OPEN SPACE

……………………………………………………………"That bottle keeps its blink on its side red from horizon." Clark Coolidge………………………………..

Surely if you’ve been in the building anytime in recent months, you’ve taken a look at our latest Haas Atrium commission, Kerry James Marshall’s monumental pair of murals called Visible Means of Support. Last February a team of painters from Precita Eyes Mural Arts Center, a community mural organization based in San Francisco’s Mission District, spent two full weeks of long, long days in the Atrium painting the works onto the huge, formerly-known-as-the-LeWitt-walls.

The murals depict Mount Vernon and Monticello, the estates of American presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Half-hidden in the paintings are also depictions of the slaves who supported plantation life. Appropriately, the SFMOMA Tammy-and-Megan team chronicled the muralists’ labors as the project unfolded. Thanks muralists! Thanks team! Thanks Kerry!

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[Muralists at work last winter. Poster image: Christo Oropeza.]

It sure has been awhile since my last post. I’m here to tell you of a wonderful article that covered the SFMOMA Teen Mural project in the East Bay Express. It covers the project from start to finish, illustrating the evolution of the student’s artistic process and how their experiences helped shape the final piece.  Take a few minutes and check it out here. It’s currently featured on the front page!

Just to remind you what the project was all about:  SFMOMA commissioned renowned artist Kerry James Marshall to create two murals for the museum’s Haas Atrium, and in response fifteen teens from three Oakland high schools designed and produced a collaborative mural, to be installed in the skate park at DeFremery Park.  Your can learn about the project in its entirety here.

Also, don’t forget to visit the exhibition chronicling the SFMOMA Teen Mural Project in the galleries of the Koret Visitor Education Center, on the second floor of SFMOMA, through October 18.

Enjoy!

SFMOMA has commissioned renowned artist Kerry James Marshall to create two murals for the museum’s Haas Atrium. For over 30 years, Marshall has explored stories of racial identity, the Civil Rights movement, and unsung histories in his work. In response to Marshall’s works, fifteen teens from three Oakland high schools are designing and producing a collaborative mural, in Town Park at DeFremery Park, focusing on the themes of silenced histories and storytelling. We’re blogging about it here on Saturdays.]

We had an AWESOME time last Saturday.  Kerry James Marshall was back in the Bay Area and came out to see the final touches being made to the mural.   After about an hour of watching the teens paint (in the rain), we went to find drier land.  We moved indoors and Kerry talked with the teens about their work on the mural,  the meaning of their piece, and the artistic decisions they made.  Even though the program officially ended on Saturday, there were still some loose ends to tie up in the mural.  We were psyched when the teens agreed to come back this Saturday to finish up.  Now THAT’S dedication.  Next week: the full mural.

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SFMOMA has commissioned renowned artist Kerry James Marshall to create two murals for the museum’s Haas Atrium. For over 30 years, Marshall has explored stories of racial identity, the Civil Rights movement, and unsung histories in his work. In response to Marshall’s works, fifteen teens from three Oakland high schools are designing and producing a collaborative mural, in Town Park at DeFremery Park, focusing on the themes of silenced histories and storytelling. We’re blogging about it here on Saturdays.]

Hello!  Last week we left DeFremery Park, looking at the mural with intense satisfaction.  Upon leaving, Fred from Precita Eyes, said, “The mural is bascially done.”  The time has gone by incredibly fast and the teens have worked incredibly hard.  This Saturday we’re lucky enough to have the artist, Kerry James Marshall, who painted the first Haas Atrium Commission in the museum’s grand atrium, come back and spend some time with the teens.  This is Kerry’s second visit with the group, and his first since work on the mural began.  The last touches and varnish will be applied to the mural, and Kerry is expected to give his thoughts on their project.  Everyone is super excited!  This week I leave you in suspense.  All you see here are colors and brushes.  And that’s because next week, you’ll see a lot more: the whole shebang.

Check out the past blog posts on this program here.

Our newest atrium commission, which had its official opening/unveiling last Thursday,  features artist Kerry James Marshall, who has just produced two murals on what I suppose can no longer be fairly called our Lewitt walls. The paintings were realized in collaboration with Precita Mural Eyes Center; for those of you not local to the Bay, Precita Eyes is a community-based arts organization here that has created murals all around SF, and the world.

The KJM atrium murals depict Monticello & Mount Vernon, the homes of American presidents Jefferson and Washington, and in a  game-like, connect-the-dots, find-the-figure fashion Kerry has presented partially hidden or to-be-discovered heads and figures of slaves: those slaves, owned by this country’s founding fathers, who are so rarely depicted in other images of these famous estates.  In other words, that once-invisible means of support is here made visible.  For more insight into the project from Kerry James Marshall himself, you can download the cell phone audio tour to your MP3 player here, or just dial 415.294.3609. Our IET team has also produced some wonderful multimedia you can check out online. Remember that it is FREE to visit the atrium, and these murals; just stop in anytime to take a look.

Meanwhile, in the spirit of making the creative & collaborative labor visible,  some shots of the Precita Eyes mural team at work over the last several weeks, all by our fabulous front-desk/Visitor Services friend Christo Oropeza. You can see many more, of the team at work, and with Kerry, at Christo’s Flickr stream, and on ours.

[SFMOMA has commissioned renowned artist Kerry James Marshall to create two murals for the museum's Haas Atrium. For over 30 years, Marshall has explored stories of racial identity, the Civil Rights movement, and unsung histories in his work. In response to Marshall's works, fifteen teens from three Oakland high schools are designing and producing a collaborative mural, in Town Park at DeFremery Park, focusing on the themes of silenced histories and storytelling. We’re blogging about it here on Saturdays.]

Last week the teens continued their brainstorming sessions, and began drawing designs for the mural. Working with the title they came up with last week, “The Creation of Culture is to Stop the Battlefield with Change,” they looked at images of public art, at drawing books, and at reproductions of historic photographs to draw inspiration from. The result: an array of drawings, photocopies, and text that will work their way into the first composite drawing of the mural as a whole.

We asked the teens to take control of the blog this week. Jacob was happy to contribute his words:

“This experience is epic and inspirational. Every time I look up I open an idea of creativity because I am inspired by my peers at SFMOMA. I love art, I love to work, and I love people. Most of what I’ve learned through this experience is the Bay Area is an extremely creative place and I would love to keep its creativity flowing.”

And Jose did an awesome job documenting the day’s work in photographs. He took all the pictures in this post.

Today the kids will be putting the final touches on the composite drawing, and will begin the color scheme. Can’t wait to see what they come up with…

[SFMOMA has commissioned renowned artist Kerry James Marshall to create two murals for the museum's Haas Atrium. For over 30 years, Marshall has explored stories of racial identity, the Civil Rights movement, and unsung histories in his work. In response to Marshall's works, fifteen teens from three Oakland high schools are designing and producing a collaborative mural, in Town Park at DeFremery Park, focusing on the themes of silenced histories and storytelling. We’re blogging about it here on Saturdays.]

The Teen Program talking with Kerry James Marshall in the Atrium.  Photo: Andria Lo

Last Saturday the group was given the exceptional opportunity to spend the morning with artist, Kerry James Marshall. We met in the Atrium where we watched the mural artists in action painting Kerry’s enormous and prolific designs. The teens poured their curiosity into questions for Marshall, & I took notes on his answers:

What made you think of the concept of this piece?

Kerry answered that he’s interested in how historical narratives are told. He’s interested in stories…& what’s left out of the stories. His idea for the work was to put in the more complicated parts of the stories of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. How can [the Founding Fathers] be so much about justice and liberty if they owned slaves their whole lives?

How did you get to the place you are today?

The LA County Museum is the first museum Kerry went to, when he was fifteen years old. He said he wanted to make sure a painting he made got into that museum. One of his paintings was bought by the LA County Museum in 1993, he said, so other fifteen-year-olds could see that painting. When he was in school it was not common for African American artists to be in a museum. He said he recognized that gap and wanted to fill it. If you start to believe you have the capacity, Kerry said, it is all possible.

We continued our discussion in the Koret Visitor Education Center studios. It was the perfect introduction into beginning the mural design process. Fred Alvarado, Art Director of the program from Precita Eyes, had everyone brainstorming ideas for the themes of the mural. We  generated over a dozen ideas, broke it down to just a few, & by this week we’ll have a title and will begin the composite drawing.

Spending the day with Kerry was an inspiration to all.  Lionel from Oakland High said, “Today I learned that when you put your body and mind into your artwork, it will come out how you imagine it: PEACEFUL.“

Sketching out ideas for the mural.  Photo: Aimee Shapiro

Last week we had our first site visit to Town Park in DeFremery Park & met up with some key players in the Teen Mural Project: Internationally renowned local artist Brett Cook [left]; mural artist, and artistic director of our program, Fred Alvarado from Precita Eyes; and Bay Area activist, artist, teacher & skateboarder, K-dub.

We all piled into cars and headed over to Emeryville to Brett’s incredibly gigantic and light filled studio. Upon entering, many “wows” were heard when Brett’s very large spray paint collection was discovered. Brett’s studio is amazing: two levels of wall-sized paintings and almost an entire floor filled with books. A plate of oranges welcomed us. Brett gave a presentation beginning with images of his early days as a graffiti artist in San Diego. From there he traveled to the east coast, Mexico, and back to California, leaving his politically and socially minded art everywhere from outside walls of dilapidated buildings to construction walls surrounding the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and eventually into museums and galleries world-wide. He stressed the importance of community, soul, and collaboration in creating public art. It was an inspiring two hours, for teens and adults alike.

Heading back to the park, we chowed down at the DeFremery House where Fred and K-dub introduced themselves. Both artists work closely with their local communities, and will play a large and committed part in this year’s Teen Mural Project.

After the intros, Steve Lavoie, from the Oakland History Room at the Main Library, gave us a run-down of Oakland history since the 1800’s, including the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad & the formation of the Black Panthers, giving us a better understanding of this very historic site.

This week: Fred will walk us through the mural design process; the teens will meet and interview Kerry James Marshall himself, and watch the muralists who are working on Kerry’s murals in the Atrium.  Next week: questions and answers from the Kerry James Marshall Teen Mural Project interview.

The Teen Mural Project started in full force last Saturday when fifteen enthusiastic students from three different Oakland high schools gathered at SFMOMA. We had teen rappers, t-shirt artists, graffiti artists, and lots of skateboarders.  A talented bunch, for sure.

First, Annie Lawson (Manager of School, Youth and Family Programs here at SFMOMA) introduced an interview with Kerry James Marshall, and showed the teens drawings of his Atrium murals. We also looked at the work of Kara Walker and Doris Salcedo and had a conversation around the theme of “silenced histories,” a theme present in their work and Marshall’s. After lunch, we walked through the galleries, talking about works of art, & investigating connections between the work of Kerry James Marshall and works by Robert Arneson, Katharina Fritsch, Frida Kahlo, and Diego Rivera. We went back to the Koret Visitor Education studios and the teens made mixed-media hidden history boxes: dioramas expressing their personal histories, cultural voices, and different sides of their personalities.

(Right: Some of the teens making their history boxes. Photo:Jack Huynh)

Today we’re meeting at Town Park in DeFremery Park to survey the mural site and meet with local historian, Steve Lavoie, to learn about the rich and charged history of West Oakland and DeFremery Park. We’re also going to visit artist Brett Cook’s studio and hang out with Keith Williams (A.K.A “K-dub”) at the park. Keith founded Town Park, after many years of teaching at Oakland High School. He’s also a long-time partner of SFMOMA’s youth programs and we’re happy to continue our relationship with him working on this special project. Next week, back at the museum, we’re meeting with Kerry James Marshall himself!  Stay tuned for more fun, more pictures, and perhaps some words from the teens themselves. Happy Saturday.

‘Morning to all of you Saturday readers. I’m Aimee, the Education Associate for School and Youth Programs. I will be a regular contributor for the next few months, documenting SFMOMA’s 2009 Teen Mural Project. Today’s our first day! As the program moves along, I won’t be the only one you’ll be hearing from. Our teen participants will be blogging, posting photos, and making sure you know how much fun they’re having.

Here’s the run-down: SFMOMA has commissioned renowned artist Kerry James Marshall to create two murals for the museum’s Haas Atrium. The murals will live on the two walls previously occupied by the very colorful Sol Lewitt paintings that once hung on either side of the grand staircase. The murals will be on view from February 26, 2009, through the spring of 2010. For over thirty years, Kerry James Marshall has explored issues of racial identity, urban experience, and the Civil Rights movement in his work. These themes will also show up in the works he will create for SFMOMA.

Over the next five months, SFMOMA will be working with fifteen teens from three Oakland high schools in a program inspired by Kerry James Marshall’s Atrium commission. The students will be working with Precita Eyes, a San Francisco-based community mural organization, to design and produce a collaborative ‘response’ mural. The students’ mural will be the backdrop for the center stage at Town Park, a skate park and art center located in DeFremery Park in West Oakland. Students will meet and interview Kerry James Marshall as well as local artist Brett Cook to discuss artistic process, themes of history, race, social change, and the importance of community. Then, in May, SFMOMA will host a party at Town Park (complete with DJs, MCs, local artists, and members of the Oakland community) to celebrate the unveiling of the students’ mural. Artwork produced during the planning and design process will be exhibited in the Koret Visitor Education Center at SFMOMA.

Now that you have a general idea of what we’re about to embark on…I leave you with this BEFORE shot of Town Park. We’re building a wall above the skate ramps, which is where the mural will be. Check back here on Saturdays for pictures and updates on what we’re doing.  And, come May…a picture of Town Park AFTER.