Jesse

This video, shot and edited by Mariah Garnett (www.mariahgarnett.com) is a brief introduction to Jesse Rodato, a Visionary in Residence at Quiksilver's siteLA (www.sitela.org). Jesse Rodato is an aspiring architect, interior designer and humanitarian developing mobile playgrounds, skate parks and urban shelters for inner city youth. Jesse believes architecture is a compelling and gratifying tool to save the world, one life or neighborhood at a time. She is currently working toward her Bachelors Degree in Architecture at Otis College of Art and Design. As a resident of Quiksilver siteLA, Jesse will collaborate with the Quiksilver skate program to fabricate mobile skate parks that will serve as safe interactive spaces for the children of the inner city. These guerrilla playgrounds will combat crime and gang involvement, statistically proven to reduce with the increase of safe exterior places for kids. They will raise awareness and act as visual and tangible stimuli for change in the areas of Los Angeles that need it most. Before being installed in these neighborhoods, the creative-space panels will first be built and displayed at Quiksilver siteLA, further dissolving the boarder between art and activism. Get involved! Suggestions, insights, concerns, questions, contributions and everything else: myspace or facebook and you can email too. Between building skateparks and battling bureaucrats, Jesse will continue her "give back" strategy by taking photographs all over Los Angeles. These images will focus on communal health, social, and economic issues affecting the city and its residents. Jesse will print these photographs onto canvas and sew them into pillows and upholstery to be sold at Quiksilver siteLA. All proceeds will go to a charity matching their issue. Quiksilver siteLA will function as a space to build and promote these projects and address the local issues that inspire them.

YouTube | March 14, 2008

Tags:. .toward. .tool. .skateboarding. .involvement. .involved