Student Thesis Sparks Urban Revitalization

The seed for Grafik Intervention was planted while William Culpepper was living in Arizona. William, an online MFA student and former School of Graphic Design instructor, started to look at run-down and dilapidated buildings and wonder what he could do to initiate change.

When he moved to Virginia, William zeroed in on Starr Hill, a small neighborhood that receives a lot of vehicular and pedestrian traffic because of its position between downtown Charlottesville and the University of Virginia. Despite the influx of traffic, William observed many abandoned buildings seemed to be a part of the unnoticed background to other passersby. ”People don’t notice what’s in their environment,” says William. “So I decided to take responsibility and bring awareness to the empty buildings.”

First, William asked the locals questions and researched a few individual buildings, discovering what they had been in years past. After months of research, defining his process, and coping with “the fear of actually doing something,” William was ready for his first Grafik Intervention: a visual presentation of historical facts about one of the vacant buildings, projected onto the building itself. William began the process by focusing on one building per night, but he moved to simultaneous building projections, the idea being that “people can make an adventure out of it and go to each of the different buildings all in one night.”

The projections were done at night to attract the attention of passersby. As interest piqued and locals began to ask questions, William handed them each a card with three simple questions: How often do you walk/ride/drive past this building? What made you stop by today? What did you learn about this building?

Together, the Grafik Intervention projections and questionnaire cards were designed to get people to notice and care about these abandoned buildings, understand their histories, and recognize their potential. After the Grafik Intervention was complete, Starr Hill residents hosted the First Annual Midtown Street Fair, sponsored by the Midtown Business Association, a group that William consulted with during the research phase of his project.

When William moved to Big Rapids, MI, to take on a position as Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at Ferris State University, he wanted to incorporate his thesis project into his teaching. Using his thesis as an outline, William asked his students to undertake the research and projections similar to his Starr Hill intervention. The students approached the project enthusiastically and braved 20-degree weather for their final projections, garnering the attention of local press.

William is putting together the final piece of his thesis project — a 300 page book — before graduating in May. “Something I learned in my design education through the Academy is that the thesis doesn’t end. It continues to evolve and I continue to work on it. I already have my eye on the rebirth of Detroit.”

William and his students contributed projections during the opening reception of SiTE:LAB Praxis on April 15th. SiTE:LAB Praxis used a 25,000-square-foot abandoned building to create a one-night, site-specific art installation aimed at facilitating dynamic collaborations between the art, education, business and cultural communities of Grand Rapids, Michigan. More info here.

About completing his MFA online, William says that since enrolling in 2007, he’s seen the Academy’s online program, like his thesis project, evolve and innovate. “The Academy has built such an extensive online environment. I’m constantly impressed by the amount of support given to online students — the tools, resources, and interactivity is amazing. Because there is text, audio, and video, the online classes reach students with different learning styles and allow you to go at your own pace. I was able to finish my MFA without having to give up teaching, and moving wasn’t disruptive to my learning.”

Follow the Grafik Intervention evolution here.