muralcle block party!

I was asked to promote this event, so here we go. Please note that all of the following italicized words were written by the folks at SeeSAW. I have added my photographs in lieu of using theirs.

For Immediate Release
SeeSAW Block Party and David Ellis
Who: SeeSAW (Savannah Art Walls) and Savannah artists Katherine Sandoz, Troy Wandzel, Adolfo Alvarado and visiting artist David Ellis
What: Block Party
Where: SeeSAW Mural Wall | 34th and Habersham Street | Savannah, GA
When: Sunday, October 14 , 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Social Media Feed: Twitter @SavArtWAlls
Follow SeeSAW’s collaboration with David Ellis with the hashtag #EllisSAV on twitter and instagram October 14 - 19.
For info please email info@savannahartwalls.org

SeeSAW (See Savannah Art Walls) is excited to announce a block party this Sunday, October 14 in celebration of a year’s worth of art and community support at the mural wall at 34th and Habersham Street in Savannah, GA. In December of 2011 SeeSAW secured approval from Savannah’s Metropolitan Planning Commission to oversee the first designated rotating mural wall in Savannah. To fund a years worth of murals SeeSAW successfully raised over $7,000.00 on the crowd-sourcing website Kickstarter. Most of the money raised was locally sourced from individual Savannahians and local businesses that support the amplification of public art.
In order to stay in line with the curatorial standard of creating work that is Savannah-centric in nature, SeeSAW selected prominent local artists Katherine Sandoz, Troy Wandzel, and Adolfo Hernandez Alvarado. These three artists were selected to tell a visual story of Savannah because of their consistent history documenting and interacting with the diverse people and geography of Georgia's first city.

Starting on the coldest day of the year in February 2012, Katherine Sandoz painted an abstract landscape of Turtle Island, a hammock off the Georgia coast directly due east from the wall at 34th and Habersham. The landscape spanned the length of the 8 ft x 100 ft wall.

In June 2012, rather than obliterate Sandoz’s landscape, Troy Wandzel decided to add a field of flowers along the lower third of the wall. Often in contorted positions, Wandzel painted over 70 portraits from life of everyday Savannah citizens that willingly suffered the June heat with smiles on their faces.

Staying in the theme of adding
to the wall rather than starting
over, in September of 2012
Adolfo Hernandez Alvarado synthesized Sandoz’s landscape and Wandzel’s portraits by painting a centrally located female figure with a crown formed out of seashells and waves. The woman represents
the feminine qualities of Savannah as a city, from its natural and architectural beauty to its motherly embrace.
“La Madre” of Savannah is flanked by two bearded horn players derivative of the fountain in historic Forsyth Park.
To close out the year with a bang, SeeSAW will be bringing in world-renowned NYC-based artist David Ellis for a week of painting “large, mobile, 3D” objects placed on the lawn in front of the wall on 34th Street. SeeSAW co-founders James “DrZ” Zdaniewski and Matt Hebermehl were inspired to create SeeSAW based upon previous experiences assisting Mr. Ellis on projects in Savannah and the Wynwood Walls neighborhood of Miami, FL. David Ellis will be in Savannah October 14 - 19.

Let me tell you, this was quite a block party, too! People from the neighborhood, people from all over Savannah, even people from other cities, all came together to admire the Muralcle and to watch the New Yorker create his motion-based paintings on the side panels of cargo trucks. It was almost like he was dancing! He may well have been, as the crowd was entertained by the sounds of Vinyl Appreciation while slurping Italian ices to stay cool in the sunshine.
Remember how Fliss had her portrait painted in June by Troy Wandzel? Well, the evidence points to his having an influence on Adolfo Alvarado's design. Perhaps he asked that my visage be preserved; perhaps he did not. Whatever the case may be, Fliss remains with "La Madre", peeking out on the lefthand side. Is it mere coincidence that has me nestled near "The Mother"? I prefer to think it was on purpose. Yet another message from beyond, reassuring me that I am spending the money properly.
Thanks, Mama.