Tag: Justin Desilva

CREATIVE AWARENESS: PUBLIC ART INSTALLATIONS ON UTILITARIAN SURFACES New York Water Towers- Vancouver Silos- Gloucester Streets

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Cat Ryan submits-

SELECTION OF TEMPORARY PUBLIC ART ON EXHIBIT NOW

See just a few of many artist’s ideas through temporary public art installations on utilitarian surfaces. Different purpose, message and style.

Os Gemeos, artists and brothers, monumental silos in Vancouver.

The Water Tank Project in New York City; overtime 100 will be wrapped.

Justin Desilva’s crosswalks and James Owen Calderwood’s FISH NET in Gloucester.

UPDATE: James Owen Calderwood

James Owen Calderwood’s FISH NET was recognized as an example of one of MA extraordinary public spaces. This summer Calderwood has re-painted and expanded the mural, completing his award. Professional photographer Linimberg Oliveira of Medford was in downtown Gloucester August for a photo shoot on Parsons Street. He described being inspired by Gloucester: the heady mix of historic buildings and architecture juxtaposed with modern art, specifically James Calderwood’s public street mural, FISH NET. You can see more of Calderwood’s work on view at the group show Sting! 18 Landscapes: Between Tradition & Imagination, at the Beehive in Boston. Calderwood works with lines in a variety of media. His welded aluminum sculpture Star was selected for the 2014 SculptureNow. The historic estate of Edith Wharton, the Mount, in Lenox, MA, is the current site for SculptureNow exhibition of large outdoor sculpture, which continues through October 31, 2014. REMINDER: The sculpture exhibit is a quick 5 minute drive to the Berkshire Museum’s Butterfly exhibit featuring work by Gloucester’s multi-talented artist, Kim Smith. 

UPDATE: Justin Desilva

Justin lives and works North of Boston. People have asked: Yes. Portuguese background. (Desilva’s grandfather emigrated from the Azores. He immigrated to the US, eventually working for a plastic injection mold company. An Uncle was a fisherman). His creative crosswalks make vivid connections based on Gloucester and stories from the HarborWalk. This installation is temporary and in progress. One of the next crosswalks will be on Harbor Loop and another on the east end of Main Street. He’ll reverse the crosswalks when the installation closes.  For a walking tour of the crosswalks Click for Google map for Justin Desilva crosswalk locations . Justin’s art is inspired by Jane Jacobs and her book the Death and Life of Great American Cities: “I was moved by her attention to detail of human interaction, and the idea that neighborhoods and cities are safest when they’re walkable.”

Justin Desilva’s art installation, With Every Street there’s a Story, is the second of three new works of art commissioned by the Committee for the Arts on behalf of the City of Gloucester for the 2013 HarborWalk Public Art Challenge, with funding from the Seaport Advisory Council. Calderwood’s was the first.

block party logo

Here in Gloucester, both installations are on view during the not-to-miss 2014 Essex National Heritage Trails and Sails weekends (Sept 19-21 and 26-28), which overlap with the September 20 Gloucester Block Party Saturday. MEET THE ARTISTS: they’ll be in town September 20th for these events.  Stop by the block party for special coloring page activity sheets!trails

Public art: Justin Desilva bookmark and seagull question

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Hi Joey,

Artist Justin Desilva has completed several more crosswalks: Our Lady of Good Voyage, Lobsters, Howard Blackburn, and St. Peter’s Square.    He’s had several requests for a postcard or some take away about his temporary project. If you see him, ask for a bookmark. Some of the murals are at different stages in their installation process; you will see him going back and forth to different sites. As this project is temporary, Justin will remove his work at the conclusion of his exhibit.

There is a Google map http://goo.gl/maps/mc696 with updated locations and photographs.

Gloucester Counts Down to Kindergarten streamed across the Sawyer crosswalk. Congratulations GPS, Sawyer Free, CAM, Art Haven and YMCA in partnership with the Boston Children’s Museum for planning what looked like a stellar, joyous event.

Question: Does anyone know how to persuade the seagulls to forego their perch atop the light above the crosswalk by City Hall and Sawyer?!

Info Card 03 PRINT

Map update of Justin Desilva’s temporary crosswalks HarborWalk Public Art Challenge

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Hi Joey

Artist Justin Desilva is more than half way through his ambitious public art installation, With Every Street There’s a Story. Remember, they’re temporary, so take time to check them out.

Some of the murals are at different stages in their installation process; you will see him going back and forth to different sites. Here’s a map http://goo.gl/maps/mc696 for any updated locations andphotographs. Walkers provide the most comments and questions, which he’s really enjoying.  They talk about Gloucester mostly and they talk about art. He’s been told that his pictures were kaleidoscopic, like stained glass, the quarries, that his red reminded them of some works by Miro, or Braque and Picasso. There have been requests for a crosswalk by their street, house, and business. People driving by have stopped to park and get out of their cars to walk back and look.

Crosswalks in this post include Gorton’s HarborWalk Story Moment #27, Birdseye HarborWalk Story Moment #33, Sea Serpent HarborWalk Story Moment #19, Stage Fort Park HarborWalk Story Moment #42, Katy (from Virginia Lee Burton’s Katy and the Big Snow) HarborWalk Story Moment #30, and Hopper HarborWalk Story Moment #28.

CROSSWALK ART: next two site specific Justin Desilva public art

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Cat Ryan submits-

Hi Joey

Justin Desilva’s 20 part work of art is titled, Every Picture Tells A Story. His crosswalk art enlarges and interprets HarborWalk story moment content through a combination of digital paintings that he’s printed and combined with long stretches of color field painted sky.

Here’s one by the Gloucester Lyceum & Sawyer Free library for the Samuel Sawyer story moment #31, an abstraction of the exterior and trees.

image005 (3)

image010 (2)

Phil bikingimage011 (4)

 

Acting Director Freyja Sanger with artist Justin Desilva

image012 (4)

This one leads to the HarborWalk story post # for Temple Ahavat Achim across the street by the YMCA.

image013 (1)

image020 (1)

The dory is on Main Street. The Harborwalk story moment #24 is over on Harbor Loop.

image021 (1)

Public Art: Two more Justin Desilva crosswalks downtown Gloucester

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Cat Ryan submits-

Hi Joey

As a reminder, there will be 20 temporary mixed media crosswalks throughout downtown by artist, Justin Desilva (Rhode Island School of Design alumnus). Each one features different HarborWalk story moment content.  Special thanks to Ben’s Paint.

Here’s the TS Eliot work along the intersection of Washington Street and Main by Tallys. The HarborWalk Story Moment marker #2 featuring TS Eliot is further down on the path by St. Peter’s and Cape Ann Brewing.

image010 (1)

Comments included how the images change depending upon where and how one is looking (viewing the images through a lens, or viewfinder, from a distance, or up close).

This man thought it was fun to compare Justin’s ideas and process with Seurat and other Pointillists. The pug is unfazed by the new surface over his frequent path past Joan of Arc. The HarborWalk Joan of Arc story marker is #37. We’ll ask Justin about his ideas in another post.

image011 (3)

Today’s intermittent rain slowed down the process, but not the speed of the cars! (Drivers fly past Joan of Arc heading to the Boulevard).

Thanks to Phyllis Cucuru for spending time with us and supplying a barney trash bag. Feeling fortunate that Café Sicillia, Building Center and other businesses are open on Sunday as we had to make a couple of trips. Desilva was planning to complete Hammond Castle and one in tribute to the Dory (on Main Street by Café Sicillia and Short and Main).

Here’s the Hammond Castle site BEFORE looking down to the Boulevard and out to the harbor. There’s also a photo looking back in the direction of the Joan of Arc memorial.

image005 (1)

 

image012 (3)

image013

The 2013 Gloucester HarborWalk Public Art Challenge was a competitive, two-stage, open process established and administered by the Committee for the Arts (CFTA) on behalf of the City of Gloucester, and at the direction of Mayor Kirk and the City’s Community Development Department under Sarah Garcia. Funding for the purchase of public art was provided through a grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Seaport Advisory Council. The awards reflect discussions, community development, planning and determination to remember and work towards incorporating the creative arts broadly alongside other city efforts. Gloucester hearts art! For further information Gloucester Committee for the Arts

Have an idea? Want to get involved or volunteer? Please email friends of the HarborWalk gharborwalk@gmail.com or visit http://www.ghwalk.org

Art Update downtown: T.S. Eliot and Joan of Arc go large in Justin Desilva’s HarborWalk Public Art

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Since winning a Gloucester HarborWalk public art award, artist Justin Desilva has been busy working on maps and plans, iterations of murals, experimenting with digital printing, paint, and adhesives under varying conditions to ready his site-specific project in town this summer.

Today, Desilva’s art ideas are underfoot, literally.  Walk by the Legion and Main Street to see the first two mixed media works for his temporary public art installation, With Every Street There’s a Story. People were so positive talking with Justin as he worked. There was so much energy and great shared stories.

Over the coming weeks, there will be 20 unique and temporary, mixed media crosswalks throughout downtown. Each one will feature a HarborWalk story moment through digital art and color field painting. Desilva’s goals involve the promotion of healthier people, neighborhoods and communities.

At work on Joan of Arc

image009 (1)

image010 (1)

At work on T.S.Eliot

image011 (2)

image012 (1)

Want to help? Contact Friends of the HarborWalk  gharborwalk@gmail.com

The HarborWalk was designed by Cambridge Seven Associates for the City. Everyone helping envisioned public spaces being used by residents, employees and visitors in an infinite variety (some have started):  relaxing, working by the granite markers, meeting family, live radio broadcasts, dance pieces, fitness and movement classes, art classes, movie screenings, cook offs, restaurant vendor tastings, poetry readings, theater performances, roving music, family programs, playground in a box, field trips, partnering with seniors, tours of all scope, education, on and on. Have an idea? Want to get involved or volunteer? Please email friends of the HarborWalk gharborwalk@gmail.com or visit http://www.ghwalk.org

Cambridge Seven Associate’s design included the irresistible combination of nature juxtaposed with our industrial harbor.  The trees and blooms, sustainable butterfly gardens,  garden lectures and more are all directed by the uber talented, Kim Smith. For the gorgeous gardens Friends of the HarborWalk contact Kim Smith directly kimsmithdesigns@hotmail.com

The 2013 Gloucester HarborWalk Public Art Challenge was a competitive, two-stage, open process established and administered by the Committee for the Arts (CFTA) on behalf of the City of Gloucester, and at the direction of Mayor Kirk and the City’s Community Development Department under Sarah Garcia. Funding for the purchase of public art was provided through a grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Seaport Advisory Council. The awards reflect discussions, community development, planning and determination to remember and work towards incorporating the creative arts broadly alongside other city efforts. Gloucester hearts art! For further information Gloucester Committee for the Arts

Semi-finalist Group Exhibit Reception at the Sawyer Free Library

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Georges and Charles Ryan ©Kim Smith 2013

George and Charles Ryan, Catherine and Cliff’s twin nine-year old sons, are avid GMG readers. They particularly enjoyed the Steak Bomb Challenge posts!

Mayor Kirk HarborWalk Exhibit ©Kim Smith 2013Friday’s reception for the Semi-finalist Group Exhibit, hosted by the Sawyer Free Library and Carol Gray, was well attended and beautifully organized by Catherine Ryan. The wonderfully appetizing and tasty hors d’ourves, dips, crostini, and fruits and cheeses were provided by Matthew Beach of Beach Gourmet

Carol gray ©Kim Smith 2013 copyCarol Gray, Sawyer Free Library Director

Thank you Mayor Kirk, Carol, Catherine, and the Gloucester Committee for the Arts for the exhibit, which is interesting and very informative to see all the semi-finalists responses to the public call to art. The exhibit is up and running through July 30th at the Matz Gallery of the Sawyer Free Library. Click HERE for the Library’s summer hours.

Bartek Konieczny Family ©Kim Smith 2013Finalist Bartek Konieczny and Family

Catherine Ryan ©Kim Smith 2013Catherine Ryan

Sean and Juni Van Dyke ©Kim Smith 2013 copy

Semi-finalist Juni Van Dyke and Her Son Sean

Justin DeSilva ©Kim Smith 2013 copyFinalist Justin DeSilva

Jame Calderwood ©Kim Smith 2013 copyFinalist James Calderwood

Konieczny daughters ©Kim Smith 2013Bartek Konieczny Daughter’s

Konieczny ©Kim Smith 2013Konieczny -2 ©Kim Smith 2013.

George, Catherine, Charles Ryan ©Kim Smith 2013 copyGeorge, Catherine, and Charles Ryan

Committee for the Arts (CFTA) announces that 15 semifinalists have been selected for the first ever 2013 Gloucester MA HarborWalk Public Art Challenge

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Catherine Ryan Submits-

Hi Joey-

On behalf of the City of Gloucester , the Committee for the Arts (CFTA) announces that 15 semifinalists have been selected for the first ever 2013 Gloucester MA HarborWalk Public Art Challenge. Congratulations all!

  • James Calderwood
  • Tiffany Carbonneau
  • Anna Chirico & Dave Blakney
  • Justin Desilva
  • Andrew Thurlow & Andrew Doyle
  • Gary Duehr
  • Bartek Konieczny
  • Angelina Marino-Heidel & Joel Heidel
  • Michael McNabney & Troy Zaushny
  • Frank Morbillo
  • Laura Piraino & Lise Breen
  • James Sardonis
  • Kim Smith
  • Robert Trumbour, Anthony Sanchez, Jared Steinmark, & Alex Cabral
  • Juni Van Dyke

This national call to artists received an overwhelming response, with over 150 project ideas submitted from artists here and across the country. Judging for round 1 was done anonymously. With only 3 awards available and so many thoughtful submissions, it was necessary that round 1 require further essential review time. Competition was very strong. The CFTA was impressed by the quality and effort of so many proposals. It’s exciting and a privilege to see so many ideas, and all with a focus on Gloucester. Sincere thanks are due to all of the artists who took the time to send in applications, and we appreciate their interest and support of this call.

What stage are we in the overall process?

The semi-finalists entries are in final review by the round 2 selection panel which is tasked with selecting the 3 finalists from the group of 15 semi-finalists. The distinguished 7 member jury panel covers a cross section of expertise and excellence and includes: John Bell, Business, Civic and Political Leader, Gloucester, MA; Andrée Bober, Landmarks Museum Director and Founder, The University of Texas at Austin, TX, http://landmarks.utexas.edu/ ; Phil Cusumano, Artist and Licensed Captain, Gloucester, MAhttp://www.philcusumanoart.com/; Morgan Faulds Pike, Artist, Gloucester, MA, http://morganfauldspike.com/; Trevor Smith, Curator of Contemporary Art, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA, http://www.pem.org/; Peter Sollogub/Chris Muskopf, Architects, Cambridge Seven Associates, Cambridge, MA http://www.c7a.com/; and Jeff Weaver, Artist, Gloucester, MA, http://www.jeffweaverfineart.com/. We are grateful for the judges’ participation. We anticipate that the three winners will be announced May 2013. Soon thereafter, the Committee for the Arts will announce a special exhibition featuring all 15 semi-finalist entries and the panel’s selections (date, venue, & details are in the works). Stay tuned!