About the Artist

JustRo is an immersive visual storyteller and mechanical engineer, utilizing a diverse range of visual mediums to create composite artworks. His work focuses on illustrating powerful yet accessible stories gathered from his extensive travels and explorations.

 

Stakeholders + Participants 

• DC Mayor's Office: Increased community engagement through this project will provide valuable insights into residents' desires, leading to more informed decision-making.

• Mayor's Office of Innovation: Managing project logistics and data collection allows them to gain valuable insights and share them with other District offices.

• DC Public Libraries: This project fosters civic engagement, community cohesion, and social capital building. As the project's central hub, the library facilitates crucial connections between residents and agencies.

• Residents of Washington, DC: Enhanced well-being through shared gratitude and the empowerment of a public platform to be heard will enrich residents' lives.

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Project Components

 

Placemaking and Public Art:

This art installation aims to envision a more grateful community and connect library visitors through shared expressions of thankfulness. It embodies the creative placemaking strategy of illuminating the value of gratitude and energizing individuals to reflect on their lives.

Description:

The free-standing, 360-degree installation features two key components:

1. A playful "gratitude wall" sculpture: Standing 6 feet tall, this sculpture resembles the familiar post-it note walls often seen in offices and public spaces. Each enlarged "note" displays a positive affirmation of gratitude, offering inspiration and setting the tone for visitor participation. The sculpture can be configured in two ways for adaptability in different locations.

2. Interactive participation wall: Behind the sculpture, a dedicated wall serves as the active engagement space. Custom sticky notes with pre-printed prompts ("I am grateful for ____") encourage visitors to write down their own expressions of gratitude. This community co-creation element fosters connection and shared reflection.

Multimedia Engagement:

Two embedded video screens enhance the experience:

• Promotional video: The first screen plays a short video explaining the concept of gratitude and the purpose of the installation, further envisioning a culture of thankfulness.

• Gratitude stories: The second screen showcases prerecorded selfie videos of people sharing things they're grateful for. This illuminates diverse perspectives and connects viewers through shared experiences.

Accessibility:

All video content will be captioned for accessibility, and online versions will be available for wider reach.

Overall, this art installation aligns with the Our Town program's goals by:

• Addressing a social challenge: Promoting gratitude as a positive value that can contribute to individual and community well-being.

• Utilizing art, culture, and design: The interactive sculpture and video elements engage visitors in creative expression and reflection.

• Building partnerships: Collaboration with libraries provides a readily accessible community space for the installation.

• Encouraging community engagement: The interactive wall fosters shared experiences and builds connections among participants.

This project strives to envision a more grateful community, one note (and video) at a time.

 

Survey: 

On October 31st, MOI launched a gratitude survey to uncover the people, places, and things that those who live, work, and play in the District are grateful for. The survey asks respondents to reflect about a typical or recent day of theirs in the District, from start to finish, and consider what they appreciate. Respondents who are DC government employees are also asked about a time they were grateful to work for DC government and what they want residents to know about them.

 

Outreach efforts have included social media posts, District newsletters, and in-person tabling at Metro stations. To-date, the survey has had 185 responses (127 residents and 58 DC government employees) that collectively have expressed gratitude for 185 people, 173 places, and 82 things in the District.

 

The stories collected from the survey will inform a digital data feature as part of the larger Gratitude Powers DC effort. An intention of that digital data feature is to spotlight—for DC leaders as well as the general public—the people, places, and things that make the city shine, as well as the role DC government has in supporting what people are grateful for in the District. A hope is that residents and DC government employees alike will see themselves in the feature—people, places, and things they too have been grateful for at some point in their DC journey—find commonalities with other residents, and be inspired to maintain and contribute to the city they call home.

 

Website:

The website accompanying the survey and library installation serves as a comprehensive digital hub, answering the fundamental 4 W's to provide visitors with a clear understanding of the initiative: 

 

• What: The site introduces "Gratitude Powers DC," an innovative public art project in collaboration with the District government, aiming to celebrate and amplify expressions of gratitude within the community. 

• Who: It targets residents, artists, and government officials interested in participating or supporting the initiative. 

• Where: Accessible online, the website acts as a virtual gateway, transcending physical locations and fostering widespread community engagement. The website also shares logistical information for accessing the installation using a schedule that provides it location and how to access it. 

• When: The website provides up-to-date information on project milestones, events, and timelines, ensuring visitors stay informed about the initiative's progress. 

• Why: Delving into the purpose and significance of "Gratitude Powers DC," the website articulates the project's mission, highlighting its role in fostering community connections, promoting positive narratives, and contributing to the overall well-being of the district. Through intuitive design and informative content, by also proving data visualization that show the impact of the installation. This data will be available to civic leaders and residents.