Off the wall
curated by artist Melissa Stratton Pandina highlighting local muralists
March 30 - April 29
Opening Reception on Arts Night Out
We are living through a Mural renaissance. Between mural festivals, Municipal investment and private commissions drab spaces are now dripping with color. Murals are the place were fine art and street art combine. Fine artist and Graffiti artist are coming together to share skills, visual languages and create a vibrant art seen.
But what do these creative do during the cold months when outdoor painting is not an option…. They return to the studio. Off the wall is an exploration of how muralist create art in their “off time.” This collection includes graff work and abstract work, Realistic and stylized work. By comparing their mural work to their studio work, one can see more of the thought process behind the making of art. For while the technique differs, the mind behind it remains the same.
-
(she/her) is an award-winning artist (BFA from MassArt) whose work has been internationally published and sold. Growing up as an Army Brat exposed Melissa to many cultures and instilled a great love of listening to people's stories. This love shows in her work being dedicated to portraiture and bringing peoples’ stories to life. She has been featured in Professional Artist Magazine and had a piece hung in the Berkshire Museum of Art and Framingham Art Museum. Her work can also be seen in large-scale murals. The largest being murals in Fitchburg and Springfield. In her Mural work, she uses her traditional oil painting skills and translates them into house paint. She is passionate about creating murals WITH the community, so the community feels the art is theirs and that they had a hand in creating it. She has done public art pieces and murals across Massachusetts. She is a winner of the Saara Parker Painting Prize from Fitchburg Museum and has won 1st Place at Several Chalk Art Festivals and in the Boston 19th Amendment Poster contest. Oil is her primary medium, although she also works with egg tempera, Acrylic, and watercolor. She teaches non-credit painting at Holyoke Community College. When not painting, she can be found doing crafts with her small children and hiking with her dog.
-
(he/him Born Siphanoum) is a Lao American visual artist on an introspective journey to discover his authentic voice, blending graffiti, abstract expressionism, and portraiture in his work. LESN101 draws profound inspiration for his artwork from his personal and familial story marked by survival and trauma. It all began in 1976 when his mother fled Laos, seeking refuge in Thailand following the communist takeover and the Laotian Civil War. Joining the Laotian diaspora in the United States, LESN101 was born in 1979 in Nashville, TN, and spent his formative years in Columbus, OH, until domestic violence and abuse prompted his family's relocation to Springfield, MA, in 1989. Currently residing there, he translates his mother's resilience and his encounters with fear and trauma into transformative art, delving into themes of self-liberation, healing, and empowerment.
LESN101's artistic achievements have garnered notable recognition, including the "Art’s Next Up 2023" award and the ValleyCreates 2023 Capacity Grant. Additionally, he holds certification from the Community Mural Institute. His work has been exhibited at the Piano Craft Gallery in Boston, Northampton Center for the Arts, and the FPAC Gallery in Boston. Furthermore, he contributed to the group exhibit "Rumble Above the Clouds" in NYC
-
(she/her) Originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico, is a dynamic presence in the art world. With a focused approach and a versatile style of artistic expression, Gabriela creates works that resonate with the stories of diverse lives, transcending barriers and fostering unity.
With a degree from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a Masters from Atlantic University College, Gabriela's artistic style is influenced by a range of sources, including Moebius, Camilla d'Errico, Pop Surrealism, Science Fiction, and Comics. Her interest in storytelling brings depth to each creation, transporting observers to imaginative realms where emotions and intellect intertwine.
Gabriela's journey has been marked by notable achievements, including the prestigious Arts Next Up Showcase 2023 Award, recognizing her exceptional artistry and dedication to nurturing local art and culture. At the heart of her community, she drives impactful projects throughout the city, using her talents to make art accessible to everyone.
Among her accomplishments, Gabriela earned "The People's Choice" honor at The D'amour Museum of Fine Arts Community Gallery, a testament to her ability to create deep connections through her portraiture. She has also collaborated on murals alongside respected artists such as Gretta McClain and Pablo Kalaka.
Looking forward, Gabriela's focus remains on enriching her community through her creative pursuits. With every stroke of her brush, she infuses life, emotion, and imagination into her canvases, fostering a lasting bond between viewers and her art. As she continues her artistic journey, she remains committed to bridging hearts and minds through her unwavering creativity.
-
(she/her) is an Easthampton, MA-based artist and community activator. She uses mesmerizing colors to capture fleeting moments of awe from life. Sharon’s work begins with a process of deep listening, both to herself and her community. She dives into the confluence of our innermost thoughts and the playful nuances of our shared experiences in a way that challenges societal norms and makes way for healing. Sharon’s work
draws from the spontaneity and improvisation of abstract expressionism. Like a symphony of poetic phrases and words, curved
forms, and bold colors, her work evokes a sense of ever-present movement and a joyful acceptance of change for the viewer. Sharon is the Artistic Director and Founder at the mural company, The Color Collaborative. Her murals can be found in cities around the country and internationally.
-
(he/him) is a spray paint stencil artist and muralist, received his Bachelors of Fine Arts from Carnegie Mellon University in 2014, and currently resides in Springfield, MA. He is currently represented by Art for the Soul Gallery. Through his work, Ryan unearths and examines unsettling but important conversations about the stigma of mental illness, with the goal of normalizing the discussion and treatment of mental health in black communities.
“To examine Black mental health is to examine the effect of events in both the past and present, socioeconomic factors, how patterns of suffering repeat themselves, and the burden of certain societal expectations.”
Ryan utilizes repeated symbolism and autobiographical elements to address the reality and the reasons that people of color suffer in silence more than their white counterparts. Some of these works incorporate elements from photos taken during childhood, while others are derived from collages made during the artist’s therapy sessions.
Ryan is a recipient of grants from the Community Foundation of Western MA, Mass Cultural Council, and Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. He has exhibited in numerous western MA locations, Pittsburgh PA, and even abroad in Florence, Italy.
-
(she/her b. 1977) is a multi-disciplinary artist working in painting, drawing, installation, murals, public art, and site-specific activations. Carlino exhibits internationally, including shows at the University Museum of Contemporary Art in Amherst, the 2019 Every Woman Biennial, Site Brooklyn Gallery, Garvey Simon Gallery, Alfa Gallery in Miami, the Grand Rapids ArtPrize, Pierogi Flat Files, and the Honorary America Artist for Ras Al Khaimah Art in the UAE. Carlino was a member on the team of artists that installed the 25 year Drawing Retrospective of Sol LeWitt’s Wall Drawings at MASS MoCA in North Adams, Massachusetts in 2008. Her team installed Wall Drawing #38, Wall Drawing #142, and Wall Drawing #797. Carlino’s awards include Art on the Streets 2022 Grand Prize Award, the Prutting Award for Painting, Bromfield Solo Competition, Dehn Visiting Artist Fellowship, and a 2016 Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellowship in Drawing and Printmaking. Carlino has been painting murals since 2014 and has completed numerous mural commissions as well as public art projects for the City of Springfield, City of Colorado Springs, City of Northampton, Lower Eastside Business Improvement District, NYC Department of Transportation, Isenberg Projects in Boston, Turning Art, Grand Rapids ArtPrize, Marshalltown Iowa, Orange Virginia, the NYC Garment District Alliance and recently a commission for Google Headquarters in Cambridge, MA.
-
I’m a graffiti artist whose art reflects authentic imperfections. My name “SELF” is an acronym for Stay Elevated Live Free. I use aerosol in 95% of my art, whether it’s on a wall, a canvas, or something I’ve built. The simple sound of the spray paint spraying can be extremely therapeutic for me. Although I sometimes wish I could create knowing what I want the final outlook to be. Most times it’s based on a feeling and the end reveals itself to me. I also love words and writing to help convey life lessons I've learned that perhaps someone else could benefit from. I don't expect everyone to love my art, but I'm deeply thankful for those who resonate with my messaging, my art, and what I represent.
-
(she/her b. Boston, 1992) is an American visual artist who primarily paints and makes large-scale murals. Her work explores states of mindfulness, healing, and the divine feminine. Combining figurative symbols with abstracted forms, she creates metaphorical spaces that contemplate the spiritual and mysterious aspects of the world around us and our place within it. In 2016, Lena began painting in the streets while living in Santiago, Chile, and has since continued to paint in public spaces across the world. Her work ranges from ephemeral street paintings done in several hours to large-scale mural works. Her works are scattered across the globe on four continents; she has participated in numerous mural festivals in the US, Mexico, and India and has been an artist in residence with the Dripped on the Road traveling residency (2021, USA), La Sierra Foundation (2023, Colombia) and Watershed Studios (Ireland). In 2021 she constructed a large-scale solo exhibition of her paintings and installation in Project B Gallery (USA).
