Birds for Warren / Birds of Warren by William Schaff (2019)
William Schaff is a veteran of the local arts scene known primarily for his album artwork for bands such as Okkervil River, Godspeed You! Black Emperor and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. He is also the founder of Warren’s “Fort Foreclosure,” a Warren-based studio and gathering place for artists. His utility box design features hand-painted recreations of traditional Chinese paper cuts, as well as depictions of native local birds.
Fore and Aft by Holly Emidy (2021)
Holly Emidy is a native Rhode Islander who has called Warren home for over 30 years. She is an accomplished surface designer specializing in textile design. "Fore and Aft" is based on Warren's past and present working waterfront, depicting our whaling, fishing and oyster industries. Warren was once active in the whaling industry and ships were built off of Water St. The trawler, first produced in the 1920’s, was used by independent fishermen working inshore waters and is still commonly used today. Warren once had a thriving oyster industry, but the oyster beds were damaged during the hurricane of 1938. Most oyster companies never reopened, however, RI is currently restoring its coastal oyster beds. The Warren Utility Box Project is a collaboration between The Town of Warren, The Warren Arts & Culture Committee, and The Avenue Concept, a RI-based non-profit that makes public art happen. Artist IG: @hollyevolved
Scintillio by Heather Annis (2021)
Heather Annis is an artist and educator living in Providence, RI. “Scintillio” plays homage to the large pole-mounted holiday decorations that were installed in Warren along Main Street for many years. The artist recalls that they were loud and campy, unlike anything she had seen anywhere else, and the effect was magical. The box design is intentionally abstract and uses a wide palette. Although the imagery is personally evocative of Christmas for Annis, it is meant to be of universal appeal and to make aesthetic sense during any season.The Warren Utility Box Project is a collaboration between The Town of Warren, The Warren Arts & Culture Committee, and The Avenue Concept, a RI-based non-profit that makes public art happen.Artist IG: @hannisarts
Fish Tank by Connor Robinson (2021)
Connor Robinson is a Rhode Island-based artist who completed his BFA at RISD in Illustration in 2020. “Fish Tank” depicts the biodiversity of Narragansett Bay in a public space in order to showcase the many types of fish that live in the bay. Robinson’s mural features a variety of fish and sea creatures that call Narragansett and the surrounding waters home--striped bass, flounder, robin fish, sperm whale, clams, squid, bluefish and more.The Warren Utility Box Project is a collaboration between The Town of Warren, The Warren Arts & Culture Committee, and The Avenue Concept, a RI-based non-profit that makes public art happen.Artist IG: con_artist
The Seas are Rising and So are We
Location: 24 Child St, WarrenJosie Morway is a self-taught artist whose work has been featured all over the world. She currently lives in Boston. Josie’s work has been shown in museums and galleries across the US, UK, Australia, and Mexico, as well as at fairs like Scope at Art Basel Miami.Josie’s work explores both the fragility and the fortitude of the natural world, especially when facing the threat that humans pose to the environment. Josie knew that she wanted to include the saltmarsh sparrow for this mural in Warren, one of the sparrow's native breeding grounds. Saltgrass, native phragmites, and maritime marsh-elder – all important members of the ecosystem at Jacob's Point are also featured, along with the black tupelo tree’s iconic skeleton that is visible from the East Bay bike path.“The Seas are Rising and So are We” was inspired by Elizabeth Rush’s book, “Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore,” an award-winning book on climate change. Josie read this line in the book and felt it perfectly fit the theme of this installation. Josie hopes that this mural will inspire everyone to rise to the challenge of climate change. She hopes that this mural will prompt thought and conversation; both about adaptation to the inevitable effects of climate change, as well as about the efforts toward mitigation that can – and must – still be made.Material: C2 PaintArtist IG: @josiemorwaySponsors: Town of Warren, Warren Arts and Cultural Commission~TAKE A CLOSER LOOK~What is your favorite color in the mural?What stands out most to you in the mural?
Discovery by Kristin Divona
Kristin Divona is an illustrator, educator, designer, and the Visual Information Specialist for the Chandra X-ray Observatory, one of NASA’s space-based telescopes; she has a fine art studio in Warren. “Discovery” represents our exploration of our natural world and of our universe, dark and mysterious, sprinkled with wonders. We shine our light, uncovering the science, the splendor, and mystery of it. She chose a woman to represent the “scientist” or “explorer” here as a nod to the still hundreds of untold stories of women’s scientific discoveries, quite often attributed to men throughout history.The Warren Utility Box Project is a collaboration between The Town of Warren, The Warren Arts & Culture Committee, and The Avenue Concept, a RI-based non-profit that makes public art happen.Artist IG: @kristindenova
Warren's Waterfront by Adam Tracy (2019)
Adam Tracy is a painter and printmaker who lives and works in Warren. For more than twenty years he has been designing, printing, and selling apparel and accessories for his Dubs Deep brand. He is also one of the founding members of Warren’s nonprofit art organization, The Collaborative, and a high school art teacher in the Tiverton School Department. His utility box design is a celebration of Warren’s working waterfront.
Untitled (seascape) by Adam Kelley
Adam Kelley was born and raised in Providence, RI. His work uses vibrant colors and gentle, sweeping curves. Being in Warren, Kelley wanted to pay tribute to the ocean by featuring ancient aquatic life, fossils and other sea artifacts in his work “Untitled (seascape)”.The Warren Utility Box Project is a collaboration between The Town of Warren, The Warren Arts & Culture Committee, and The Avenue Concept, a RI-based non-profit that makes public art happen.Artist IG: @nightowlpress
We've Been Here: Massasoit Ousamequin and the Pokanoket Nation by The Lady J (2021)
The Lady J is a Multimedia Spectacle Generator, creating disruptive & humorous work that prioritizes cultural competency as a pillar for successful learning in the classroom. “We've Been Here: Massasoit Ousamequin and the Pokanoket Nation” features a 3/4 view of American sculptor Cyrus Dallin’s statue of the great chief, which is sited in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The Lady J worked with the current Sachem Tracey Brown on the background, which is based on the significance of Wampum with Native American tribes. Massasoit Ousamequin’s remains are buried in nearby Burr’s Hill Park. **The artist The Lady J pictured with Sachem Tracey BrownThe Warren Utility Box Project is a collaboration between The Town of Warren, The Warren Arts & Culture Committee, and The Avenue Concept, a RI-based non-profit that makes public art happen.Artist IG: theladyjbrown
Kitthan by Makerjake (2021)
Makerjake is a Massachusetts-based educator and artist well-known for his unique approach to portraiture and animals. In his professional mural practice, Makerjake integrates the iconography of his First Nations ancestors with contemporary design elements. “Kitthan” features the sun, moon, RI state, and a striped bass. Early inhabitants of the area relied heavily on fishing, and, later, the Colonial state of Rhode Island adopted the striped bass as it’s official fish.The Warren Utility Box Project is a collaboration between The Town of Warren, The Warren Arts & Culture Committee, and The Avenue Concept, a RI-based non-profit that makes public art happen.Artist IG: @makerjake
Plat 28
Location: 339 Water St, WarrenIn this vibrant mural, Greg Was Here pays homage to the rich legacy of Blount Fine Foods and the seafood industry’s history in Warren, RI, of which Blount has a long and storied presence. Rich with hidden meaning, this collage-style mural commands attention with its jewel-toned palette and bold juxtaposition of imagery. His latest body of work includes collage-like elements, as well as a layering of shapes and designs along with elements of typography, as seen in this landmark work.The white line layout corresponds to the 1949 Sanborn Plot Map of the property, at which point Greg learned that Blount Fine Foods assumed its current modern form. The 28 on the right hand side is a nod to the plot number on the map. The oldest reference in the mural is the original oyster house on the right, included for its historical context to both the waterfront and Blount. Clams for Chowder in the XX portion of the mural and is from a print block for canned clam chowder labels. The sailboat is from the Whitecap Label. Greg chose to include the airplane for Nelson Blount, who led the company to its current iteration. In Greg's words, "He seemed to be a pretty remarkable guy able to pivot and make things work always... also a wild sense of adventure. How many other seafood businesses had their own plane in the 1940's?!" The Warren text, seen on the front water-facing side of the building, is Whitecap Label brand lettering, reworked. Greg Was Here (Greg Pennisten) is a local Rhode Island artist whose childhood home bordered Warren, RI. He is a founding member of the Providence Painted Signs and an active part of the local arts community. He was instrumental in the murals which now adorn the Trinity Repertory and Marasco & Nesselbush law offices, as well as the restoration of the landmark “peeling” mural on the Hanley building, all iconic works of public art. In 2019 he led the painting of a 2500 square foot mural in memory of local artist GYER. The mural has since become a landmark within the Graffiti and Street Art communities.Material: C2 paint and Montana GoldArtist IG: _gregwashere_
