You & I Belong Here
2022
Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland
Behind the Cleveland Institute of Art Gund Building stands a crumbling break wall, the sole remnant of a bridge that once connected a train line to the building's loading dock. At the time that the bridge was in use, the building was operating as a Ford car factory. Now, the building is inhabited by art students working towards earning their BFAs. The immediate area around the break wall is used as a space for meeting and socializing and is also surrounded by a parking lot.
You & I Belong Here aims to beautify this piece of the building's history while also providing words of affirmation for students and community members that gather in the area and pass through the parking lot on their way to class. The text can either be read as "I Belong Here" or "You Belong Here," reflecting the sense of community at CIA. Text hidden around the corner of the break wall playfully reads "(You Belong Here, Too)," because no matter what corner of the world you find yourself in, you still matter.
