April 2017
Interactive Coloring Mural
4ft x 8ft (48” x 96”)
Printed on panel, mounted to wood
Hosted in Commencement Fest 2017, for graduates and their families to color with paint markers
When I was offered the opportunity to participate in the Art Lift project, another project was in the works: an interactive coloring mural at the 2017 Commencement Fest. It was originally 4 feet by 20 feet, and you explore that design below. The final version, pictured above, is 4 feet by 8 feet. I selected 8 colors of paint marker for people to use, and stayed at the booth while Commencement Fest was happening.
It was such a joyous event: newly graduated students and their families milled about, ate food, and explored all the different booths. When they wandered towards my booth, every person was so excited to learn that they could color in the mural. One unknown girl stayed for a long time, and I saw myself in her—using art the escape social events. Everyone, from young kids to grandparents, were so happy to do art, and it was so nice to make that happen. I am a firm believer in public art, and won't be satisfied until we fill whole cities with murals.
There was a unfortunate miscommunication on the day, however, and only 6 colors were actually used. I was disappointed at first, because I had expectations about the final result based on the 12 colors, and was sad we wouldn't get the see the full potential of the piece. But I realized that those expectations weren't realistic; when you make a piece of interactive art for the public, it is no longer your art. People, in so many different ways, make it their own; some might color in the lines, but others write their own names, or memes, or inside jokes, or draw weird jokes. But the beauty in the day wasn't the final result; it was the process.
I would love to do more interactive public art like this. I really enjoy creating situations that allow people to make art, and that usually involves providing the setting and materials. Personally, I like to host Arties—Art Parties. In college, I would invite tons of people over to make art in a judgement-free zone, providing a wide range of art supplies and materials (and usually leftover sandwiches and pastries from my cafe job). I learned quickly that most people, unlike myself, don't like staring at a blank page. If you don't give them an entry point, they won't know what to do. So I started making StArters: small art prompts that created a starting point for people. No matter the location—living room or campus quad—enabling art is a passion of mine, one which will only grow as I do.
