We are excited to support one of our members – Stephanie McCarthy, who recently participated in a mural workshop at ShelterCare. Read about her experience below!
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I remember August 16 as a warm morning with clear skies, but more importantly it was the day that I participated in the mural workshop, hosted by a local artist and musician, and Hip Hop MC. It was located at the local nonprofit, ShelterCare, which aids in emergency shelter and support services for families and also provides transitional support programs; the perfect setting for community art! Super cool. The mural artist, Valentina Gonzalez, has vast experience in mural design management and is committed to supporting community activities and has worked with an array of youth and social service programs. She shared her knowledge of the art of spray painting, and of using different techniques and varying paint companies. I mean, who knew the colloquial lingo used in graffiti art? Like how to use the “can” and that graffiti artists are called “writers”? This is seriously cool stuff right here- experiencing a rebel with a cause, a rebel with incredible stories told through her need to write permanently on private property. This form of expression is indeed hard to remove and is maybe the basis of its appeal. The workshop covered how to plan out a mural, and the effects and necessities of layering the paint. She told us some history of the art form, how spray paint used to be 2 bucks a can and how she would waste a lot of paint figuring new ways to utilize the pigment. A punk at heart, Valentina was very warm and not apologetic about her pestering past; her knowledge and control of the can was inspiring as was her passion for the act.
The mural is a piece of art yes, but it is a bit different than other works of art- simply put, it is in the community, every day and all day for people to see. We know this, but when we think beyond the virtues of pigment, we realize that for the artist, this is a constant. Why do people make art… for their own motivation? For private perspective or public display? We can agree that there is a blurred line between private and pubic, and with this comes varying motivations and perceptions. A mural artist knows this, and most especially, one that is a graffiti artist. At its core, graffiti is a subversive act in the community, one that alludes to going out at 2am with an eye out for the red and blue flashing lights. Stereotyping? Maybe, but therein lies truth. Using the mural as a vehicle for creative graffiti art creates this sense of rebellion but also a sense of community, through the mere fact of it being there, to stop and stare, to SEE. It is making a commitment to the community that the art will be there for all to see. It was an awesome coincidence that during our time at the workshop, the Lane Arts Council’s Whiteaker Mural Bike Tour was happening; a guide took a group of people around to many of the murals found throughout the Whittaker. This is another reason for the mural as a community shaper! But aside from that, the group stopped to visit the site and Valentina spoke about the project, and the group was able to see a mural in progress, and speak with the artist producing the work. Very interactive.
As an artist myself, and for those who are artists, it can be easy to be private with our work. It can be easy to produce it and not do anything with it. But we must remember that when the opportunity comes, that to share your knowledge can benefit those around you through the sheer visibility of it. As an arts administrator, as a business owner, as a member of the community, just remembering that you can partner with an artist to make your space more engaging within the community can be a harmonious tool to have up your sleeve. Using that spare wall for another mural workshop, or lending a large space in front of your building to host a craft project in the community. Thinking about ways in which to incorporate community interests with local businesses and how to communicate with art is an essential part of any city’s’ interest.
I hope people remember how a mural speaks in a public space. Public art serves a purpose within the community to create moments of wonder, moments of separation from the city space, and moments to reactivate our imagination. I hope we remember that community art supports a community’s ability to engage its inhabitants and to promote creative interspaces within city limits.
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“The best things in life right now are coffee, imagining myself skiing, and figuring out how to be creative.”
Stephanie McCarthy is a tad rebellious herself, and though she prefers to not disrupt private property, finds much joy in creating subversive illustrations for all to see. Moving from Grand Rapids, Michigan to attend the University of Oregon, Stephanie is in her second year of Graduate school majoring in Arts Management with an emphasis in media. With her BFA in illustration, it is no wonder why mural artists and the graffiti scene are so appealing!