Public art, new and old

I spent some time this morning trying to organize art photos. It really shouldn't be such a difficult thing, but because the transition to my current computer (admittedly, that was about 2 years ago) didn't go smoothly, the photos are in disarray to say the least. I found that some seemed to have gone AWOL as well, although in a very random way.

In particular, I found that I had very few pictures of the public art projects I had participated in. I spent about 45 minutes scouring Google photos, Facebook and this blog to collect images to store on my computer. Since I have just started another public art project, this is a good time to look back at the previous ones, and look forward to more.

First, the current project. Jennifer Kuhns has designed and organized a mosaic mural in memory of the victims of the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, FL on June 12, 2016. This mural will consist of hearts in the colors of the rainbow made by professional mosaic artists from around the world, and the target date for installation is June of this year, hopefully near the second anniversary of the shooting.

I wanted a recognizable heart, but not one that was just a boring regular shape, since each artist is instructed to work in only one color. I have a sheet of stained glass that is g. o. r. g. e. o. u. s. The yellow is fairly light, and slightly peachy in places, but one side is heavily textured. In cutting it for this piece it sort of reminded me of feathers, and in placing them as I did, I began to think it looked a little like angel wings. (I know - that is SOO not me to say that). It probably won't when it's finished, but it seemed like an appropriate thing for a memorial.

Jennifer has also started a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the costs of installation. Please take a moment to view the GoFundMe campaign and contribute if you can. Even if not, please share it on social media to help spread the word!

The Pulaski Polka Dot Project

The previous public project was a project to adorn the front of Wits End Mosaic Supply in Pulaski, Wisconsin. The was a drab little brick building until the mosaic artists got hold of it - check out the before and after! 

My contribution is near the lower right corner of the window on the right. Here it is before installation:

The Pulaski Polka Dot project was accepted into the Society of American Mosaic Artists annual exhibition, which coincides with the conference, currently going on in Boston. It's a very big honor to be part of a project accepted into this exhibition.

Unfurled

Lin Schorr designed this mural to adorn the blank side of Ciel Gallery in Charlotte, NC. At 13 feet long and 8 feet tall, it is a really show stopper. Fifty some artists participated, my piece being the pink and yellow petal on the far left. This photo is from the ribbon cutting - you can see it flapping in the breeze!

A close up on the section with my contribution. I was inspired by the striped tulips that made Holland famous (and later bankrupt!)

Unfurled was also accepted into a previous Society of American Mosaic Artists exhibition.

Calusa Butterfly Project

Eve Lynch designed a lovely mural for the Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium in Ft. Myers, FL. 

 

My contribution, before installation

That was a fun little trip down memory lane! Sometimes it's a good thing to step back and take stock of where you have been, before deciding where you want to go.