By Alexandra Clementi
Less
than 24 hours from now, UrbanArt will be hosting a dedication ceremony
for the newly completed mural at the Gaisman Community Center, located at 4221 Macon. The
mural, to put it simply, is a sight to see. The large-scale painting is a colorful myriad of giant figures ranging in
age and performing various activities.
Artist
Jason Miller explained that this mural is so much more than simply
paint on a wall—it represents a community endeavor, a testament to the
people of the Gaisman Community, and a platform for civic awareness.
Miller explains that the primary step in constructing this iconic mural
began with familiarizing himself with the people and happenings within
the Gaisman Community center. Miller first captured nearly 30,000
photographic images of the people who frequent the center and their
various activities in order to provide a source for his
conceptualization of the mural. He then used these images to translate
his ideas into painted forms, and with the assistance of community
artists, he created a piece that, as he explains, “externalizes the
energy within [the community center] into a perpetual reminder of the
vitality of Gaisman Community Center's role within the community that it
serves.”
The
subjects within the mural feature the real people who frequent and
utilize the center on a daily, weekly, and annual basis. Miller explains
that portraying the actual people onto the mural was necessary to
“capture the essence of the life that occurs within this wonderful
structure, which testifies to the noblest characteristics of our
humanity.” The goal of the mural, as the artist explains, is to serve as
a perpetual reminder of the role of the extrodinary individuals that
make up the Gaisman community family inside the walls of the building.
As Miller said, “just as a church is an empty frame without its
parishioners and also as a home is where the heart is, so too is this
true here at Gaisman. It's about the people.” The goal of the mural
project also aims to bring a greater awareness from Memphis to the
important life that happens every single day at the Gaisman Community
Center.
Interested in the mural? Come out to the Gaisman Community Center tomorrow, October 24th,
at 12 PM for the mural dedication ceremony. Artist Jason Miller and
Director of UrbanArt, Siphne Sylve, will be speaking along with musical
performances from the Gaisman Big Band, the Jim Mahannah Band. We hope
to see you there!
