04/21/2015
Mural Fest 2015 Artists to Paint Murals for Binghamton
Mural Fest 2015 will involve more than 31 artists, seven bands, a second stage with acoustic acts and open mic, a sculpture garden,vendors, and community organizations tabling. The public art festival will take place on Sunday April 26, 2015 12-6 pm on the Riverwalk, by RiverRead Books, down to the MLK Promenade. “This is a family friendly event with music, kids’ activities, entertainment, and most importantly, a lot of different kinds of art,” according to Kady Perry, an organizer of the event for re-Bold Binghamton and the Dept. of Public Art. (DPA) There is an Artist Meet & Greet Pre-Party show at The Cyber Cafe West the night before, April 25th from 7pm-midnight.
The musical line up is: The Falconers 12pm-12:45pm If Madrid 1pm-1:45pm The Somerton Suitcase 2pm-2:45pm Teddy Midnight 3pm-3:45pm A Social State 4pm-4:45pm Riverside Confession 5pm-5:45pm Mobday 6pm-6:45pm
Artists with the Dept of Public Art are painting eleven 4’ X 8’ panels on a food theme for a boarded up building on Chenango Street. “We chose the food theme because the Northside of Binghamton is a food desert, lacking a grocery or other outlet for fresh food,” commented Peg Johnston. Other artists will paint original designs on panels to be used in conjunction with the Dept of Public Art’s new project to place art on boarded up properties. Other projects at Mural Fest will include painting a car and other objects, mosaics, spray painting demonstrations, and tabling by artists and arts organizations.
Local artists will be joined by guest public artists, including Damien Mitchell, world traveling street artist from Australia; Nic 707 Last of the First generation graffiti writers from the Bronx; Indigo Arts Collective from Brooklyn, NY; stencil artist Teran Studio of Newburgh; Kat Beavers, Sculptor; and chalk artists Eric Maruscak and Alexis Pleus.
Several area businesses are sponsoring the mural fest and a mural will be painted on a cut out of a hot air balloon with the name of the sponsors. So far, the sponsors include Belknap Lumber, Kovarik Hardware, Cooperative Gallery, Orion Beauty, Lost Dog, Galaxy Brewing, Zona Grill, Water St. Brewing, Burger Mondays, The Shop, Cavanaugh’s, and others. The Belmar is providing food for artists and volunteers are encouraged to bring food for the artists and performers.
The Fest is being supported by Broome County, the City of Binghamton, and Gorgeous Washington Street Assn. It is sponsored by reBold Binghamton, a BU student group and the Dept of Public Art, a volunteer organization that is responsible for several public art projects, including the “Birthplace of Virtual Reality” murals in the Water St. Parking Ramp. The Movable Murals on boarded up properties is a new project to “take art into neighborhoods with abandoned buildings,” according to Peg Johnston of the DPA. “As these buildings are re-purposed we can move the mural panels to other locations where property owners request them.” It is supported by grants from the Chenango Co Arts Council and the Hoyt Foundation. *
A complete list of artists: Bruce Greig, Jesse Martinez, RB Artistry, Tom Bomb, Rakesh Maharaj, Jesse Ryan, Derek Lindow, and students from BCC’s Art 230. Also, Kareemah Johnson, David Francisco, Danielle White, Mandy Wright, Angela Cook, Amara Kopakova, Lindsay Baker, Hakim Griffin, Danielle White, Diane Lia, MaryRose Griffin, Shawna Stevenson, Judy Salton, Katherine Scott, Julie Slattery, Kim Lato, Grace Weber, Will Dwiggins, Megan Smey, Byel Gould. Sculpture by: Lyman Bothwell, Rebecca Austin, and mosaics by Emily Jablon.
*The Broome, Chenango & Otsego Decentralization (DEC) Program is administered by the Chenango Arts Council, and is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the NYS Legislature. Additional support for Broome County provided by the Stewart W. & Willma C. Hoyt Foundation.
