New Orleans resident and artist Candy Chang did what many people wish to do before they die, to make a positive impact on people’s lives…not to mention leave behind a piece that defined our times like a monument or statue. Her ‘Before I Die’ community chalkboard art project is just that having now spread from it’s origins in New Orleans to cities around the world. On it’s walls are chalk declarations, wishes, and dreams of passersby packed with humility and inspiration:
“It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day and forget what really matters to you. With help from old and new friends, Candy turned the side of an abandoned house in her neighborhood in New Orleans into a giant chalkboard where residents can write on the wall and remember what is important to them. Before I Die is a public art project that invites people to reflect on their lives and share their personal aspirations in public space. Painted with chalkboard paint and stenciled with the sentence “Before I die I want to _______”, the wall becomes an enlightening way to understand your neighbors and discover what matters most to the people around you. It creates a public space for contemplation and reminds us why we want to be alive in the world today. It’s a question that changed Candy after she lost someone she loved very much, and she believes the design of our public spaces can better reflect what matters to us as a community and as individuals. This was the basis for her graduate thesis.”
