From the Daily Hampshire Gazette Aug 31, 2012: By Scott Merzbach
“Stories about Amherst will be accessible through a cellphone tour that is a culmination of this summer’s Street Art Project.
The Amherst Stories Tour, which runs through Sept. 22, features reflections from 15 residents, collected by teenagers participating in the program, which is run by the Youth Action Coalition in collaboration with the summer school at Amherst Regional High School.
The recordings include people’s comments about what makes Amherst special and their impressions of the town. The numbers to call to hear their voices can be found attached to artwork at various locations throughout downtown, such as the bench at Sweetser Park that’s decorated with yarn.
Katie Richardson, the project coordinator, said she hopes to raise money to continue the stories tour beyond this experimental phase. The tour, she said, is a trial with OnCell Systems of New York, a company that specializes in such interactive experiences. Continuing it would cost between $125 and $325 per month, she said, depending on the features involved.
Richardson said she hopes to involve youth and local artists in collecting more recordings and in making each spot on the tour more notable with art.
For more information about the project, email katie@youthactioncoalition.org.”
