The Space Savers Project is a citywide public arts project, inspired by the Philadelphia custom of “saving” on-street parking. Saving public parking spaces, while technically illegal, is widely practiced throughout the city. Items like recycling bins, upturned garbage cans, cinder blocks and broken furniture are traditionally used as space savers. While the objects effectively “save” spaces, they can be visually crude and imply threat/ possession. We called on artists to design and create alternatives to the objects traditionally used to save spaces. This is public art project as well as an environmental and social experiment. We wanted to re-imagine what space saving in the city can look like. We wondered: Can a change in the aesthetics change the message of space saving? Or is the act of space saving immutable? Perhaps by replacing traditional space savers with art, we can transform the practice of saving spaces and begin new community dialogues. Is saving a parking space with a work of art different than saving one with a cinder block tethered to a street sign? The Space Savers Project may reveal an answer. The creative goals for The Space Savers Project are: To re-imagine a Philadelphia custom; To transform environments and social customs; To engage viewers outside of traditional gallery spaces.Tumblr (3.0; @thespacesaversproject)http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/8c22ed65967d63bb32104fbc0e37a144/tumblr_mlrit98AWX1r0bnlbo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>The Wolverine.</p>http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/48773369170http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/48773369170Wed, 24 Apr 2013 09:58:21 -0400space savers projectphiladelphiaparkingwolverine<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/93c79a8d39bcd26ff27fb6a56bae88bb/tumblr_mlmgjvASnq1r0bnlbo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>“I see a lot of space savers in south philly but most of them aren’t made out of construction garbage.” - <a href="http://www.vilehaus.org/" target="_blank">Harvey Benschoter</a></p>http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/48551937762http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/48551937762Sun, 21 Apr 2013 16:21:31 -0400space savers projectphiladelphiaparking<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/ede477f97802763d5b156c5142e9f76e/tumblr_mhf21gjU4F1r0bnlbo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Nice work!</p>http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/41832167885http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/41832167885Tue, 29 Jan 2013 21:10:28 -0500space savers projectphiladelphia<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/eb24eeb7e5dd21569a2d1e7971906ca8/tumblr_mgsbo0aCrn1r0bnlbo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Still in the plastic! Photo by <a href="http://www.vilehaus.org/" title="Harvey Benschoter" target="_blank">Harvey Benschoter</a>.<span class="c_ic_i"></span></p> <ul class="c_ic_menu c_m t_hovl" id="rmic1_menu_ul"></ul>http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/40777861543http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/40777861543Thu, 17 Jan 2013 14:33:35 -0500<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/f99ee53109df69fd7eaee7c20c69e0e6/tumblr_mgn0lyxEu61r0bnlbo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Everything but the kitchen sink! It might snow tomorrow in Philly - let’s see those space savers!</p>http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/40549578380http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/40549578380Mon, 14 Jan 2013 17:46:45 -0500<a href="http://philapark.org/2012/01/winter-is-here/">A message from the PPA</a>http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/16487447810http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/16487447810Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:19:57 -0500<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ly7pwqo0FQ1r0bnlbo1_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ly7pwqo0FQ1r0bnlbo2_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><p>Some photos from the Breadboard EKG reception, January 20, 2012. Thanks for all of your support!</p>http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/16298895898http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/16298895898Sun, 22 Jan 2012 13:26:00 -0500<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ly7p0dg1jN1r0bnlbo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Maria Möller and children gather around Chris Landau’s<em> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/flockingparty/6738237001/" target="_blank">Table</a></em> at the Space Savers Project Reception.</p>http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/16297760985http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/16297760985Sun, 22 Jan 2012 13:07:00 -0500<a href="http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=ebqdjqcab&v=001DcfdIOMFLblJ9M228gjKVWlJFrFRrqUydBHwopbYR98RDsHABS9Ami-Ct6SAdxP_FTFUmrd40A1iH6zu5i2k78FyV1Khp5XfrgL6y5xii3fwDpnLjCJQpg%3D%3D">Space Savers Project Reception: Friday, January 20, 2012</a>http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/16008591292http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/16008591292Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:31:14 -0500<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxsra18qsf1r0bnlbo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Join us to see all of the Space Savers together, meet the participating artists, and share stories about the practice of space saving in Philadelphia. Refreshments will be served. Bring a friend!</p>http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/15831123828http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/15831123828Sat, 14 Jan 2012 11:32:25 -0500<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxpc9skRFn1r0bnlbo1_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxpc9skRFn1r0bnlbo2_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><p>Photos by Clark Mizono.</p>http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/15733942071http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/15733942071Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:15:28 -0500<p>The Space Saver Project Reception will be held at Breadboard&#8217;s EKG Exhibition Space from <strong>5:00-8:00PM</strong>. The gallery is located at <strong>3600 Market Street in West Philadelphia</strong>. Join us to see all of the Space Savers together, meet the participating artists, and share stories about the practice of space saving in Philadelphia. Refreshments will be served. Bring a friend!</p>http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/15724503629http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/15724503629Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:44:00 -0500<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxi0ddJTM21r0bnlbo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Photo by Linda Yun.</p>http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/15527677094http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/15527677094Sun, 08 Jan 2012 16:15:13 -0500<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxfqdrC2l81r0bnlbo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Photo by Eva Wylie.</p>http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/15453890276http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/15453890276Sat, 07 Jan 2012 10:44:15 -0500<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lwxbwwdwWE1r0bnlbo1_400.jpg"/><br/><br/><p><strong>The Space Savers Project is now on view through</strong><strong><span>February 5, 2012 at </span></strong><span><a href="http://www.kleinartgallery.org/" target="_blank">Breadboard EKG Exhibition Space at the Science Center.</a><span></span></span></p> <p><span><span>The gallery is located at:</span></span></p> <p><span><span>3600 Market Street</span><br/>Philadelphia, PA 1910</span><span class="copybolddark">4</span><br/><a href="http://www.breadboardphilly.org/" target="_blank">breadboardphilly.org</a><br/><span class="copybolddark"><span>Hours</span></span><span>: Mon - Sat, 9AM </span><strong><span>-</span></strong><span> 5PM</span></p>http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/14923357050http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/14923357050Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:14:00 -0500<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lwkwfiwlWe1r0bnlbo1_500.gif"/><br/><br/><p>Linda Yun<br/>Move Along/ Please Stay<br/><br/>Mirrored Plexi, recycled wood, kitty condo, pillows, rug, kibbles, water, litter box, toys, saw horses, stuffed rat.<br/><br/>Move Along / Please Stay serves as convoluted space saver for me, which serves to illustrate my complicated position within this power struggle for control. On the street side, mirrored plexi the length of a car camouflages the artist’s selfish gesture, reflecting back the image of a vehicle in situ as space seekers drive by. On the opposite side, facing the sidewalk, a street-kitty sanctuary is provided. It serves as a comfortable shelter for these lost creatures with nowhere else to go. The seemingly-generous gesture tap dances around the selfish act on the other side, hopefully distracting neighbors of the space saver in their midst. Although uncomfortable in this position, I have placed the burden on myself. I have created a space saver that is beyond ridiculous, which requires quite a bit of time, commitment, and labor, unlike the quick and dirty traditional space savers, which are light and transportable for the purposes of getting in and out quickly. <br/><br/>13th St, between Wolf and Ritner: Apart from the slow drive-bys, my space saver received some inquisitive looks and polite questions regarding just how long it was to stay (though the undercurrent being, when is it going to be moved?). The most entertaining aspect of the experience was when two elderly ladies stopped to ask if me and Piper we were kitty intake volunteers, looking to catch street kitties for shelters. At some point without my knowledge, someone moved the stuffed rat to the middle of the street, where its life was constantly being threatened by the passing vehicles. It was pretty funny.</p>http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/14588005487http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/14588005487Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:09:18 -0500<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lwks7wtcQ01r0bnlbo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Christopher P. McManus<br/>Jordan V<br/><br/>Paper mache, cardboard, gesso, resin, acrylic, glass microspheres.<br/><br/>I coveted these sneakers in junior high, but I never owned them. Around the same time, in the early 90’s, I heard several stories about murders over Air Jordans. I wanted emphasize the anecdotal evidence of violence surrounding space saving. I read those murder cases again. While Jordans were involved in the murders, the stories were sensational and are more myth-making than fact-reporting. The sneaker as a space saver is a visual joke: as an object, it’s recognizable as perhaps the best designed (and perhaps most coveted) sneaker of all time, and as a space saver, it carries the grim threat implied by the Jordan murder stories. You want this, but if you take it, something bad will happen!<br/><br/>Catharine St, between 22nd and 23rd: Jordan V was well received by most of my neighbors, while others took the opportunity to vent frustration over the practice of space saving in our neighborhood. My favorite reaction came from a middle-aged city worker who was passing through. He stopped to take pictures of the giant sneaker. After hearing about the space savers project, he said, “Oh man, that right there is Philly!”</p>http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/14583183367http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/14583183367Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:38:00 -0500Air jordanair Jordan murderair Jordan riotmurderPhiladelphia<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lwkoeviRyN1r0bnlbo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Thomas Buildmore<br/>Today was pretty awesome<br/><br/>NCHRP-350 approved plastic Type III barricade, 48x48 aluminum sign, engineer grade reflective orange with black lettering, hot rolled high carbon steel, weather resistant baked enamel paint, reflective sheeting, flashing light.<br/><br/>The interaction between the infrastructure and people living in the urban environment has been of interest to me for sometime. Recently, I have been attracted to information delivery systems, visual literacy, and semiotics. My intervention into this blurry line of public versus private space attempts to cannibalize the symbols and language of road construction.<br/><br/>E Girard, between Frankford and Day St: I have actually never had a car, so I don’t know how bad the parking situation is. However, I’m pretty sure parking tickets, jerky drivers, and digging cars out in the wintertime all suck. I ended up having to transport my Space Saver on the subway from my studio in Old City to Fishtown for the on-street exhibition. When I arrived around 10 AM there was no parking. It was really frustrating and I didn’t find a space until around 11 AM.</p>http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/14578801034http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/14578801034Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:16:06 -0500<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lwkb1vTuXj1r0bnlbo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Jebney Lewis & Maria Möller<br/>Where you are, where I am, where we’d like to be<br/><br/>Chairs, plastic crates, cinderblock, bucket, cement, two-by-four, traffic cone, coat rack. Ambient audio, headphone audio, and three-channel video (15:17).<br/><br/>So often the rigmarole of a car in the city not only outweighs its convenience, but also stands in stark contrast to the promise of adventure and movement inherent in the American ideal of the automobile. Where you are, where I am, where we’d like to be imagines the yearnings of a workaday car as it traverses from parking space to parking space to parking space. The hybrid structure of the piece’s space saver contrasts with mundane video of a trip to the supermarket, as the narration speaks of the desire for a more challenging road.<br/><br/>Frankford Ave, between E Thompson St and W Master St: One of the first people to stop by the installation was a well-dressed middle-aged woman. She asked us what was going on. As we explained, she seemed interested in the art exhibit aspect, but as soon as we mentioned “saving parking spaces” she launched into a tirade against the custom and soon was storming away down the street. She got to the middle of the block and then paused to shout back over her shoulder: “Your work is really good!</p>http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/14566624524http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/14566624524Wed, 21 Dec 2011 11:27:30 -0500<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lwk7ytt6Ak1r0bnlbo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Brent Wahl & Oscar Wahl<br/>MINE<br/><br/>Glitter, dowels, Tinkertoys, acrylic, wood.<br/><br/>The MINE Space Saver was made in collaboration with my 9 year old. For kids it reads as some nutty Tinkertoy project, but from an adult’s perspective, it is both goofy homage to the space saver and satire of the practice wrapped into one. My son is very clear about the ridiculousness of claiming a part of the street as your own, but I don’t think he understands how it is something akin to a lion guarding its den. After my son and I talked about how we could handle this project together, we decided that we should be more friendly and direct about the whole thing – we decided to just claim a spot as MINE! <br/><br/>Pine St, between 20th and 21th: The word ‘MINE’, teamed with the paraphernalia of kindergarten (and visions of Richard Tuttle) seemed to cancel out any sort of potency or seriousness, but once it was put into use, it pushed buttons. After posting signage on a nearby tree explaining the project and the time limitations on its occupancy there, a determined homeowner came out in his pajamas and made a beeline for MINE. He proceeded in aggressively picking up MINE and carrying it onto the sidewalk where he slammed it to the ground. Unbeknownst to him I was standing two doors down…<br/><br/>Our conversation went something like this:<br/>Me: That’s my space saver, would you like me to move it?<br/>Him: You can’t put this here – it’s illegal!<br/>Me: It’s part of a project referencing space savers that I made with my 9 year old.<br/>Him: This is ridiculous! Mayor Nutter came out condemning these things!<br/>Me: Well, this is actually not a typical space saver; it’s more of an art…<br/>Him: What if my 80-year-old grandmother needed to park here, what would she do?!?<br/>Me: Well, if you would like me to move it I would do so, but somebody else will just take the spot.<br/>Him: This is ridiculous - I hate these things!<br/>Me: Did you read the signage about the project?<br/>Him: Yes, and it’s ludicrous, it doesn’t make any sense. You are actually taking a spot!<br/>Me: I know, but it is only for a day. You could think of it as a criticism of the space saver tradition. <br/>Him: …but you’re keeping somebody else from using this spot…this is stupid.<br/>Me: I have permission to move down the street in front of your neighbors’ driveway, but it does not seem to carry the same meaning since nobody can park there anyway.<br/>Him: This is the stupidest thing I have ever heard of!  Do you even live in this neighborhood, do you know how hard it is to park around here? <br/>Me: Well, I used to live 4 blocks from here and my in-laws live on this block, so I have a very clear picture of the difficulties. It is actually why I picked this block.<br/>Him: Why would you do this?<br/>Me: You clearly have very strong feelings about this.<br/>Him: Well, yeah, I’m standing here in my pajamas.<br/>Me: Do you see how this could be something that is not meant to harm anyone? It could actually draw attention to the ridiculous act of saving a space in the first place. <br/>Him: No, I don’t get it – it doesn’t make any sense…why would anyone do this?<br/><br/>The anonymous man then reached out his hand, introduced himself, and offered to help me put it back into the same place (which he proceeded to do with me). I think he exhibited (with true bravery and then chivalry) what a touchy topic this actually is. Nevertheless, we never even got to any conversations about aesthetics or my love for Richard Tuttle.</p>http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/14564471427http://thespacesaversproject.tumblr.com/post/14564471427Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:20:52 -0500