Do Better Project – Middlesboro, Kentucky
So the idea came to us one Saturday in September 2015 while we were borrowing a power washer from a friend. When taking the nasty grime off of our retaining wall, what if by not removing a small amount we left a message behind?
We had seen other examples of elaborate patterns being created through similar techniques elsewhere. One technique that we admired grew moss to create images on wall surfaces. This was a bit too ambitious for us though making a reverse powerwashing image was easy and fun.
So once we had the idea, naturally we had to figure out what the message would be. As it happened a lot was going on at the time. Our first ever Levitt AMP concert series had just started providing weekly concerts on a vacant lot that had been transformed by laying sod and building a stage. A contentious election was being held a few days later to decide whether to repeal prohibition of alcoholic beverages that had been in existence for 60 years and allow wine and beer to be sold by the glass in local restaurants. Then at a personal level we were about to get a new roof.
So whatever message we chose would work on multiple levels. As the idea took hold and I started writing the first letters the first word came fairly easily – BETTER. Where I had some uncertainty is what to put before better? A few ideas circulated of “Do Better,” “Be Better,” or just “Better.” After consulting with my wife we agreed to put up “Do Better.” She made me agree we’d take it down a few weeks later though so we did not become known as the Do Better house and I agreed.
So with that, the “Do Better” reverse powerwashing project was born. As a postscript we did get a new roof, the Levitt series is now in its third year in 2017 having secured $75,000 in grants and more than $225,000 in additional funding, and prohibition was repealed a few weeks after these words went up.
