Craft and Zine Fair March 20th at the Flying Squirrel

 Hey all you crafters, craft enthusaists zine makers and collectors...come on down!
Where : The Flying Squirrel Corner of Troupe and Clarisssa Street  in the histroric Corn Hill Nieghborhood
When : Sunday March 20th 11-5
Why : It supports local artists. all money for the sale of artist and zine makers wares will go to the artist. All the donations collected help support the Flying Squirrel. suggested 2 dollar donation at the door.
there will be free workshops lots to see and you should really check out the Flying Squirrel.
How : walk, bike or drive (plenty of parking) bus routes stop nearby.

http://flyingsquirrel.rocus.org/

Mural updates

So Ed an I worked on the mural both days during Corn Hill arts fest. We got some lookers and some feedback. One guy yelled from across the street "You do your work girl. I love that!"

I also had the pleasure of talking with the owner from Community Child Care across the street.

I spoke to one women who told me about her daughter was was an English major and her completion of a mural project. Other groups asked questions or just told each other to look at it.

We worked primarily on touch ups and outlining the lower portions on Sat and Sunday. We did some work on the middle sections as well on Sunday.

We worked on the scaffolding this last Sunday and were not alone in the parking lot as we worked. The Flying Squirrel was hosting a punk metal show that day during the same time frame we were painting. Some people were skateboarding, others were passing out "bologna Records" made from actual Bologna. Other were inflating inflatable sharks. These was an amusing crowd and having the bands as background music as I worked was cool.It was a good motivator to me as I brushed along with the rhythm.

I finally had a chance to go look at it last night in a time that I was not working on it. I went to the Flying Squirrel for a drum and hoop event instead.

I realized what things I still need to change and what things need to be finished. I am also realizing the computationally all the things people want to see it the mural are going to make it too busy. The problem is I don't want to offend anyone by not using their suggests in the painting. but it I use them all and the piece is not strong because of it what was the point?

It has proven to be a challenge for me to accept people's feedback and questions on the spot when standing in front of the mural. Most people want to know what everything is. I was told be my most recent painting teacher that A painting should speak for itself. So far this one is not. There is a conglomerate of so many different peoples visions in this project and I think that it is showing in the imagery.

I was asked last night who the people were, Why there was a fire truck and questions like "Why is that there?What is that? Why is there a tree and why is there garbage under it?" These questions are always hard to take at first and I take it personally criticizing myself as an artist. Later I realize they were well pointed and if people have to ask then I as the artist is not doing a fair enough job conveying the imagery.Trying to take so many peoples feedback into consideration and have so many people tell me what they would like to see may be taking away from the composition of the painting.

The Writing on the Wall.

We live nearby the area at which we are painting the mural. We live down the street from the Flying Squirrel. I walk the streets and think of things that could use fix up or repair. I collect things that people have left lying on the street and throw them out, recycle them, or make art out of them. There are things I love about my neighborhood and things I would like to change. I would like people who live here to have more respect for one another and each others' property. I would also like my neighbors to be friendly as I walk by. Also, as a visual minded person, I would like to see people care more about visual upkeep of the space. I see the community mural project as a first chance to make this change. I hope there will be more to follow.

I have been connecting with people who live in Corn Hill and the surrounding area by doing this mural project. I wanted this project to bring together the community, not create a divide. I want to work with and provide opportunities for people who live here to have a voice and a say in what goes on in their own community.

I see the graffiti on the walls of abandoned buildings by my house. I have seen where people have crossed out others graffiti in an attempt to outline their turf. I wanted the mural project to be a way for local people to have a chance to connect, not become further divided. I know how big the divide is from one neighborhood to another. I remember this from when I worked with youth centers in the city. I was told that kids are afraid to walk from one neighborhood to another, as they would be passing through someone else's turf. I am a recent transplant to the area so I am adjusting yet. The thing that I see is how much people are struggling here to mark the turf. I wish I could convey to people that we are all in the same boat. We are all struggling to get by, to make the rent, and to protect our homes. We are all in times of economic crisis. Hurting one another does not make this better.

I received a call on Wednesday that there was graffiti on the mural wall. My initial response was "I am not surprised.” I went to check it out and had a mixture of emotions. At first I thought "Well it is a community wall I suppose they wanted to be included. Maybe we should leave up what they had done". One thing I noted is that only areas painted by Ed or I had been marked, while the areas painted by the local children and local artists were left untouched. I might be a new face to the area but I am still part of the community. It is disrespectful to randomly mark the walls where others have worked so hard, whether that be on the mural or the recently repainted wall.

The people who purchased the Flying Squirrel have put up their own time and money to make this building a community space. A lot of time and effort has been put into renovating and repairing the building. In this project along with others who use the space we are trying to hold onto the history of the building to remember the past, acknowledge the present, and create a future there. I do not get the feeling that anyone wants to claim turf and push people out of the space. All are welcome to use the building and to paint in the mural but there should be a code of ethics, a code of trust and of honesty. I wish that whoever spray-painted the mural would appreciate that other people’s hard work and effort are going into the painting. The space has even allowed others to paint graffiti style art on the interior of the space. If you wanted to be included just ask.

Last Tuesdays mural session

They came out of the woodwork Last Tuesdays. Thanks to being verbal and welcoming to the community the community members have been coming out. Giving feedback and telling me parts of their history with the area A local resident of several years talked about his use of the space as the ELKS club.

Eight local kids from the apartment complex across the street came over to help us paint. The children were very polite and patient in watching me mix the paints. I asked one child jokingly as the all watched me."Is this better then watching TV." She said "yes". The children helped paint the squirrel and the purple on Emma Goldman's scarf.




K-Lon who has come by on other weeks who is also a community mural artist came back to add color to his piece.I spoke to another artist who wished to add a design to the piece as well.His family also came by and said hi! his mother was formerly involved with the ELKS club as well.
She was at the Flying Squirrel community center to help a friend with another project.





For any other community members who wish to allow their children to paint I will be putting up a post called "Mural permission slip" which will give more information about the project and information on the paint.

Last Tuesday was a wonderful day and it was great to interact with so many others from the community.

I hope to see and met more people when out working today.

This project was funded by a grant from The Arts and Cultural Council of greater Rochester and from the New York State legislature.

Solstice gifts

I received a bunch of mail yesterday. Christmas cards, Ed's mom sent some cookies. Then I got this envelope from Arts And cultural council....I guessed what was in it: event invitation, a request for donations, My member ship should be fine, a grant rejections letter... I opened it up. It was a grant acceptance letter!

I also contacted someone from the Flying Squirrel community center
about hanging up an art show last week. I was surprised by the response I got. Why don't you hang it up for Solstice? So I prepped work on Sunday and hung it up Monday. The show is up and will run through Jan.

This is one of the images in the show. The show is all based on images from a Tarot deck. This is "4 of Pents". They are currently 13 works present and others will follow soon.

This is also the building that we will be painting the mural on starting in March. Meetings of the mural comittee will start on Thursday nights. Here's the link for their Facebook page.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=100000140036866