*More images and info of this project on my main "works" page.
Boston University wanted an original, site-specific piece of artwork for the lobby of a new building. I was made aware of this opportunity from a professor who was still at the school. I had a few meetings with BU's facility personnel (who wanted the artwork) and an arts intermediary to learn about the project, take photos of the site, etc. I then prepared a visual proposal using photoshop to demonstrate about ten different ideas I had for the lobby.
This idea was selected from a number of other proposals, which I then had to develop- composing the imagery (I used high-res scans of some of my smaller prints, which you can see on my main site), making a master digital file, researching materials, and working with a commercial printer to test materials and print methods.
Teaming up with an institution that had more resources and connections than I had on my own gave me this wonderful opportunity to take my tiny prints and develop them into a new, very large piece of art that is seen by hundreds of people every day.
"Because of 26" mural: After the Sandy Hook tragedy, I read in the local paper that there was a group that was trying to organize a mural to honor all the victims. I used Facebook to contact one of the women in the group who had been quoted in the paper. I offered my services and they accepted. The main part of the mural was painted by two artists. 26 individual artists were given pre-cut wooden plaques on which to paint a butterfly (one for each victim). My responsibility was to pick up my plaque, paint my butterfly and return it by the deadline so it could be mounted to the mural. During a big community event in which anyone and everyone was invited to help, I assisted for several hours to get the mural finished and also helped direct young or first-time painters.
This mural is also part of Southington's Rail to Trails Linear Path beautification project. The Linear Path is a paved path, using the old train railways, for people to walk, bike, etc. The arts council works with local businesses to get permission to clean up behind their buildings and to paint murals on the back of the buildings.
The butterfly and general aesthetic of the project are not something I would choose to do in my personal work, but my goal was to contribute to this community effort in whatever manner they wanted me to.
Bike Parade 2013: Southington's art council was raising funds to renovate an old, historic building into an arts center. The Bike Parade was a fundraiser in which the art council received abandoned bikes from the police department, found artists who could turn the bikes into functional art, and matched the artists with purchasers. The artists received a commission fee and the rest of the purchasers' fees went toward the art center.
I was offered this job because I had volunteered my skills and time to the Because of 26 mural, and the organizers thought I would be good for this fundraiser. I worked with the person who purchased my bike to develop an idea that would be to his taste. He wanted something minimal- an embellished bike. I used paint, corrugated plastic (for the wheel covers), and the inside of security envelopes (cut and collaged for their different colors and patterns) to make my piece.
This project was really enjoyable for me because I am a bike enthusiast and the idea of collaging security envelopes was one that I had for a long time but it didn't fit into my main body of work. This was a fun opportunity to explore those new ideas and techniques. The event organizers also taught us proper techniques to seal our art and make it weather proof, so I learned something new and useful.
All the art bikes rode in the Apple Harvest Parade as further promotion of the proposed art center.
The new art center, now named Southington Community Cultural Arts, recently opened and has started holding classes and events.
Art on the Marquee, Dec 2015: Please see my main page for more images and info about this project.
Art On the Marquee is a public art initiative that is put together by Boston Cyberarts and the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority. They periodically invite artists or put out an open call for proposals to develop unique video pieces that utilize there one-of-a-kind, 7-screen, LED marquee outside the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.
I earned the commission by submitting to one of their open calls. I was selected based on my proposal, which included a written statement about the work and its concept, a visual mock-up of how I would used the 7 screens (a flat image as well as clips of the video I intended to use), and my resume.
This was a tremendous experience. By partnering with these organizations and this project, I was able to make a unique piece of work that I otherwise would not have developed, was seen by thousands of people, and was another way for my usually small work to be blown up literally larger than life. You can see this marquee 1 mile down the road!!!
I recently submitted another proposal but was not selected this time. I plan to submit again in the future.
The Mattatuck Museum is an art and regional history museum in Waterbury, CT. I have taught studio classes at the museum and through the museum at other sites. One site was in Waterbury Public Schools. Through a state grant in 2015, WPS was able to partner with the museum to offer the students an after-school Art Club, in which they were able to use materials not typically available to them, visit the museum several times, and receive special lessons from visiting artists. I was one of those visiting artists.
My collaborating teacher at Bunker Hill School enjoyed working with me, so when WPS received a different state grant this spring for Project Art Night, I was offered the job of Teaching Artist at two of the schools.
The Project Art Nights were made possible through a special grant meant to foster student and parent engagement with the arts. Each school had a different theme that was particularly relevant to them and had several stations of interactive art based on their theme. Teaching artists were brought in as a special feature to give the students an opportunity to interact with a professional artist from the community as well as to provide special skills to develop a large-scale, collaborative art project that would expose students to a new art form and/or give them the opportunity to work with materials and ideas they do not normally receive at their school.
Because my primary discipline is painting, for each school, I designed and prepared the underpainting for a 5x10' mural that the students (pre-K through 5th grade) helped paint during the special evening event. The finished murals are now hung permanently in the schools.
Bunker Hill School's theme was Mexican Arts, so the mural incorporated Dia de los Muertos imagery, Spanish/Mexican lace, and lots of bright colors. I really enjoyed working on this mural because the theme and aesthetic is something I would design for my own personal work.
Regan School's theme was a vegetable garden. This design is not something that I would do in my personal work, but it was enjoyable to make something I knew the kids would be excited about and that tied into things they were learning in school.
Dave Therault, a videographer and Waterbury resident, filmed and cut two different videos about the Project Art Nights that recently aired on local TV.