UAC Artist Spotlight | Birdcap

 

"Reinventing Memphis pride is Important to Us." 

#Birdcap #ArtistSpotlight #UAC

By: Hope Hudson & Grace John

When I was asked to interview Michael Roy (aka Birdcap), I was star-struck. He is one of the most prolific public artists in Memphis, and his crisply, whimsical figures stand out among all the other awe-inspiring murals in the city. My nerves were immediately frayed when I met him; his personality matches his warm, goofy murals. I got to talk with him at Phuong Long Vietnamese Diner, where his newest mural is underway. (I also brought my friend and coworker Grace John, because she is possibly his number one fan.)

Hope: How’d you get the job to paint this mural?

Michael: I’ve always enjoyed eating here a lot. Over time, Scott [an employee at Phuong Long] figured out that I paint and started talking about having me do a mural here.  I think I said something like, “Ah, yeah, I’d do it for some more food!”  We joked about it for about six months, half-serious, and then Scott went over to the Brooks Museum and saw the installation we [Roy, Brandon Marshall, and Lance Turner] did.  I got a phone call from him that same day saying the mural was a go. So, I’m being paid in spring rolls and bubble teas… I’m homeless, but I drink really nice milkshakes.

Grace: How did y’all [Roy and Marshall] meet?

M: Well, Brandon already told the story on Creative Memphis.  It’s a bummer because I was wanting to make up some, like, real superb story about how we met…

H: Well, you can make it up now.

M: No, haha, my mom would cross-reference, and I’d be in some trouble… We met on Facebook. I was posting a lot of graffiti pics from Korea, and I guess he saw it through mutual friends. When I got back stateside he sent me a message asking if I wanted to go painting. He picked me up one day, and his truck was just absolutely covered with mud on the inside from playing with his dog that day, but I didn’t ask about it .  Later he said, “That’s when I knew we’d be friends; you never mentioned the mud.” We’ve been working together on most projects since.

G: How long had you been making art before you realized you wanted to get into street art?

M: I went to an arts high school, and that’s when I really started doing art seriously.  I went to MCA [Memphis College of Art]… but it wasn’t until I went to Korea about five years ago, and I was living in a small, Asian-style apartment. When you have that small of a space, you realize exactly how large each of your paintings are. So I went to sketchbooks and I made really bad art. I was post-college, doing mostly academic narratives, referencing art history. But the thing about that art is that it isn’t fun or interesting or entertaining if you’re not around other people playing the same game. So I had to workshop my art and make it a thing that I could enjoy without that academic community. That eventually led to street art.

H: What are some of your favorite pieces you’ve made in Memphis?

M: I’m really proud of the newest piece I did at Eclectic Eye. The owner gave me full flex, so I really got to map out something, and it wasn’t wrapped around a previous idea. It’s fun to do the things that people want, but just selfishly I guess, that one was the most fun. I also did a rooftop piece on Broad Avenue I had a good time making. 

H: What advice do you have for Memphis about public art?

M: The thing with doing public art in Memphis is that so many people who are willing to invest in it want the artwork to quote Memphis.  It’s pretty redundant to be in Memphis and look up at a mural that’s basically prompting Memphis tourism. That’s cool and it has its place, but the only time artists are in national radar is when they are given more free range. No matter how good a piece is, if it only relates to one city’s interests it has a limited power. I think the best way to make Memphis relevant is to make it compelling to the international community. The Eclectic Eye piece got a lot of national attention compared to my other pieces, but by far the most well-known piece I have in Memphis to Memphis is the Marc Gasol piece on Airways.  We basically just took that image from a photographer; it was for a commercial. But it’s the most famous here. It’s understandable I think, but maybe not super fulfilling. I think reinventing Memphis pride is important to us.

"Clip Art Sunstrokin" by Lance Turner X Birdcap | Chelsea Ave

"Bait" by Birdcap | Eclectic Eye

Michael Roy’s newest work includes the piece at Eclectic Eye on Cooper, the work he’s doing at Phuong Long on Cleveland, and a collaborative piece for the Brooks Museum’s “Art of Video Games” exhibit. UAC collaborations inclue the “I Love Memphis” mural on Broad Ave.

Urban LIFT Uptown Mural at Brian's Grocery

By Alex Clementi 

As a native Memphian, artist Charlie Forrester was more than excited to bring something “a little more unique” to the public art scene in Memphis. With the help of UrbanArt, Forrester has recently completed his mural installation at Brian’s Grocery Store, located at 533 Noth 5^th Street in the Uptown Neighborhood. The self-taught artist hoped to use his background in illustration to add a “unique type of light and dynamic quality” to the mural, which spans the side wall of the grocery store. Forrester observed that there has recently been renaissance, or a “heightened awareness and a stronger desire” for public art among Memphians, and he expressed how excited he is to be a part of it, even if it is “something small”. He also noted how Memphis, a city he says is “rich in culture, expression, and diversity,” deserves artwork that “will be celebrated—it should evoke feelings of pride and ownership of the communities we are a part of.” Forrester’s hope for the mural is that it will do just this—that people will walk away from the mural instilled with a sense of community pride, appreciation for the city they live in, and for the people who make up the neighborhoods around them. The mural should ultimately instill a sense of hopefulness of things to come.

Forrester also urges viewers to pay close attention to the themes represented in the mural that provide insight into the history of the Uptown neighborhood. For example, the artist explained that the trees are a large part of the mural because they are a large part of the community: “the trees were originally planted in 1920s, which symbolize Uptown’s history of being one of the first suburbs in Memphis.” He also explained that the red swing, the featureless figures, the multicolored homes, and the city skyline speak to a larger message about the Uptown neighborhood and Memphis at large. Want to know what they are? Travel over to Brian’s Grocery to see for yourself! 

This project was made possible by the Habitat for Humanity, Wells Fargo, and UrbanArt Commission.

Urban LIFT Uptown Mural at Roxie's

By Alex Clementi

A new addition has arrived in the Uptown neighborhood. With the help of the UrbanArt Commission, artist Carl Scott has recently completed a mural installation on the side of Roxie’s Grocery, a prominent landmark of the Uptown area located on North 3^rd Street. The mural, as Scott explains, depicts the Uptown community in the springtime. According to Scott, it also represents not only Uptown, but all of Memphis. He noted how “people come from all over to see Memphis and visit Miss Roxie’s—they love the food here.” Scott also chose to feature buildings that commonly symbolize the Uptown neighborhood; a few of these places include Cozy Corner, Brian’s Grocery, and the recent Habitat for Humanity housing installations. The mural spans the side of the building, and from afar, it appears as if the mural is designed very simply. Take a few steps closer, and one will notice the incredible amount of detail on the buildings, trees, and even the streetcar in the bottom right hand corner of the wall.  When asked about the production of the mural, Scott reported that the detail is a result of the process he used to paint the buildings. He began the process by going out into the community and taking photographs of the buildings he was planning to paint. He then compiled these images into a collage type of layout in his studio. Once he had the proper arrangement, he used the photographs as guides to paint the images of the buildings onto large pieces of canvas. Scott explained that he would work between painting the buildings in his studio and painting the backdrop at Roxie’s. When the paintings of the buildings and the backdrop were complete, Scott then used an extremely strong adhesive to glue the canvas paintings to the wall, and he worked to blend them into the background. The resulting mural is an incredible depiction of the Uptown neighborhood.

Scott also commented on how the Uptown community has greatly supported him through the process of installing the mural. He noted that people had watched him paint the mural and commented on how it “makes the whole area look better.” The mural is a valuable source of conversation—he also noted that he had witnessed people gather around the mural and discuss their favorite memories from the locations on the mural. When asked to reflect on the mural, Scott explained “when I look at it, it makes me feel good, and that's what I want people to take away from it too.” It appears as if Scott’s hopes are becoming a reality. 

 This project was made possible by the Habitat for Humanity, Wells Fargo, and UrbanArt Commission.

"Gaisman Mural" Dedication Ceremony

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 24^th, 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!

Dorian Spears and the 25 SQ Public Art Initiative: A Portrait

Dorian Spears (center) with artist Cat Normoyle and her husband
at the 25 SQ Crosstown festival in fall 2012.

By Alexis Becton

Since moving back to Memphis from Atlanta, GA, Dorian Spears has been known for her involvement around the city of Memphis. She has been active in a variety of organizations including Women of Achievement and Give 365. For the past two years she has been part of the Mayor’s Innovation Delivery Team (MIDT). The initiative is funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, former New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s charitable foundation. The $4.7M grant addresses both challenges of reducing handgun violence among young black males and increasing neighborhood economic vitality. 

The Innovation Delivery Team is comprised of eight members including Spears. The team initially researched and then focused on three areas in Memphis: South Memphis, Binghampton and Madison/Cleveland/Crosstown. Under the 25 SQ programs the Mayor’s team began to partner with neighborhoods that suffered from economic disinvestment for an extended period. Each area is comprised of 25-square blocks, hence the title of the program. The Division of Public Works – Office of Neighborhood Improvement stepped in to discard trash and other unwanted items in the neighborhoods. The next phase entailed working with local artists. For this purpose, the MIDT partnered with the UrbanArt Commission, which led the artist selection and public art process. The 25 SQ Public Art Initiative was launched and neighborhood artists were selected following a curatorial review by the team.

Dorian Spears at one of three 25 SQ neighborhood charrettes held at the
J.E. Walker House of LeMoyne-Owen College in winter 2012/13.

Public art for the three 25 SQ neighborhoods began with neighborhood meetings and charrettes in South Memphis. In Crosstown, a public call for ideas and artist recruitment process was held at a 25 SQ street festival on Cleveland Street in fall 2012. In Binghampton, partner meetings took place at Caritas Village and a 25 SQ festival was organized on Broad Avenue in spring 2013. For the 25 SQ Public Art Initiative, a series of high-impact, low-budget public art projects has been commissioned in 2013 and 2014.

Community-based artists Darlene Newman of South Memphis / Soulsville, Frank D. Robinson of Binghampton and Shea Colburn Midtown along with other artists have been creating public art at a number of sites. Murals on plywood boards were painted at the Stax to the Max Festival in April 2013, destined for abandoned buildings, as well as at Caritas Village and at the Carpenter Art Garden in Binghampton, where the mural vignettes will be installed along fences at Binghampton Park, Howze Park and at Caritas. Darlene Newman and Shea Colburn led the painting of several wall-size murals located at Knowledge Quest, at the Hub and at 989 Looney Avenue. More works are in progress.

Dorian Spears, a South Memphis native, and Darlene Newman, who also lives there, share the same vision by uplifting the community with positive art. Newman shared her goals: “I strive to bring a mixture of positive messages and spiritual concepts to life in my paintings. Through my art I would like to educate people about the area, instead of seeing teddy bears hanging and ribbons as a memorial. People would like to learn more about the neighborhood from the art they see and see that this neighborhood still has hope.”

Spears also connected with Cat Normoyle, an artist who teaches at Memphis College of Art, to help with the South Memphis project. Students and neighborhood residents volunteered to help paint murals. The murals were created in partnership with Knowledge Quest, where they fill the windows of a currently vacant building at 1042 South Lauderdale Street. The pictograms there promote healthy eating, education, ambition and literacy. These messages are identical with the goals of the Mayor’s Innovation Delivery Team, says Spears: “I employ current knowledge and acumen, while making a meaningful impact on the 25 SQ organizational mission, vision, and values.” Spears and her team continue to make meaningful impacts in Memphis, although the grant funds will be depleted in October 2014.

25 SQ at the Carpenter Art Garden: Paint Session in Binghampton with Erin Harris

By Alexis Becton

Artist Erin Harris hosted a paint session at the Carpenter Art Garden, located at 301 Carpenter Street in Binghampton, on Tuesday, June 17 from 4 to 6 pm. She and a group of neigbhorhood volunteers painted plywood murals for the 25 SQ Public Art Initiative, a project spearheaded by the Mayor’s Innovation Delivery Team in partnership with the UrbanArt Commission.
 

As a warm-up, the hula hoop group “Co-Motion” performed and invited everyone to participate. Then, it was time to get those paintbrushes to work. Two dozen volunteers of all ages began painting plywood murals for the neighborhood as part of the 25 SQ Public Art Initiative. They also created potted plant arrangements for a woodland fairy garden. The completed portable murals will be installed on both ends of Carpenter Street and at other locations in Binghampton.

The Carpenter Art Garden will celebrate two years of being open and active in the community this August. “Each mural celebrates the community. The opportunities to work with the neighborhood kids and volunteers motivates me because we grow things and do something positive in our community,” says Erin Harris. 

The art garden is an urban oasis for the neighborhood’s children and adults, as well as for local artists who have turned the formerly empty lot into a place of beauty. The volunteers have an opportunity to show their creativity with different projects over time. Participants are always elated to start on new projects they enjoy, while having a positive impact both in their lives and in the neighborhood.

The Carpenter Art Garden is open for participatory activities every Tuesday from 4-6 pm during the summer, unless it rains. 

New Themed Window Murals Spruce up Empty Building

Healthy eating and education mural vignettes by Cat Normoyle and MCA
students. Vacant building at 1042 S. Lauderdale in Memphis

by Alexis Becton

Whether a place is unremembered, abandoned or deserted, it still has potential to come back to life through the eyes of another. This is artist Cat Normoyle’s insight. Normoyle, a Boston native, moved to Memphis from Atlanta in 2012 to join the faculty of Memphis College of Art (MCA), where she teaches drawing, typography, printmaking, advertising and industrial design. In pursuing hands-on artistic endeavors with some of her classes and students, she has worked towards improving communities in the City of Memphis. A joint effort with MCA students is a suite of themed window and door murals for the currently vacant building at 1042 South Lauderdale Street.

Normoyle finds it very rewarding to make a meaningful impact in the community: “I’m very interested in social design and art. It’s imperative that we take action to sustain our communities. If not us, then who?” Soon after her arrival in Memphis she learned about the 25 SQ Public Art Initiative, a partnership of the Mayor’s Innovation Delivery Team with the UrbanArt Commission.

For 25 SQ, neighborhood artists, Darlene Newman, Shea Colburn and Frank D. Robinson, are creating a series of art installations in three 25-block areas of South Memphis, Crosstown and Binghampton aimed at revitalizing those communities. In South Memphis Cat Normoyle, together with lead artist Darlene Newman, makes a greater impact by improving additional sites. For Normoyle, 25 SQ has been a vehicle to realize her vision of diminishing eyesores at vacant sites and spreading positive messages.

“One thing I hope my work does, is inspire people in the community to come together. I am interested in placemaking and I hope this piece not only restores ownership of this abandoned site but also brings joy to the neighborhood and facilitates conversations between neighbors.” says Cat Normoyle.

The purpose of the 25 SQ project is to use murals as a means to improve the visual appearance of the neighborhood. Working together with Knowledge Quest, a non-profit that serves the children of South Memphis, the artist and her student assistants developed the theme in support of the organization's initiative to promote healthy eating, education and literacy. The newly adorned doors and windows now display fruits, vegetables and educational resources, such as books and words to inspire the mind. Vibrant colors dominate the compositions of simple, strong shapes in each section. 

 With the help of an ArtsZone Scholar Scholarship grant to the MCA,

Photo Credit: Shawna Engel

Normoyle was able to hire student assistants, King Hobson, Noah Miller, Eugenia Mosley and Taylor Touchstone. Materials were provided through the 25 SQ Public Art Initiative and Knowledge Quest. The students contributed 18-24 service hours each to paint the murals on plywood boards, which were then mounted. Moving forward, additional students from Soulsville High School are volunteering time to finish unpainted areas

Pine Hill Mural Inspires

By Katie Whitfield


The dedication celebration of the Pinehill Community Center mural is scheduled on Friday, June 20, 12-2pm. Free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.


Along the side of Pine Hill Community Center, a bright and inspiring painted message is delivered on Alice Avenue. The mural is part of the recent inaugural District Mural Program, facilitated by the UrbanArt Commission for the City of Memphis Public Art Program. Titled, "This is My Song,” the artwork was brought to life by artists Chad Irwin and Kyle Taylor who explained: "The title is intended to capture the sentiments of the neighborhood surrounding the Community Center and is meant to represent what the center aspires to be." Utilizing both the pursuit of education and the struggles faced obtaining it; the artwork displays a story of life balance and determination. It offers a blend of youth and the elderly, signaling hope for the future.

The Pine Hill Community Center was chosen after a review of potential sites. After the location was confirmed, meetings were held to determine the vision for the mural. Working together with the community and the center directors the artists focused on education and "a life well-lived" were to be central focus of the mural. Rory Campbell, Director of Pine Hill, wanted to “see the community coming together as a whole.” The mural displays just that message: it depicts the cycle of ages within a seamless unity.  The central figure is a young man who peacefully holds music to his ears. Surrounded by diplomas, books and ribbons on one side, he is balanced by a newborn, a young woman and a serene elderly woman on the other side. Rory Campbell states the importance of the elderly in the community. "They help the kids stay away from gangs and other troubles." He understands how the elderly in the neighborhood can influence these children and direct them down a positive path. The community center and its directors are constantly raising awareness against violence. For example, in spring 2014, Pine Hill was visited by the Heal the Hood Foundation. The non-profit organization is designed to heal broken communities through the power of unity.

The Pine Hill mural has been well received by the community center users and its neighborhood. Campbell shared his delight at the compliments from children visiting the center, from neighbors and other onlookers. The mural is revered as a positive stamp on the community center, physically and emotionally. Its message is best summarized by Campbell's motivation for his job: "My job is about showing the youth that people care, it's about taking time to listen to what the young are saying, and to show them love. This is why the community center directors do what they do…to show the kids compassion." The Pine Hill mural shares this benevolent message.

Read more about the "This Is My Song" mural by Chad Irwin and Kyle Taylor at Pine Hill Community Center.

Greenlaw Community Center Mural Serves as Inspiration

Reported by Alex Clementi in April 2014

Almost a full year after artist Brandon Marshall completed the District 7 Mural at the Greenlaw Community Center, the artwork is continuing to amaze the public. But as Greenlaw Community Center director April Golden mentioned in a recent interview, the mural is serving as much more than that: It is an inspiration to the community. As April explained, “we’re in the middle of an area that is basically being renovated. You have the old side and the new side…and we’re smack dab in the middle.” The mural, as she explained, inspires a sense of identity in the neighborhood. “It shows a positive side in what we’re trying to do for our community…and the neighborhood absolutely adores the mural,” notes April. She also emphasized the mural’s impact on the children in the neighborhood. “They comment the most, they love the mural,” says April, “They try and figure out if it is one of them up there.” In noting the positive effect and responses to the new mural, April Golden is keen to see more public art in the neighborhood.

Read more about the background, figures and symbols shown in the mural in the UrbanArt Commission's online Gallery.

Painting a Mural in Memphis!

Local artist Jeff Unthank and his assistant Jon Hart have been hard at work over the past few months working with neighborhood children to paint a stunning mural for the North Frayser Community Center.

Jeff and Jon have set a new standard for mural artists in the City, completing their project in 6 months flat, from contract to completion.

The neighborhood children helped, too!

Broad Avenue Mural Getting Close to Complete

This time tomorrow visiting French artist Guillaume Alby (aka REMED) will be on a plane back to his current home base in Madrid, Spain. After 2 weeks in our town contending with tornadoes, floods, and nearly 10 days of cold rain, this remarkable artist will have created the newest public art landmark in Memphis on a warehouse at 2542 Broad Avenue, and made a dozen new friends in a new city he loves...Memphis!

Brought to town by the building's owner, Bob Loeb of Loeb Properties, after meeting him at an exhibition in Miami last December, UrbanArt acted as his ambassador to the city, logistics coordinator, supply depot, and base camp for producing this truly wonderful mural. UrbanArt's own mural maestro Siphne Sylve served as his primary assistant throughout and soaked up plenty of knowledge about new techniques for putting paint on a wall, as well as insights into the unique mindset of this internationally renowned mural painter.

He's got one more day to paint and he's close we can taste it!