DEDICATION OF FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT-INSPIRED MURAL ON JUNE 22 FROM 4-5 PM
The public is invited to celebrate Frank Lloyd Wright’s 150th birthday month by helping officially dedicate the newest ARTification mural “PrairieSumac” by Troy Freeman, located near the United States Post Office on Monroe, on the building at 5th and Monroe. Freeman painted a Frank Lloyd Wright window design that can be seen locally at the Dana-Thomas House. This ARTification mural was made possible by a TIF grant from the City of Springfield and financial sponsorship from building owner Curtis Tillett and AIA (American Institute of Architects) Illinois. It was approved by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. The ceremony takes place in the outdoor patio space behind Bar None Springfield and The Gin Mill. Entrance is free, and there will be a cash bar.
ABOUT TROY FREEMAN
Troy is a freelance illustrator with 15 published titles to his name, in addition to an increasingly popular business of painting murals for the last decade through FreeSky Studios. He ran a downtown web and graphic design business for many years, nominated for the Chamber’s Small Business Award. Freeman also is very philanthropic, named one of Springfield’s “40 under 40” in 2006 and named the DSI’s Volunteer of the Year in 2007.
ART TAKEOVER OF DOWNTOWN ALLEY ON JUNE 29 FROM 5-9 PM
The public is also invited to a one-night takeover and transformation of a boringdowntown alley into a big city art club. The Art Alley Pop-Up Event features art, syncopated music and light show, paint-by-numbers mural, plus appetizers by Augie’s Front Burner and beverages by Floyd’s Thirst Parlor. Tickets are $15 at the door, which include admission and appetizers, with proceeds benefiting downtown revitalization. All ages are encouraged and welcomed to attend.
DSI is hosting this first-ever party in an alley between the Reisch Building & the Old Town Mall between 4th & 5th Streets, just west of the Old State Capitol.
Lights and music will be coordinated by Neuhoff Media and Chicago light artist Brandon Mojica of ProSource. The south wall will have a gallery hanging of 40+ pieces of work by Sangamon County artists. Guests will be able to participate in a paint-by-numbers mural on the north wall to leave their own splash of color downtown. The north wall will also feature newly painted, larger-scale murals by emerging Springfield artists Laura Zuniga and Immanuel Ahiable.
This event is made possible with a partnership with Springfield Art Association and with generous support from Neuhoff Media, Solomon Colors, AARP Illinois, Crawford Murphy and Tilly, Don Smith Paints, PPG Paints, Solutions Printing and the generous Stern and Myers families, who own the buildings.
ABOUT LAURA ZUNIGA
Laura Zuniga is ART BY ZUNIGA. She is an emerging artist currently residing in Springfield, IL. Zuniga attended Benedictine University in Springfield. She completed her Bachelor’s in Studio Arts at Benedictine University in Lisle. Zuniga is a museum full of art that hopes to open people’s eyes. She hopes to bring
many more creations that will tell stories and be appreciated by individuals who admire art just as much as she does. Her mural “Lion Chaser” was inspired by Chase the Lion, a book given to me by a close friend who believes in my dreams as an artist. The book is about going after your dreams.
”It inspired me and gave me the courage to pursue what God has placed in my heart. Since I came to Springfield in the summer of ’08, it has always been a dream of mine to paint a mural downtown. As an artist it is important to get your name out there. In doing a mural, an artist distinguishes a certain status, a certain recognition. And as an artist that is success because now not only do your friends and family know you paint, now the whole world can see that you paint. And that mural is out there for the world to see. The mural depicts this opportunity that I was blessed with and I hope that it will impact other generations to do the same, to chase their lion.”
ABOUT IMMANUEL AHIABLE
Immanuel Ahiable’s painting is inspired by his grandfather mixed in with the culture of where he comes from in Ghana West Africa. Recently his grandfather passed away in March and he wanted to memorialize what the influence of those two things are. His passing brought new perspective to his life and this is a way of displaying that perspective on him and where Ahiable comes from.
“Ever since the age of 4, and even before as a young boy who had just moved to the US, I always had a strong desire to create. I’ve always been a strong believer of using all of your talents to the best of your ability, unfortunately I wasn’t the best at working on all of them. Through dancing, singing, product design, or playing instruments and more painting and a few other aspects of visual art were the things that stuck around for me. Growing up it was something that I wasn’t discouraged to do especially compared to all of the other skills that I wanted to work on. Visual arts always had a certain consistency in my life. It always found itself sketched into my homework, school projects, conversations and in my thoughts. After realizing that, it dawned on me that I was withdrawing myself from a necessity. It had the ability to turn someone’s day around, give them new perspective, inspire them to see the similarities in the seemingly different situations. It made sense to me that that this was my way of communication. This was the talent that stuck with me for a reason. I know with time I will build up on my other skills, but right now this is my passion, this is my obligation and because of that I will use it to make the most beneficial impact on the world that I live in.”
DSI’s mission is to increase the economic and cultural vitality of downtown Springfield. Art Alley Pop Up and ARTification are creative placemaking activities by DSI’s Image & Design volunteer council. If you’d like to get involved in DSI activities and revitalization work, contact the DSI office at 217-544-1723. Visitdowntownspringfield.org for the downtown calendar.
