ORAFOL Americas recently lent a hand to Brown University’s Creative Arts Council project that supports emerging Providence-based artists in completing large-scale artwork at the Granoff Center. With support from current students and recent graduates, the selected community artist, James Weingrod, designed and installed his multi-faceted artwork that will be displayed in the building’s main entrance and lobby for the next year.
The Granoff Center serves as a catalyst for collaboration between and among the arts, sciences, and humanities. James Weingrod, Brown University class of 2004, served as the inaugural artist. Weingrod’s proposal to transform the building’s main level lobby using vector-based images rendered in vinyl spans multiple surfaces including walls, ceilings, and floors. Now viewers are able to stand in a designated area to see the image coalesce into a singular vision. Installation began in early September and completed by the October 15 opening.
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“It isn’t often that we see vinyl used in such an interesting abstract way. It was exciting to see James’s vision for the Granoff Center entranceway evolve.” said Lisa Humrich, ORAFOL Americas Marketing manager.
“In the past, the mural project has allowed the Granoff Center to showcase the work of Brown and RISD students,” said Chira DelSesto, Assistant Director for the Creative Arts Council and Granoff Center at Brown. Weingrod’s proposed design projected in Granoff Center’s entryway “Now, working with James, we are able to expand our reach into the local arts community and give our students a new opportunity to work with and learn from a practicing artist. We are very excited about the evolution of the mural project and are so thankful that James has been an eager collaborator as we take the project in a new direction.”
The Emerging Artist Mural evolved from the Creative Arts Council’s Student Mural Competition. Originally intended as a biannual competition allowing students to undertake two-dimensional murals, the next iteration offers mentorship and training throughout the development of a public art project. Through working with a team lead by a professional artist, students and recent graduates gain meaningful experience in arts administration, fundraising, designing for the public, and creating large-scale arts projects. Since 2011, the Perry and Marty Granoff Center for the Creative Arts at Brown University has provided multidisciplinary opportunities for students and local artists to collaborate on new initiatives crossing traditional academic boundaries.