(Providence, RI) 2023
This past summer I worked with The Avenue Concept (TAC) based in Providence, RI as a Public Art and Gardens intern. Relying on my career working as a Horticulturist in public parks for six years, I wanted to work with TAC to create 3 modular pop-up sculptures for vacant sculpture pads in downtown Providence. The pads were situated in neglected urban gardens that contained some native plants .(and also a lot of weeds!). These sculptures highlighted overlooked gardens and the importance of native pollinator-friendly plants.
I laser cut 1-inch plywood with Precision Laser in North Providence, sanded and finished it before applying a topcoat of Montana Gold spray paint. TAC commissioned these sculptures which are modular and can be easily assembled and taken down.
One Stop Cleaners mural with Allston Village Main Streets
(Boston, MA) 2024
One Stop Dry Cleaner business owner Julie Tran has been living and working in Allston for over 20 years, delivering quality service and affordable laundry prices for the local community. She had been having issues with graffiti in her entry way and wanted a botanically themed mural, so I decided to incorporate lotus flowers from her homeland of Vietnam in this design. Allston Village main streets commisioned this mural and connected me with Julie. Thank you Allston Village!
Urban Farms murals at Eco City Farms
(Hyattsville, MD) 2023
Situated in a suburb of Washington DC, Eco City Farms works with members of the community to provide on-the-job training and organic produce for dense and ethnically diverse neighborhoods. This critical work ensures food security in food deserts, where grocery chains don’t operate. In conjunction with the Rhode Island School of Design Center for Student involvement, I traveled with 10 other students to paint 3x- 40 ft murals that I designed over a 5-day period during spring break. Everyone worked so hard on the mural and shared the physical workload.
For the design, I wanted to pay hommage to the urban farming work at Eco City by depicting some of the vegetables they grow along with native pollinators. Drawing on my background as a horticulturist, I incorporated native plants (Black Eyed Susans, Milkweed) and featured food the farm grows on the other mural (kohlrabi, carrots, nasturtiums, swiss chard, tomatoes). Can you spot them all?
Salem Art Festival
(Salem, MA) 2023
Each year the city of Salem invites regional artists to compete in a mural painting competition. The weather was bad- 100 degrees one day, raining and cold the next- but I was so happy to meet the other participants and be a part of this event. I used a previous illustration of a skeleton fairy to pay hommage to the spooky roots of Salem.