The Bridge

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DPA Painting Murals at the Ross Park Zoo

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The wall DPA will paint The Parade of Animals on this wall

In a collaboration with the Ross Park Zoo, eight artists with the Dept of Public Art are painting a Parade of Animals along the wall leading to the entrance to the Zoo. Artists submitted designs in August based on animals that are in Zoo’s collection and 8 designs were chosen. They will prep Sept 18-19th and will be painting Sunday Sept. 20th from 11 am to 3 pm.

DPA is looking for a few volunteers to help with set up and clean up and possibly some assistance with painting.  And we always welcome visitors to cheer the artists on.

Susan Champeny’s design for the entrance to the Ross Park Zoo.

In addition, Susan Champeny,  master muralist and frequent contributor to DPA projects, was commissioned to create a banner for the chain link fence at the entrance. Susan said, “I tried to represent as many of the creature “kingdoms” as possible, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects, 8 total.” She is sending it from her home in Hawaii and we hope to get it by the weekend to install it.

Due to COVID precautions DPA is unable to paint upcycled cardboard with children and are not able to have bands as DPA usually has at Mural Fest.

The project has been funded by the Chenango County Arts Council with a Decentralization Grant made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the NYS Legislature.

Cat Fishing

This mural was painted by Susan Champeny and members of the Dept. of Public Art in one week, and installed September 27th at 21 Jarvis St. with the permission of the owner. The project was funded by the Chenango Co Arts Council and the Hoyt Foundation through the NYS Decentralization Program.

 

Blighted Building to Be Transformed into Aquarium Mural

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 10/25 THE MURAL IS FINISHED, AND DETAILED…   and Beautiful!!  Go visit at 21 Jarvis St. and take a selfie and post on Facebook!  

DPA installed a panel on the third side of the building at 21 Jarvis St. The panel was created by the participants in a workshop by Susan Champeny the artist who designed and painted Cat Fishing.  It, and the entire mural, is being dedicated to Hailey, a young woman who worked on priming the mural and subsequently committed suicide.

 DPA volunteers also detailed the mural by putting up a black "skirting" under the mural and doing touch up painting. The building itself is in poor condition making it difficult to attach boards to it.

Visiting mural artist Susan Champeny is lending her artistic vision and techniques to the Dept. of Public Art’s efforts to improve blighted buildings in Binghamton. The building at 21 Jarvis St. has become an aquarium with bright fish, and even a playful cat. The mural was painted in one week and installed in two parts this weekend. Local artists painted  along with Susan  at the DPA studio in the basement of theCooperative Gallery 213 State St. Binghamton.

“We are delighted to contribute this vibrant mural to this neighborhood,” said Peg Johnston of the DPA. “There are a lot of children in this area and a lot of pedestrian as well as motorized traffic. And Susan has been a great resource for local artists.”

Susan Champeny works with municipalities, private clients, community health centers, and educational institutions to create murals, mosaics, and recycled materials sculpture. “My goal is to inspire wonder and surprise in the viewer by creating memorable images,” commented Susan Champeny. “I am delighted to improve this neighborhood with art and to tackle a whole house mural project.”

The fight-the-blight-with-art project has also placed a large scale mural on Chenango St. with 11 panels depicting a food theme. Another site is on Glenwood Ave. and two or three other property owners have given permission to place a mural on a boarded up site. This project is made possible with public funds from the Chenango Arts Council’s Decentralization Program, a re-grant program of the NYS Council on the Arts, with support from Governor Cuomo and the NYS Legislature. Additional support for Broome County provided by the Stewart W. & Willma C. Hoyt Foundation.

More information on Facebook page Dept. of Public Art

 

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