Hi-Vizibility Crosswalk Spectacular
2022 and 2023
A pedestrian parade made with Kye Grant and a 5th grade safety patrol team at King School Museum of Contemporary Art (KSMoCA) in Portland, Oregon. Supported by PICA Precipice Fund and Andy Warhol Foundation.
The 2022 Crosswalk Spectacular was a colorful exhibition of the new, personalized HI-VIZ Safety Patrol uniforms that we co-designed with 5th graders at MLK Elementary School. Previously, the school rotate 4 standard vests among a team of 14 student crossing guards. Using the hi-vis family of neon orange, yellow, black, and reflective traffic-glam colors, the students refreshed their own crossing guard looks. Inherited by each new generation of Safety Patrol, the new uniforms remain interactive, wearable student artworks. The parade led to a dance party at the school’s newly painted guerilla crosswalk, and was part of Assembly, the Portland State University Art + Social Practice MFA program’s annual co-authored social practice conference. It was accompanied by a soundtrack mixed by DJ Sappho, and concluded with the premiere of “Wake Up,” an original track created by Jagz — elementary school students in KSMoCA mentorship program. Production of the track was led by the student’s mentor, Lyberty Udochu. You can listen to it HERE.
In 2023, we worked with the students during a series of workshops to choreograph a Hi-Viz field day and create a theme song with the help from My Voice Music. We used a portable, street-scale exclamation point crosswalk on several stops during the excursion. During the performance, students wore uniforms made during the previous year, and the crosswalk dance party continued from the mobile crosswalk to the actual crosswalk where the students help their peers cross the street daily.
Crosswalk Spectacular 2023
Continued Vizibility
In our workshops with the students, we brought attention to vizibility as an empowering act for the body in public. While wearing hi-vis, a person is at once individual and a part of a collective; protected by visual conformity. These vests use that concept and subvert it by becoming personalized garments that still perform their primary alert function. The uniforms will be used by future generations of Dr. MLK School Safety Patrollers to come, and they are functional fashion — acting as teaching tools for the value of communication in public space.
“Figuring the crossing guard as connective tissue between static infrastructure and human motion in public space, Mo Geiger and I envision this work with the students to be a starting point for civic engagement: a way to experience the conversation between ourselves and the city.”
-Kye
SAFETY PATROL THEME SONG:
Engineered by Rainyanni Paris and Chris Arnold of My Voice Music
Mixed by Luke Hall at My Voice Music
Lyrics and Melody by the members of 2022-23 Safety Patrol (Arthur B, Reed C, Noah C, Wyatt D, Gage G, Avalon L, Wyatt L, Samuel M, Vivenne N-C, Henry S, Justin K, Deandre P, Austin P, Natasha R, Aljanae R, Avery S, Chris V.)
Rap by Deandre, Chris, Justin, and Avery
Guest vocals by Mr. Monty
Instrumental by Lucas Nathan
Additional keys by Elizabeth Lovell
Video and Production Directed by Kye Grant
Engineered by Rainyanni Paris and Chris Arnold of My Voice Music
Mixed by Luke Hall at My Voice Music
Lyrics and Melody by the members of 2022-23 Safety Patrol (Arthur B, Reed C, Noah C, Wyatt D, Gage G, Avalon L, Wyatt L, Samuel M, Vivenne N-C, Henry S, Justin K, Deandre P, Austin P, Natasha R, Aljanae R, Avery S, Chris V.)
Rap by Deandre, Chris, Justin, and Avery
Guest vocals by Mr. Monty
Instrumental by Lucas Nathan
Additional keys by Elizabeth Lovell
Video and Production Directed by Kye Grant
