workshop notes
Notes in Ken's journal taken on initial discussion of what should be painted in the mural.
Some of the AmeriCorps members on Ken's roster so he could remember who was who...and one of Ken's scribbles following the explanation of dividing the panels....what?
Rene and Bill came up with initial concept of a singular large face symbolizing Frida Kahlo, but every member contributed to the parts...
The mural is to represent the SPIRIT OF FRIDA KAHLO but also symbolize southern New Mexico culture, water issues, border issues, female repression issues, ribbons, barbwire, primal masks, flora and fauna and of course the eternal Zia.
Each drawing was done by an individual AmeriCorps member but came from collaborative ideas of the whole group.
At the end of each drawing session the members would discuss what could be changed or
rearranged
Out of all the drawings one was chosen to be the next step of taking the drawing down to a scale measurement as well as add on suggestions.
Ken making a point over layout
Ken demonstrates broad brush blending.
As AmeriCorps work on large panels, Ken paints on top of demonstration panel showing wet brush, dry brush and wash techniques.
The three panels are now blocked in and over-painting has begun.
THE MURAL WORKSHOP
a project of Court Youth Center/Alma d'arte.
The workshop was created to teach the 2010-2011 AmeriCorps Member Artists at the Court Youth Center, an arts based afterschool and extending learning program for youth from 12-18, in Las Cruces, New Mexico the process of designing, creating, and completing a mural design as a collaborative process in a short-time frame.
The Court Youth Center's AmeriCorps program started in 1999 with leadership and funding from the NM Commission for Community Volunteerism and includes professional and emerging artists from New Mexico and across the United States. The artists are assigned to the Court Youth Center's art-based programs in the community, schools, and non-traditional sites. The volunteer 1,700 hours in arts related projects in arts education, art as business, and arts in the community.
This year the 12 artists are assigned to Alma d'arte Charter High School, started by the Court Youth Center in 2004, and various community collaborations. The drawings for the collaborative mural were inspired by the art career of Mexican visual artist Frida Kahlo. The mural will be highlighted at a weekend event, October 15/16 in partnership with the Branigan Cultural Center in Las Cruces. The Branigan Cultural Center has an exhibit of the photographs of Frida Kahlo by Nicholas Muray. The Court Youth Center, Alma d'arte and the Branigan are in partnership throughout the year with the AmeriCorps Member Artists integrating a number of activities with their different exhibits.
Artistic Partnership
Guest Artist--Ken Wolverton, this is a continuation of several mural collaborations between the Ken and Court Youth Center since 2001.
Court Youth Center/Alma d'arte--Irene Oliver-Lewis, Executive Artist Producer/Founder
AmeriCorps--Armena Taylor, Director
AmeriCorps Member Artists--
Kenzy Casey--Visual and Garden Arts
Shakera Crawley--Film
Bill Davis--Visual Arts (animation and ceramics)
Amy Dickinson--Theatre and Zine
Meg Freyermuth--Visual Arts
Monica Hoeper--Visual Arts
Lauren Light--Literary Arts
Marny Madden--Visual and Garden Arts
Rene Palomares--Visual Arts
Stephanie Preciado--Visual Arts
Agatha Roybal--Visual Arts (ceramics and jewelry)
Katy Taylor--Theatre
DAY ONEKen Wolverton's LECTURE/SLIDE SHOW
The project is to create a mural 8 X 12 foot within a 5 day workshop, by the 12 members of the 2010 AmeriCorps Member Artists of Court Youth Center/Alma d'Arte Charter.
This is from beginning concept, to making a scale collaborative layout of the design, to transferring the design onto three 8 X 4 foot panels, and completing a finished painting by 4:00 PM of the fifth day.
DAY TWO a project of Court Youth Center/Alma d'arte.
1. Drawing workshop/brainstorming
2. regurgitate drawings.
3. regurgitate drawings again.
The drawing below has one or two more steps before the group present the design to school officials for the go-ahead to transfer the layout to the panels. There were 13 additions to be integrated into the final scale layout.
Text to be added to banner is a quote from Frida Kahlo.
DAY THREE a project of Court Youth Center/Alma d'arte.
( Many of the following photos were taken by Katy Taylor, not Katie as embedded on pictures...there is a technical glitch on the web program/computer hopefully resolved very soon...)
1. design/graph
2.cut sections
3.line in layout by graph technique
DAY FOUR a project of Court Youth Center/Alma d'arte.
1.FREEFORALLDAY
2.Broad brush blending demonstration.
3. Drawing/painting/photo
4. Rendezvous at Scenic Overlook of Las Cruces at end of school day.
/writing/being/part
DAY FIVE a project of Court Youth Center/Alma d'arte.
1.Final individual definition.
2. Critique at 4:15 PM
3. Celebration at the HIGH DESERT BREWERY
Above is two of the last color renditions done by Agatha and Shakera. The mural a couple of hours away from the end of my projected finish...
The end of a great week celebration...
Where it all took place.
