PROJECTS

The Jackson Street Project is series of 30 sculptures created by Steven Spann using the original rebar from the Historic Jackson Street in the City of Las Vegas. This is the street that Sammy Davis Jr. and Nat King Cole would walk on after their strip performances. During segregation black performers were allowed to play on the strip but they had to stay on the Westside. The sculptures start with a wooden base and the skeleton is built using the original rebar. The sculptures are filled with found metal, broken toys, and abandoned bumpers on the side of the road. Most everything has a connection to the Westside. We all know a Jackson Street that has experienced much greater disadvantage than the norm. The Jackson Street project will travel to some of the greatest disadvantaged communities in America. The goal is to use the sculptures to encourage, uplift and inspire disadvantaged communities. The University of Michigan Poverty Solutions did a study which ranks America’s 100 most disadvantaged communities. One of the many insights from the study was that disadvantage is clustered and driven by historical context. “One theme across these areas of deep disadvantage is a long history of racial and environmental exploitation...” All across the US there are Jackson Streets. This exhibit honors those communities.