Powerpoint slide with Skater dropping into Horseshoe Bend, Arizona
This is a powerpoint slide using an image of Horseshoe Bend, one the most iconic landscapes in Arizona or the US.
Dark water just escaping Lake Powell Dam snakes around the bend and heads for the Grand Canyon.
For me, there's also a greater significance to this spot and that's because of my relationship to the closest neighboring community, Page, AZ. Page is a small community that grew out of the construction camp for Lake Powell Dam. It has a large Native American that is supported by selling crafts to tourists or working in the service industry. It's the type of place most people just pass through or stop briefly without much thought for the people who live here.
I've met many of the teenage youth who do live here and I get the sense that all these faces that come and go, make them feel like strangers in their own community.
Native American communities have higher rates of suicide than any other ethnicity, and higher than the general population. Of Native American suicides, 40 percent are between the ages of 15 and 24.
Because of this, I consider myself fortunate to get the chance to build a park here for the young skateboarders and bike riders. The kids who actually live here and need it. A place to go and a place to be safe.
Many of the design features are inspired by the local geography
Blue concrete pays homage to the Colorado River.
This is a work in progress and yet to be built. I will post more images as the project progresses.