You Are My Sunshine by Michael Ezzell (2024)
Material: C2 PaintArtist IG: @eezzllSponsors: Point 225, Wexford Science & Technology~TAKE A CLOSER LOOK~What does this mural mean to you?Does it inspire you? If so, why?How do the colors make you feel?
Alejandra Linstrom, "Giver of Life"
Utility box artist statement:Many living beings, including humans, have depended on Alewife as a food source. Not only food in itself, Alewife has also provided important nourishment for vital crops when used as a fertilizer. The Three Sisters -- maize (corn), beans and squash -- were staple crops for indigenous communities in the Northeast for hundreds of years prior to the arrival of Europeans. Seeds for these three plants, along with dead fish were buried together in mounds of soil. Growing symbiotically, corn stalks provide a support for bean plants to climb, pole beans pull nitrogen from the air to enrich the soil, and squash protects the plants from critters while also shading the ground, helping to retain moisture and prevent weeds. These three plants, along with fish or meat provide a balanced and nutritious diet. About the artist: Alejandra grew up in Providence and like a true Rhode Islander swore she would leave, but is still here. Her mixed media art is a fusion of a love for plants, color, and pattern born from growing up in a home filled with Central American folk art and Guatemalan and Swedish culture. Alejandra lives in Providence with her spouse Peter, two kids, three cats, and many plants. She is an art teacher in Providence at 360 High School.Material: C2 Paint, Montana Gold Spray PaintArtist IG: @alejandraeloiza~TAKE A CLOSER LOOK~What do you think of the colors and their symbolism?When you walk around the utility box, what do you make of the connection between different surfaces?Which element do you like the most?
Natasha Brennan
Utility box artist statement:My design emphasizes the incredible movement of alewife. Their movement around and through barriers to make their way up the eastern coast of the United States is inspiring. I’ve designed and created portals for the fish to seem to move through around the box. About the artist: Natasha Brennan is an illustrator and print maker who focuses on zines, art for children, posters, and community based projects. They graduated from RISD with a BFA in Illustration and a concentration in Literary Arts in 2020. In their free time, they write stories, explore Providence, knit, and dream of secret special places. Currently, they are an Artist in Residence at the Dirt Palace. Material: C2 Paint, Montana Gold Spray Paint~TAKE A CLOSER LOOK~What do you think of the artist's depiction of movement?When you walk around the utility box, what do you make of the connection between different surfaces?How do the colors and elements make you feel?
Kiara Costa and Alex Sok
Utility box artist statement:Collaborating on the design of this box was great because I feel like the concept of the design is essentially about two very different things coming together. I enjoy that the design reflects both the clashing and marriage of natural and urban life. Alex Sok’s creation of an earthy, goddess-like figure contradicts my commuter train design inspired by Alewife Station of the Boston “T” red line. The theme of the boxes are about Alewife fish, and while they are heavily present in our design, I like to think the bigger picture is about how we as a city affect natural life and what we can do to help support wildlife like the Alewife fish thrive.About the artist:Kiara Costa is a multimedia artist living in Providence, RI. Costa is self-taught and has been expressing herself through art since early childhood. Her greatest inspirations are drawn from pop culture, nostalgia, her community and her own personal experiences. Using mediums ranging from watercolor, acrylic paint and markers, and textiles Costa has created bold and colorful portraits of iconic figures. Recently, Costa has been able to turn most anything into a canvas; painting and drawing on USPS postage labels, bar receipts and embroidering on furniture. Material: C2 Paint, Montana Gold Spray Paint~TAKE A CLOSER LOOK~Which elements stand out most to you? What do you think they signify?What do you make of the contrasting elements within the artwork?How does the work make you feel?
Shaena Soares
Utility box artist statement:I decided to create a box that showed the cycle of how the alewife spawn from the ocean into the fresh waters. It shows the phytoplankton that they eat while in the ocean. And once they transition to fresh water and spawn, the eggs turn into guppies. Once they die off, the heron birds feed off of them. All in all, the fish are important to our ecosystem and I wanted to create an interpretation of that importance. About the artist:Shaena is a freelance artist who has been drawing and painting since age 15, along with digital art work. She also does Native American beadwork as a hobby. She is a mother of five, showing her children they can pursue their passion no matter their age or interest. Material: C2 Paint, Montana Gold Spray PaintArtist IG: @shaena87~TAKE A CLOSER LOOK~Which elements stand out most to you? What do you think they signify?When you walk around the utility box, what do you make of the connection between different surfaces?How do the colors make you feel?
Isabel Bronston Joseph, "Share the Road"
Utility box artist statement:A dam which blocks the path of herring from sea to their original spawning rivers is an example of hostile architecture. I am interested in how infrastructures that restrict and harm other species mirror the structural inequalities in our own city so often taken for granted in the interest of social control and profit. My work is currently focused on using science fiction premises to interrogate my problems with critical distance, for example reflecting on my experiences working in the service industry for the past five years, which puts in stark relief the labor conditions behind urban conveniences. Another inspiration has been my medical transition and its many bureaucratic gatekeepers. My body has been built for me by and with the permission of cisgender people, a process which has illuminated many barriers to communication and self- advocacy. Crucially, I am a multi-privileged person with a sufficient safety net to transition anyways. Those same privileges disincentivize structural critique, steering attention away. This painting is a night scene because night is when the most bugs and animals roam the city. It depicts a street seen from the ground, at the level of amorphous fleshy critters. The human figure pictured is an oblivious giant tripping over their avenue, spilling litter in its wake. I’m contriving the lens of an animal witness to consider mechanisms that hinder solidarity.About the artist:Isabel Bronston-Joseph (they/them/he/him) was raised in Burlingame CA and currently resides in Providence RI. They hold a BFA in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design (2019). Isabel treads multiple formal craft histories to consolidate their gay transsexual problems into discrete paintings, knitwear, and sculptures.Isabel employs systems of abstraction and obstruction that communicate to their audience an expectation of endurance. Looking longer yields greater rewards. Dense graphic imagery forecloses the distinction between decoration and narration. They are interested in worker solidarity, cognitive distortions, esteem, movies, chess, running, and cooking. Material: C2 Paint, Montana Gold Spray PaintArtist IG: @bizzzbj~TAKE A CLOSER LOOK~Which elements stand out most to you? What do you think they signify?What do you think it takes to plan a multi-surface work such as this?What emotions or thoughts do the colors evoke for you?
Joanna Vespia, "Natural(istic) Intelligence"
"Natural(istic) Intelligence", by local RI-artist Joanna Vespia, combines portraiture with sea life and stylized oceanic references. Joanna chose to make the face black and white with subtly colored eyes to symbolize the idea of awareness, or seeing our surroundings with fresh eyes and deeper understanding.The portrait is meant to be universal and act as a stand-in for the viewer, but is based upon the actress who plays Eleven in the show "Stranger Things". Joanna sees this as a layer of hidden meaning for fans, who will recognize the significance of choosing an actress from a series that shows how when humans manipulate nature too much things can go terribly wrong.The octopus symbolizes beauty and great intelligence that surrounds us in nature. Joanna shares, "They're a creature that scientists are still working to understand, just like even after all of human history we are still working to understand this planet we live on and our part in it...and I also just think they're really awesome!" The entire mural has an ocean/water type theme in honor of Providence's location and connection to the water with the pattern being loosely water/wave inspired.This mural was made possible by Brokers Service Marketing Group with special thanks to Jason Lea, and Flipp Salon Apothecary with special thanks to Jo-Anna Cassino.Material: C2 Paint, Montana Gold Spray PaintArtist IG: @joannavespia_ismynameSponsors and Partners: Brokers Service Marketing Group, Flipp Salon Apothecary~TAKE A CLOSER LOOK~What does this mural signify in your view?What do you think the movement in the image signifies?Does it inspire you? If so, why?How do the colors make you feel?
Fu'una, "Portrait of Yayoi Kusama"
Fu’una features Yayoi Kusama, an avante-garde sculptor, painter, and one of the most renowned living artists still working today. Her practice centers around immersive installations, sculpture, painting, and fashion. Fu’una chose to feature Kusama’s iconic polka dots, which feature throughout her mixed media practice. The dots appear in one of Kusama’s often used palettes of black and yellow. The portrait is based upon a more recent photograph that celebrates the artist’s bold personal style.“Forget yourself. Become one with eternity. Become part of your environment.” - Yayoi KusamaAbout the artist:Fu’una is primarily a two-dimensional artist specializing in murals and soft pastel. While stylistically fluid, her artwork is most easily recognized for its sensitivity and expert use of color, and animals and botanicals often appear in her work. Material: C2 Paint, Montana Gold Spray PaintArtist IG: @_fuuna_Sponsors and Partners: ZDS inc.~TAKE A CLOSER LOOK~What do you think of the artist's use of color?What feelings does the subject's expression evoke for you?
Joanna Vespia, "Portrait of Alma Thomas"
Joanna Vespia chose to feature Alma Thomas, who emerged in the 1960s as an exuberant colorist, abstracting shapes and patterns from the natural world around her, particularly trees and flowers. Her eventual palette and technique—considerably lighter and looser than in her earlier representational works and dark abstractions—reflected her long study of color theory and the watercolor medium. Thomas became an important role model for women, African Americans, and older artists. She was the first African American woman to have a solo exhibition at New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art. Vespia chose to show the artist active in her craft and rendered in monochrome as a foil to the rainbow spectrum of colors featured in her artwork.“Through color, I have sought to concentrate on beauty and happiness, rather than on man's inhumanity to man.” - Alma ThomasAbout the artist:Joanna Vespia is a Rhode Island artist with strong connections to the local art and music scene. She maintains a focus on realism and nature in her works. Her technical command of both brush and spray paint media are hallmarks of her practice and strongly evidenced in her piece for this project. Material: C2 Paint, Montana Gold Spray PaintArtist IG: @joannavespia_ismynameSponsors and Partners: ZDS inc.~TAKE A CLOSER LOOK~What is the subject doing?What do the varying color schemes in the image signify to you?How does the portrait make you feel?
Fu'una, "Portrait of Georgia O'Keeffe"
Fu’una chose to feature Georgia O’Keeffe, one of the most significant artists of the 20th century, best known for her paintings of the New York skyline, radical and enlarged flowers, and the New Mexico landscape, where she lived for the later part of her life. Fu’una juxtaposed a late portrait of the artist depicted in her iconic clothing against a detailed view of an earlier 1945 painting.Of the work, Fu’una describes: “Georgia is considered one of the most photographed artists of all time. Even after a century her style has an enduring impact… When she moved to New Mexico, her focus shifted to the natural environment and she did several pieces of abstracted bones. This background piece is a well known painting from that series.”"I had to create an equivalent for what I felt about what I was looking at – not copy it." Georgia O’Keeffe About the artist:Fu’una is primarily a two-dimensional artist specializing in murals and soft pastel. While stylistically fluid, her artwork is most easily recognized for its sensitivity and expert use of color, and animals and botanicals often appear in her work. Material: C2 Paint, Montana Gold Spray PaintArtist IG: @_fuuna_Sponsors and Partners: ZDS inc.~TAKE A CLOSER LOOK~What do you think of the subject's posture and expression?What do the background colors and pattern in the image signify to you?How does the portrait make you feel?
Greg Was Here, "Confluence"
In partnership with The Avenue Concept, local artist Greg Was Here painted a new large-scale mural reflecting the 19th century river trade history on the facade of Trader Joe’s on South Main Street. The Port of Providence, which is still active today and New England's second biggest deep water port, was Providence’s epicenter from the late 1600s to the early 1900s and the hub for all major trade imports. After passing through the port, goods then continued north to Providence on the river and were distributed from the warehouses that lined the river’s banks.Greg felt like Trader Joe's, as a neighborhood grocery with a community focus, continues that legacy by providing market goods in today's incarnation of trade. The Providence location is in direct proximity to both the Providence River and harbor. Both factors led to Greg's focus on the 19th century river trade history--the last heyday before trains took over as the primary vessel for goods’ distribution in the early 20th century.The array of goods represented in the signage is a nod to the multitudinous offerings at Trader Joe’s, from fresh produce, dry goods, specialty items, meats & seafood, to household and personal care products. The overall composition is a collage of real and imagined advertising materials primarily from the 19th century, some presented quite literally, while others have been reimagined to include hidden messages: – In his research, Greg discovered that Pronto Market was the name of the original convenience store that evolved into Trader Joe's. The runner banners across the top of both the large side wall and front wrap around are a mashup nod to TJ's history and the historical marketing signs used by all Providence River Warehouses to advertise their goods.– The image of an ad for corn is based upon a Munsey’s Crystalized Popcorn business directory print ad. Greg, however, changed the language to reference the Indigenous community whose land contemporary Providence occupies and the type of corn (Flint) that the Narragansett people cultivated then and continue to grow today. The address included references Ashawaug Farm, a nearby contemporary Narragansett-run farm open to the public. – Callouts to old port industries have been rendered to look like ghost signage–old and fading advertising text painted on exterior building walls–and done in the iconic Trader Joe’s font.– The composition includes a Narragansett Bay Oyster Company of RI trade card repurposed as handbill/street poster. This was originally a painted trade card. Trade cards were a hugely popular form of advertising in the 1800s. Their popularity peaked between 1870-1900 with the advent of color lithography. In the early 20th century, they were replaced with magazine advertisements as the primary format for marketing goods.– The repeated image of a young girl is based upon a Soapine trade card presented here as a handbill/street poster. Soapine was a Providence company originally located in the area. – The sign painter ad for Maximillian Wolfgang is a personal reference for Greg, a nod to a local artist who passed away, but was largely influential on the local scene and Greg himself. – The mural features trade cards based upon those from the Bugbee & Brownell Spice Manufacturer, which has been repurposed as a wall advertisement.– Signage in the mural also reflects the historical importance of Providence relative to shipping. Under British occupancy, some ship operators used the river to avoid Newport (and British tax) and discreetly distribute their goods tax free.– The mural includes a C. Stone and Co fish dealers business directory print ad reimagined as a wall sign, including a lobster as a nod to the plastic lobster present in each TJ’s store (try and spot him on your next grocery shop…). – The composition also includes a trade card of “The Providence”, part of the Rhode Island Line from the “Ocean and River Steamer” trade card series. Greg slightly redesigned the ad so the woman faces back to the mural (looking back at history) while the ship sails on, moving forward (heading towards the future).- Ads in the mural also reference the Cape Verdean community. Cape Verdeans operated as longshoreman in Fox Point, and the Cape Verdean festival is still celebrated in Fox Point to this day. The mural has two meaningful references; the first is to Joao Cristiano Da Rosa who was a Cape Verdean resident of Fox Point. Da Rosa, an MA graduate from Brown University, owned a print shop on Wickenden St., printed a portuguese language newspaper for the residents called "A Voz Da Colonia" or "The Voice of the Colony". Secondly there is an image of “The Nellie May”. The Nellie May was the first ship purchased by a Cape Verdean, and it made trips between Brava and Providence starting in the late 1800's. It transported people, mail and freight. Antonio Coelho, who purchased and captained the Nellie May, was a resident of Fox Point and is responsible for acting as a lifeline between the two places and their respective communities. Faded words on the wall are names of goods that were actually traded along the river and taken from actual photos found in the Providence public library archives. And as a nod to Trader Joe’s, some are painted in the signature font of the company. The layout of the entire mural is also done in a traditional format where the lowest level would have been posters (hence the torn edges) and the upper rows would be bigger painted signage, with a black and white runner along the top.About the artist: Greg Was Here (Greg Pennisten) is a muralist, illustrator, fine artist and graphic designer, who was born in Providence, RI where he still lives, works “and will probably die,” he shares! National museums and galleries including, The Museum of Fine Art Boston, have exhibited his art and design and his client list includes companies such as Reebok, Powerade, Vans and Converse. He has been published in numerous periodicals including The New York Times, Boston Globe and Infamous magazine as well as being featured in the book "Flip the Script" by American graphic designer and typographer Christian Acker. Material: C2 Paint, Montana Gold Spray PaintArtist IG: @_gregwashere_Sponsors and Partners: Trader Joe's~TAKE A CLOSER LOOK~Which elements of the mural stand out to you?What do you think of the overall composition and placement of the elements?What do you think of the artist's use of color and lettering?
