LOCAL ARTIST CREATES MULTICULTURAL MURAL, WASHINGTON, DC

Two months of painting a public art mural are coming to a close and I will devote more time and attention to the body of abstract work that I am developing for an exhibition at Zenith Gallery opening on Cinco de Mayo. Stay tuned for that! I'm very excited with the direction my abstract work is taking.


I've had a wonderful two months painting with fellow muralists Ivo Koytchev and Kim Dutton.
Collaboration is an awesome energy generator and I love the old adage that "Many Hands Make Work Happy." And in this project, it did! It's a good feeling to be this close to greeting some happy, smiling faces in the community center. Color! May it last forever!

Here's a copy of the press release which is being issued by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities with more info about my mural project.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LOCAL ARTIST CREATES MULTICULTURAL MURAL,
“BUILDING BLOCKS, HIGH UP, CLOSE TO HEAVEN” IN TAKOMA, DC

Artist Anne Marchand is painting a mural, piece by piece to install in the Takoma Community Center at 300 Van Buren Street, NW, Washington, DC. When assembled, “Building Blocks, High Up Close to Heaven,” will be a 7’ x 18’ mural. The mural depicts a DC neighborhood where the Community Center serves as a gathering place for people of diverse cultures. The artist is painting ten 3 ½’ square mural panels to symbolize the recreation center as a building block of community. One of three semi-finalists, this project was commissioned through a joint partnership between the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities’ DC Creates Public Arts Program and the DC Department of Parks and Recreation.

Recreation and education are themes the artist is using to paint the community in action. When installed, the mural will act like a third window in the lobby area of the community center with views of the surrounding neighborhood including historic landmarks such as the Takoma Historic Theatre. The artist uses her signature celebratory palette of bright reds mixed with yellows, blues and magenta. Residents of all ages are depicted in active poses, enjoying sports activities in a whimsical, cloud filled blue-sky neighborhood. With the assistance of local muralists, Ivo Koytchev and Kimberly Dutton and volunteer, Vivian Djen, Artist Anne Marchand is creating the 18’ mural in her Dupont Circle studio.

Takoma Site Manager, Sylvia Gwathmey is hoping for a March installation of the mural panels. She expressed her delight with the artist’s design concept. “We need lots of color in the Community Center. The children will relate to the bright colors and we are really looking forward to having the mural. We’d like to have it installed in March but if we have to, we can wait until April.” Plans are underway to install the mural in the spring of 2006. Artist, Anne Marchand will be onsite at the Takoma Community Center, March 15-17, 2006 with a smaller version of the mural design to answer questions about her creative process. She will engage community members in educational art sessions to create artistic responses to the mural over a three-day period. A public Dedication Ceremony is planned and the date will be announced once the mural is installed.

Anne Marchand is an award winning artist and muralist. This is her second Public Art mural through DC Creates Public Art. She successfully completed the Westminster Neighborhood Playground mural “Community” in the Shaw neighborhood in 2001. Anne also paints abstract works which will be featured in a solo exhibition, “Ellipsis” at the Zenith Gallery opening May 5– June 4, 2006. Receptions to meet the artist are on May 5, 6 - 9 pm and May 7, 2-5 pm and are free and open to the public. art@zenithgallery.com 202.783.2963.

For Information Contact:
Anne Marchand,
Artist & Muralist
art@annemarchand.com

Rachel Dickerson
Eugene Thompson
DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities
202/724-5617
Rachel.Dickerson@dc.gov
Eugene.Thompson@dc.gov

Biography and photographs of Anne Marchand and her award-winning works sent upon request.
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