Sarah Massey, (202) 518 6186, sarah@massey-media.com

Thursday July 9, 2009

The Public Artist's Toolkit

(Washington, DC, July 9, 2009) - One gallon of paint covers 300 square feet. To paint the Edgewood mural, the 45 DC young participants from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Summer Youth Employment program will need 17 gallons of paint to cover 5100 square feet. This week, the participants tackled the big the task of planning for a large-scale mural and learned that it will require more than just a can of paint. The young people will also need to find sponsors and determine all the supplies they will need to transform their blank wall into a work of art. 

Under the direction of Albus Cavus, a public arts non-profit and artists Pose 2, Quest Skinner, Joshua Mays, Decoy, and Chor Boogie, the 45 participants used the public artists’ toolbox to hammer out their vision for the mural that will run alongside the Metropolitan Branch Trail near the Rhode Island Metro stop. They discussed the best way of putting their own personalities in paint by drawing on sketchpads and reading poetry. In the afternoon, though, the lesson turned to logistics and planning: how do you determine how much paint you need? What supplies will be necessary? How do you approach and speak with potential sponsors in the neighborhood? 

With a giant tape measure, the artists and participants cordoned off the mural wall, counting blocks and measuring feet. A piece of chalk enabled the practice of long division and multiplication. "This program is not only about painting the mural; it's about equipping DC’s young people so they can take these skills and do this in their neighborhood," Albus Cavus director Peter Krsko explained. One of the goals of the Edgewood Mural project has been to provide the participants with a toolkit and curriculum for creating their own future public art projects. 

The next task for the Edgewood mural team is garnering more support and sponsorship. In teams of four, the young participants practiced their request pitches on one another and were mindful to stay positive and keep it brief. Pose 2 reminded his group, "You're a team." No one would be working alone. The teams sought gift cards, painting supplies, water and food from churches and stores. Participant Amma Owusu reflected that the day's experience showed them "the steps of action you need to take to get to the final product." The program is teaching the participants the steps and behind-the-scenes work that it takes to put together large-scale projects before a paintbrush is even picked up. 

During this experience, the project team continues its interaction and conversation with the community online through their crowdsourcing website, Create Public Art DC (http://createpublicartdc.ning.com/ ). Here the young people and artists communicate their personal vision through photos, forums, and blog posts, while collecting the ideas that the community has posted. For the participants, the mural is more than a picture on a wall; it is a process that will be greater than the sum of its parts and equip them with yet another skill for success. 

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For interviews and high resolution photos, please contact Massey Media at 202 518-6186 

This media email is the third in a series that will report on the Albus Cavus Summer 2009 Edgewood Mural Project that will conclude in mid-August. Up next week: the Edgewood Mural project team tackles artistic techniques.

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