Friendly Fences project connects community
The Friendly Fences art project continues to strengthen community connections in Glenwood as it gets its third face lift this Spring.
NEARLY two years after the Friendly Fences, community art project was launched, the fence at Glenwood’s Bulwer Park continues to bring the community together.
The fence was the brainchild of Umcebo Design’s Dutch intern student Kelly Lemans, in November 2014 as part of her Community Development and Empowerment projects that sought to build community relationships.
With the assistance of the Umcebo Design team, Robin Opperman and Ujala Jackie Sewpersad who specialise in turning discarded recyclable items like ice cream tubs, old CDs and 2l and 500ml cooldrink bottles into wonderful funky artistic creations, Friendly Faces was born.
The project aimed to make a statement art piece on a portion of fence around Bulwer Park with members of the community.
Today the fence still brings people together and is getting its third face lift. Recently a Highway artist who was visiting KZNSA Gallery, saw the colourful fence and enquired about it. “I was so excited to see the work and the effort involved. It is amazing, beautiful and the fact that it is using recyclable material, it is just incredible,” said artist Tammy van Niekerk.
Since seeing the fence, Tammy got in touch with Umcebo Design and has added her intricate recyclable flowers made from cool drink bottles to the Friendly Fence creative collection.
“We love having Tammy’s flowers add to the colour and theme of the fence, she pays attention to detail and her work adds a new dimension to the fence,” explained Robin Opperman.
Opperman said people get so bogged down by their day to day lives that the simple art project has really done wonders in strengthening community bonds. “We have members of the community around at our studio assist where they can and even add pieces to the fence. Ian Reed is an interior designer and always lends his time and skills to help create. Nobody gets paid, people just give of their time for for the good of the community, a sort of community outreach, to just cheer people up. Community art exists to build community to come together and take ownership of the park,” he said.
Opperman was proud that the fence had become a “selfie hot spot” for visitors and community members. Anyone can get involved with the project and donate rinsed 2litre cool drink bottles, empty milk cartons, cappuccino lids and old CD’s to Umcebo Design.
