Shapes of Togetherness: Tile Mural Unveiling

Name: Shapes of Togetherness: Tile Mural Unveiling
Start: 2024-11-15T15:00:00-05:00
Location: 69 North St, Pittsfield, MA 01201-5154, United States

Schedule

Fri Nov 15 2024 at 03:00 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

69 North St, Pittsfield, MA 01201-5154, United States | Pittsfield, MA

SHAPES OF TOGETHERNESS, a new mural, will be unveiled on Friday, November 15 at 3 PM on Burbank Place at the corner of North Street in Pittsfield, and the public is invited to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony. The Pittsfield Let It Shine! Public Art Partnership, under the direction of Artist in Residence Huck Elling, worked with students at Pittsfield High School to create a Tile Mural. The celebration will begin at 2:35 PM when the student artists will begin walking from Pittsfield High School to the mural. The formal ribbon cutting will be at 3 PM at Burbank Place.
This Tile Mural was inspired by artist Pallavi Sen of Williams College. The title - “Shapes of Togetherness” - comes from the collection of shapes that make up the design, the process that inspired the students along the way, and the sense of togetherness they felt. The location was selected because of its proximity to the Beacon Cinema, a place where students often frequent. The students were motivated to transform the dark, graffitied space into a destination for friends, family and visitors to Pittsfield. Local artists Jim Horsford and Daniel Bellow assisted in kiln firing the tiles, and Justin Nackoul is credited with the installation of the mural on Burbank Place.
“The Let It Shine! mentoring programs grew from feedback provided by community members and project funders, in search of enriched arts and educational opportunities for young people and Pittsfield based artists”, said Artist in Residence Huck Elling. “The mentorship programs work within the Pittsfield Public Schools and independently within the community, with the goal of educating young artists and engaging in projects that enhance a sense of place and belonging.”
“The PHS project has taken place with visits from local artists twice a week at the school and has given students insight about how public art is made, from designs, to grant writing, to getting permission from building owners, and the process of making the art itself.”
Students from Pittsfield High School who participated were happy to give feedback on the project and the process.
“I liked having another creative outlet, painting tiles, and learning more about art in general,” said Claire Meighan, she/her, grade 10. “I want people to know that a lot of love and work was put into this mural, by many different people, including students. Projects like this are important to students because they have an impact on the community, and we get to be part of making something that is beautiful and brings joy.”
“I liked going out and interacting with different members of our community, in and out of school, and working on something we can all enjoy,” said Kenny Davis, she/her, grade 12. “I want people to know that this mural was made in and out of school and it brought many wonderful people together. We learned about design, writing grants, doing the work, installing, and it’s all important. We don’t get taught this in school, and it has been a great chance to know more about how to apply art in our community. I think having more opportunities like this, to do things we don’t yet understand, will make us more confident and ready to work in the art world.”
“In this project, I liked learning about different forms of art and making art come to life,” said Dennis, they/them, grade 12. “I want people to see how people can unite to keep art alive while also bringing color to places so gray. Through projects like these we can put light into the world and come together to create peace.”
The Let It Shine! mission is rooted in making art accessible to all, building confidence in Pittsfield, and creating stronger ties between residents and their downtown. The Let It Shine! Public Art Partnership is a group of Pittsfield-based community members from Downtown Pittsfield, Inc./Downtown Pittsfield Cultural Association (fiscal agent), City of Pittsfield Office of Cultural Development, Pittsfield Artists in Residence: Huck Elling and Jesse Tobin McCauley, and Mill Town Foundation who have formed to organize public art and revitalization on North Street, empowered by organizing efforts through MassDevelopment’s TDI. MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) is a program for Gateway Cities designed to accelerate economic growth within focused districts.
This year, Let It Shine! is operating a mentoring program in the Pittsfield Public Schools surrounding downtown with the goal of educating young artists and building bridges between young people and downtown in ways that boost economic vitality. Public art is being created with and by local youth in ways that engage children with themes of activism, environmentalism, and entrepreneurship.
Let It Shine! expresses gratitude for support from its major 2024 sponsors: Mill Town Foundation, Lee Bank, a grant awarded by Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation's Arts Build Community initiative with funding from the Barr Foundation, Fiegenbaum Foundation, TDI Local funding from MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative, Pittsfield Cultural Council, NBT Bank and General Dynamics. A special thank you is extended to NBT Bank for their support of this project and to Rich Altman and Adam Hersch of Cavalier Central Block, LLC for granting permission to install the “Shapes of Togetherness” mural on their building.