“You Bet ‘N Me ‘N Me ‘N You,” the installation created by the Charleston Rhizome Collective for this year’s Piccolo Spoleto festival, has moved from its spot at the Cannon Street Arts Center to North Charleston’s City Hall. It will be on display through early August.
[content-2] If you haven’t walked around this impressive structure yet, you’re missing out on an incredibly detailed recreation of local, small businesses. These are the folks the Rhizome Collective works with — from Monarch Wine Shop to Rose Florist.
The grassroots organization, described as “inter-generational and inter-racial by design,” focuses on their project, conNECKtedTOO, which uses art and culture to foster community and build economic development.
When we chatted with the Rhizome Collective ahead of Piccolo Spoleto, member Theron Snype talked about the importance of small businesses: “Everybody’s dream is not to become Bill Gates. Some folks want to support their families or live out something that’s a passion of theirs. There’s one guy that has always wanted to have a place to sell pizza. As simple as that. He doesn’t want to be Pizza Hut.”
In addition to the installation, conNECKtedTOO features an interactive map — the Active Memory Map — on display at the Main Library downtown, July 1-31. This map, focused on the MLK district of town features street names and addresses and their associated businesses as of today, as well as in the years 1998 and 1968. The collective hopes to create an interactive mobile app to correspond with the map.[content-3] Learn more about the Rhizome Collective online at connecktedtoo.org.