A Muralist is Born

The Mural Training Program exhibition opened on Wednesday, June 11 with a reception honoring the artists. The opening reception, hosted at the s Lincoln Financial Mural Arts Center (1727-29 Mt. Vernon Street), allowed artists’ friends and family the chance to view a piece of their original work. This highly selective program allows artists with strong foundations in painting and studio art the opportunity to adapt their skills towards public mural creations.

The artists are taught by master muralist David McShane who has been working with Mural Arts for about ten years. McShane finds his enthusiasm for teaching in the possibility of sharing his experiences with those in a place he can recall being in himself;  “I got my start with Jane [Golden] and she taught me and guided me through some things that someone who was just starting out wouldn’t know all that much about. What’s so great about this program is that I get to do the same and sort of pass the torch on to others,” he said.
The six artists who completed the program this year are Jeanne Cohen, Joann Kim, Karina Puente, Bilal Smith, Chad Stern, and Kevin Willsey. The participants traveled from near and far in order to train with highly skilled muralists. The program allowed these already talented individuals the chance to gain new knowledge in public mural making skills as well as an in-depth look at the intricate processes, materials, and techniques necessary to work on a large scale mural project. Each artist then proposes a mural concept to the class and works on creating either a small portion of the image or the whole design on a large scale canvas. The group is also given the opportunity to work with an experienced artist on a commissioned project in order to better understand the collaborative efforts of producing a community-based mural.

The shift from their previous mediums to large scale works of art is  not an easy one, however. Artist Joann Kim recalls the struggles she faced while working on her piece. “I tried painting on the wall but my arms started hurting. So, then I tried painting on the floor but my back started hurting! The reality of a large canvas is really something that takes getting used to.”

The exhibition will be on display from June 11 through July 2 during gallery hours (9am-5pm) and by appointment.

Image: Artist Joann Kim and friend display her finished mural concept, “The Dinner Table”.