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I am so proud of my husband. With all the pain from his illness, he just keeps going on and pushing himself in to wonder.
Ariel Vergez, one of 7 awarded a grant for the City of Cleveland Transformative Arts Fund for his multi-pronged public art project “The Art Garden”, invited me to collaborate on the “Plant Monumental Sculptures” part of the grant. I’m excited to be a part of his beautiful vision. Scheduled to be completed in September, my MODEL CITIZEN will occupy a vacant lot on Storer Avenue on the West side of Cleveland. Fabricated in aluminum and painted with the vibrant Valspar color “Tangy”, it sits on a concrete plinth that doubles as a bench. Cleveland Metroparks will be transforming the lot into a micro-park. MODEL CITIZEN will be in dialog with two other sculptures, Ariel Vergez’s Spina Florae on an adjacent lot, and GeoBird by Arlin Graff on a lot across the street. About THE ART GARDEN: The Art Garden (TAG) is a transformative initiative spearheaded by the Black Brain Group, aiming to rejuvenate and empower the West Cleveland communities through a creative synergy of public art, mentor-ship, and cultural revival. Guided by an overarching vision of artistic expression and collaboration, TAG is designed to intertwine community engagement with innovative art installations including a vibrant series of murals co-created with community input and sculptural installations reinvigorating vacant lots. TAG fosters the growth of emerging artists by providing mentor-ship, skill-building workshops, and real-world experience. This ensures the development of local talent while embedding a sense of ownership and pride in the community. More about TAG on the Black Brain Group website: https://www.blackbraingroup.com/home-1
Andrew Reach