The public is invited to participate in one or two three-hour workshops May 4 and May 5 to help inspire “Art for Everybody: The Delaware Mural Project,” a plan to create painted murals in downtown Delaware. The events are organized by Ohio Wesleyan University’s Richard M. Ross Art Museum.
Nationally recognized artist and educator Brett Cook will guide workshop participants in creative activities to help illustrate community values and envision future dreams for Delaware. Results of these activities will influence the designs of the final murals. Times and locations for the workshops are:
- 10 AM-1 PM on May 4 at Andrews House, 39 W. Winter St., Delaware, followed at 1 PM by a luncheon and community celebration.
- 2 PM-5 PM on May 5 at the Second Ward Community Center, 50A Ross St., Delaware, followed at 5 PM by a dinner and community celebration.
The workshops are free, but an RSVP is requested by emailing ramuseum@owu.edu or calling 740-368-3606 with your name and the meeting(s) you plan to attend. Community members who attended Cook’s information sessions in February and March are especially encouraged to attend.
An accomplished artist, Cook seeks to build relationships and facilitate community dialogue that generates reflection, insight, and vision for the future. Following the workshops, he will design the murals this summer in his studio in Oakland, California, with a hope of installing them downtown in early fall.
Cook earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley. During his career, he has been honored with the Lehman Brady Visiting Professorship at Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; the Richard C. Diebenkorn Fellowship at the San Francisco Art Institute; a 2014 inaugural A Blade of Grass Fellowship for Socially Engaged Art; and selection as a cultural ambassador to Nigeria as part of the U.S. Department of State’s 2012 smARTpower Initiative.
His work is in private and public collections including the Smithsonian/National Portrait Gallery, the Walker Art Center, and Harvard University.
The Delaware Mural Project has been supported by the Ohio Arts Council, Delaware County Commissioners, the Delaware City Promotions Grant, the Ross Art Museum, and private donors. It aims to honor the history of Delaware and encourage momentum for public art in downtown, as described in the city’s masterplan. To learn about donor opportunities, contact Erin Fletcher, director of the Ross Art Museum, at elfletch@owu.edu.
In the photo above: Artist Brett Cook, shown working in his studio, will meet with the community May 4 and 5 to continue planning for downtown Delaware murals. (Photo courtesy of Brett Cook)
