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Art Intervention Amid A Pandemic: A Pentadic Analysis Of The Vermillion Street Piano, Bailey Quanbeck
Art Intervention Amid A Pandemic: A Pentadic Analysis Of The Vermillion Street Piano, Bailey Quanbeck
Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD
The Vermillion Street Piano was an art intervention introduced to the community of Vermillion, South Dakota during the COVID-19 pandemic. By applying Burke’s (1945/1962) pentad to this artifact and analyzing the scene-act ratio, I argue that the materialistic (i.e., scenic) constraints surrounding the piano meaningfully shaped and motivated the community experiences facilitated by the instrument. As street art situated in an outdoor, unsupervised location, the piano invited creative engagement from the community while suffering damages. The scenic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic both augmented the therapeutic experiences offered through this art piece and presented risks for community members seeking interaction. …