of our arts organization in tiny print.
So I decided to make a sandwich board! I love sandwich boards, they are homemade and nice and old-timey. Unlike our big fancy building, people are used to seeing sandwich boards around, they catch peoples' attention and are very welcoming. I always remember the sandwich board my friend Jean made for the infoshop in DC I worked at for many years, because the space there was equally hidden and the board helped bring people in off the street. Someone on craigslist was selling an elegant steel-framed sandwich board for $50, but I decided to make one, because I think it will contrast nicely with our fancy glass and steel facilities.
First, I sketched out a plan of all the pieces. Four planks of wood, two sheets of plywood, some hinges, and some chain to hold the A-frame in place. I also had to get a loop-shaped attachment to put a lock through. To get my materials, I first visited Habitat for Humanity's Re-Store. They had lots of stuff for contractors (and artists), but not much in the way of wood. I ended up getting the wood for the legs there for $1, but had to go across the street to a certain massive corporate hardware store for the rest. I cut it all there and also got the hinges, nails, paint, primer, sandpaper, etc.
I sanded and primed all the pieces, and left them to dry out on our fire escape because the fumes were making everyone sick. Here they are in the drying process.
I then visited the wood shop of the local private art college of which I am technically an employee and put it all together. A woodworking professor there was very condescending to me. He marveled at the fact that I was making a sandwich board, patted me on the back and told me I was doing a GREAT job. I was like sorry I'm not making some masterpiece of wood and I'm using your fancy drills on a mere sandwich board. Not.
I wanted our sandwich board to advertise whatever was going on in the building on any given day. I also want the sign to always say something like “Come around the side and ring our doorbell!” I think inviting people to come ring our doorbell makes us seem like a neighbor rather than an office building, and helps to demystify our weird space. Here is the finished sandwich board. I hope it helps but I think it's just the first of many steps toward better signage.
