April 17: Opening Night of Play Me I'm Yours

Street Pianos Are Here!

Opening night of Play Me I’m Yours Street Piano Festival is Friday April 17 on the 200 block of W Evans St. in downtown Florence beginning at 5pm. The evening will feature many of your favorite local pianists and a special guest, Edvard Veldman from The Hague in The Netherlands. The evening will conclude with a dueling pianist team Marty Richardson and Greg Cloninger.

This project is made possible by generous contributions from the Willcox, Buyck & Williams Foundation, Duke Energy, Florence-Darlington Technical College,  IGA, King Cadillac, and Magnolia Mall.

The pianos will be located throughout the city and surrounding community, including many locations downtown, Francis Marion University, Florence-Darlington Tech, Magnolia Mall. McLeod Hospital, Carolinas Hospital, Timrod Park, Veterans Park, Iola Jones Park, Red Bone Alley, the bus Stop at the Library, the bus Stop at Kmart Plaza. and locations in Lake City. For a complete list with exact locations visit our web sitestreetpianos.com/florence2015 on April 13, 2015.

The pianos will be in place through May 3. All are welcome to visit any or all the pianos and play a tune. By creating a place of exchange, Play Me, I’m Yours invites the public to engage with, activate, and take ownership of their urban environment.

April 17: Play Me I'm Yours Opening Event

Opening Event will be 5:00 – 7:30 on April 17 at the Willcox Plaza (200 block of West Evans St.)

April 17-May 3: Play Me I'm Yours Public Art Project

This street piano event is part of the project “Play Me, I’m Yours” by British artist Luke Jerram. The exhibit has been touring internationally since 2008 in locations such as New York, Boston and London and will make its debut in Florence from April 17 to May 3.

The Florence project is sponsored by the Willcox, Buyck & Williams Foundation.
“We are going to be placing about 20 pianos around Florence,” said project manager Roger Malfatti. “This is an international activity that’s being done all over the world. We’re the only place in the southern half of the country that’s going to be doing it this year.”

Malfatti said the purpose of “Play Me, I’m Yours” is to get people to create their own art, whether it is playing a piano, or decorating one.“We’re looking for people to express themselves,” said Reynolds Williams, an organizer of the project. “It can be one person or a group. We do want it to be fun art. Artists are artists, so they will decide how to express themselves.”

Williams said his main reason for wanting to bring “Play Me, I’m Yours” to Florence is that it is something everyone will be able to enjoy together.
“There are plenty of talented people in Florence. That’s one thing that brings people together,” Williams said. “All of us can enjoy music and art. The point is not to make money or raise funds; the point is to bring people of Florence together, and people of the state.”


For further information contact rmalfatti@sc.rr.com, visit our web site streetpianos.com/florence2015 and like us on Facebook  Play Me I’m Yours, Florence

January 29: Play Me I'm Yours Artist Informational Meeting

Florence, South Carolina will present “Play Me, I’m Yours” from April 17 until May 3, 2015 as part of the Willcox, Buyck & Williams Foundation’s history & culture participation squares and other public spaces for anyone to play and enjoy. Up to 25 pianos will be placed around area including downtown Florence, Florence Darlington Tech, Magnolia Mall, Timrod Park, Veterans Park, Lake City and others. 

There are still opportunities for artists to decorate the pianos. An organizational meeting will be held on January 29, 2015 at 6 PM in the Art Trail Gallery (corner of Irby and Evans Sts.}. Those interested should email Project Manager Roger Malfatti – rmalfatti@sc.rr.com.

This street piano event is part of the project “Play Me, I’m Yours” by British artist Luke Jerram. The exhibit has been touring internationally since 2008 in locations such as New York, Boston and London. Florence is the only location in the South East United States

Call for Artists, Pianos and Locations

Touring internationally since 2008, Play Me, I’m Yours is an artwork by British artist Luke Jerram. Reaching over six million people worldwide – more than 1,300 pianos have already been installed in 45 cities across the globe, from New York to London, bearing the simple instruction ‘Play Me, I’m Yours’. Around April 15 street Pianos will appear in Florence and remain until May 3, 2015. They will be located throughout the city and  will be available for any member of the public to play and enjoy. The Street Pianos will be personalized and decorated by local artists.

Play Me. I’m Yours has an exceptional reach as a major piece of public art. The event began in 2008 in Birmingham, UK and has been produced in London, New York, Grand Rapids, MI, Paris, Albany, NY, Boston, Omaha, Glasgow and many more towns. Disrupting peoples’ negotiation of their city, Street Pianos are “designed to provoke people into engaging, activating and claiming ownership of their urban landscape”, says one of the organizers Reynolds Williams,  Like a musical equivalent of Facebook, Street Pianos provide an” interconnected resource for the public to express themselves meet new friends and build upon the community.”

Florence organizers are currently seeking locations, pianos and artists. Locations will be throughout the city, downtown, in parks, shopping centers and any where people gather. We welcome playable pianos as donations to this project. They will be kept and cared for, for future year events. Any artist interested in decorating a piano is encouraged to send us short letter of interest about your works. Inquiries should be sent to rmalfatti@sc.rr.com.

'Visit www.streetpianosflorence.com for more information about the project.'