All posts tagged: Ted Wong

Finishing Pieces in Rochester for Wall Therapy 2017: Dispatch 3

Finishing Pieces in Rochester for Wall Therapy 2017: Dispatch 3

July 31, 2017

With a theme of “Art and Activism”, the 2017 edition of Wall\Therapy is happening mid-summer in Rochester with local and national artists coming to complete murals that keep people in mind. More of a grassroots mural festival than many, this one works to deepen engagement with the community through new programming intended to connect residents of all ages. BSA is happy to support Wall\Therapy again this year and we invite you to take a look at a people-powered organization that continues to keep it real.

Eeerbody get their hands in the air! Dance like you just don’t care!

Sean9Lugo at work for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Jason Wilder)

Sean9Lugo’s been gesticulating with a victorious pose in Rochester for Wall\Therapy for the last few days, wheat-pasting his human/stuffed animal amalgams on walls here and there. The New Jersey native had to travel a half day to get here but didn’t waste any time or his signature sense of street humor once he arrived. As a collaboration with artist Magnus Champlin he even brought his creatures out to frolic in a pastoral natural setting.

Sean9Lugo for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Mark Deff)

Saturday’s successful panel discussions and block party have put wind under the wings (and perhaps a couple hangovers) as they work to complete their murals. Todd Stahl’s participation on the activism panel Saturday at Wall\Therapy’s first conference took him away from his wall that is inspired by the plight of refugees world wide, Syrians in particular.

Based in part on images from humanitarian photographer Manar Bilal, the collaged scene includes text, form, and warplanes – an ironic choice that reminds us that wars make refugees and cause suffering, regardless of whose fighting. Stahl is sharing the painting duties with community members and many have been eagering joining in, each bringing their particular style and talent to the overall composition.

Sean9Lugo at work for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Jason Wilder)

Thematically the festival this year is closer to the ground than previous years, closer to day-to-day issues that affect residents of Roc. With a focus on art and activism – a combination familiar to the Street Art world dating as least as far back as the early billboard jammers – the themes of our systemic racism, LGBTQ issues, women’s rights, families, feminism, the war machine, and the importance of community are all on display with great tact.

Sean9Lugo for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Mark Deff)

Sean9Lugo and Magnus Champlin at work on their collaboration for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Jason Wilder)

Sean9Lugo at work on his collaboration wall with Magnus Champling for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Mark Deff)

Sarah C. Rutherford. Detail. Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Mark Deff)

Lucinda Yrene/La Morena. Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Jason Wilder)

Lucinda Yrene/La Morena. Detail. Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Jason Wilder)

Roc Paint Division at work for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Lisa Barker)

Roc Paint Division at work for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Lisa Barker)

Ian Kuali’i at work for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Ted Wong)

Ian Kuali’i work in progress for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Jason Wilder)

Todd Stahl at work for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Mark Deff)

Todd Stahl work in progress for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Mark Deff)

 

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Wall Therapy 2017: An Intersection of Art, Celebration and People Power : Dispatch 2

Wall Therapy 2017: An Intersection of Art, Celebration and People Power : Dispatch 2

July 29, 2017

With a theme of “Art and Activism”, the 2017 edition of Wall\Therapy is happening mid-summer in Rochester with local and national artists coming to complete murals that keep people in mind. More of a grassroots mural festival than many, this one works to deepen engagement with the community through new programming intended to connect residents of all ages. BSA is happy to support Wall\Therapy again this year and we invite you to take a look at a people-powered organization that continues to keep it real.

Wall\Therapy is progressing very nicely right now with three members of Rochesters’ youth mural program doing self portraits.

Roc Paint Division at work for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Lisa Barker)

Etana Brown, Nzinga Muhammed, and Kaori-Mei Stephens are each 17 years old and are focusing the message that All Black Lives Matter. Elsewhere Jess X Snow is doing a portrait of transgender poet Chrysanthemum Tran and muralist Sarah C. Rutherford honors all mothers with her portrait of Trelawney McCoy, a celebrated Rochester native who has opened her home to children through adoption and fostering. The mural is part of Rutherford’s “Her Voice Carries” project.

Roc Paint Division at work for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Lisa Barker)

Today is the inaugural Wall\Therapy conference featuring Keynote speaker Jessica Pabón-Colón and a full day of panels and discussions and a project room featuring representatives from other community-based art programs and social justice/relief organizations such as the O+ Festival, WXXI, The Ghandi Institute, the New York Civil Liberties Union, Refugees Helping Refugees, Flying Squirrel Community Space and the Visual Studies Workshop.

Roc Paint Division at work for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Lisa Barker)

Tonight is the block party, a summertime celebration with Kaleidoscope Collective, a local artist space that will include an artist market, an official revealing of the murals by Aubrey Roemer and Jess X Snow, food trucks, live art, and music from Danielle Ponder and the Tomorrow People. Check out this video by the ebullient and classy Ms. Ponder performing with this talented local family of friends with an inspirational tagline, “Live Your Life, Love Your Life.”

Jess X Snow at work for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Josh Saunders)

Jess X Snow at work for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Josh Saunders)

Jess X Snow at work for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Mark Deff)

Jess X Snow. Work in progress for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Mark Deff)

Sarah C. Rutherford at work for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Mark Deff)

Sarah C. Rutherford. Detail. Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Mark Deff)

Sarah C. Rutherford. Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Ted Wong)

Ian Kuali’i at work for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Josh Saunders)

“Yesterday was super productive. I was able to paste up everything for Rochester’s new hand cut paper mural and starting today I begin the actual process…weather permitting naturally…,” says Ian Kuali’i on his Facebook page.

Ian Kuali’i at work for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Jason Wilder)

Ian Kuali’i at work for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Mark Deff)

Aubrey Roemer. Work in progress for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Ted Wong)

Aubrey Roemer at work for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Jason Wilder)

Aubrey Roemer at work for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Mark Deff)

Lucinda Yrene/La Morena. Work in progress Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Mark Deff)

Lucinda Yrene/La Morena. Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Jason Wilder)

Todd Stahl. Work in progress Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Ted Wong)

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Wall Therapy 2017 Under Way! Local-Heavy Artist Roster Brings Spirit of Community to Rochester

Wall Therapy 2017 Under Way! Local-Heavy Artist Roster Brings Spirit of Community to Rochester

July 27, 2017

With a theme of “Art and Activism”, the 2017 edition of Wall\Therapy is happening mid-summer in Rochester with local and national artists coming to complete murals that keep people in mind. More of a grassroots mural festival than many, this one works to deepen engagement with the community through new programming intended to connect residents of all ages. BSA is happy to support Wall\Therapy again this year and we invite you to take a look at a people-powered organization that continues to keep it real.

Aubrey Roemer, La Morena, Roc Paint Division, Sarah Rutherford, and Todd Stahl have already begun work with gusto (!) on their walls as the 2017 edition of Wall\Therapy gets into full swing right now in the city of Rochester in northwestern New York State.

Sarah Rutherford at work for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Mark Deff)

Begun by Dr. Ian Wilson a handful of years ago and joined by professional partner Erich Lehman as co-producer, the community level interventions of murals throughout the city have been a metaphorical analogue to the medical programs he has championed, including providing high-tech teleradiology services to underserved communities here and abroad. Thinking of artists as healers and artworks as a kind of therapy for a community, Wall\Therapy takes on a unique personality among the mural festivals that are currently happening in cities around the world.

Sarah Rutherford. Work in progress. Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Mark Deff)

This years’ collection of artists is keeping it very local, with a few exceptions from elsewhere in the US. Organizers say they are looking to deepen their engagement with Rochester’s communities through new programming intended to connect Rochester residents of all ages and all walks of life – including a new conference component. “Arts & Activism” will feature speakers and panels organized around topics like social change, community activism, and creative practice.

Todd Stahl. Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Lisa Barker)

No doubt many will be interested in the keynote on Saturday by Dr. Jessica Pabón-Colón, Assistant Professor for Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at SUNY New Paltz. She’ll be talking about her upcoming book “Graffiti Grrlz: Performing Feminism in the Hip Hop Diaspora” and she’ll examine how contemporary street and graffiti art movements have responded critically to the demands of the creative neoliberal city, with examples of works to provoke thought on the relationship between aesthetics and politics.

Todd Stahl at work for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Jason Wilder)

Over the next week BSA will be bringing you progress shots and finished walls in this community-centric, volunteer infused festival that merges the aesthetics of community murals with the influences of today’s Street Art scene.

Wall\Therapy 2017 artists include Aubrey Roemer, La Morena, Todd Stahl, Ian Kuali’I, Sarah C. Rutherford, Jess X Snow, Sean 9 Lugo, and Roc Paint Division.

Our very special thanks to photographers Mark Deff, Lisa Barker, Jason Wilder, and Thomas Flint for sharing their images of the action for BSA readers.

Roc Paint Division at work for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Lisa Barker)

Roc Paint Division at work for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Mark Deff)

Aubrey Roemer at work for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Tomas Flint)

Aubrey Roemer at work for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Josh Saunders)

Aubrey Roemer with some little help for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Jason Wilder)

Aubrey Roemer work in progress for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Mark Deff)

Lucinda at work for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Jason Wilder)

Lucinda at work for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Josh Saunders)

Lucinda work in progress for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Mark Deff)

La Morena at work for Wall Therapy 2017. Rochester, NY. (photo © Ted Wong)

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