-----------Urban Mirage---------------------
Big Art for Everyday People by Carol Ann Newsome
1301 Vine Street, Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati
Most people know me through the New Leaf Global Art Project. New Leaf is only a part of my life as an artist. I love to paint big. I also love helping children and adults find their creative voices. Urban Mirage is my dream, using art to empower neighborhoods and improve the quality of life. In addition to community projects, I also create murals for residential and commercial spaces. I am a firm believer in collaboration. Even when I am executing a private commission, it is important to me that the end result reflects both the space and the people that inhabit it. Please use the link at the bottom of the page to contact me for more information.
Urban Mirage is inspired by a series of murals I completed in Over-the-Rhine in the early 90’s. This is a multi-level project: First, to encourage a postitive self-image for disadvantaged neighborhhods with collaborative community murals that celebrate a unique cultural identity. The murals promote self-empowerment through the collaborative process, and create a sense of personal investment and pride in the neighborhood. Through project participation, children and adolescents will gain an increased sense of competency while learning new skills and and engaging in creative self-expression. Such activity promotes improved relationships within the community that can result in a myriad of positive outcomes. My job as an artist is to ensure that murals are a genuine expression of the community, and that the resulting artwork is well executed so that it brings pleasure to all for many years.
Second, Urban Mirage seeks to empower these disadvantaged communities by raising funds through the sale of merchandise using the mural images: T-shirts, coffee mugs, tote bags, posters and fine art prints. Proceeds from the sale of all merchandise will be split between Urban Mirage and the community. Ultimately, Urban Mirage seeks to become self-supporting and to provide a source of income to particpating communities.
Third, the marketing of these images serves as a gentle reminder of long-languishing neighborhoods which need our attention. Wearing a T-shirt or carrying a tote bag serves as a means for people to demonstrate public support on a daily basis.
Currently I am working with the South Cumminsville Community Council to create a 1,000 square foot gateway mural that will celebrate the African American history of the area. Neighborhood children will create drawings to illustrate oral history shared by neighborhood elders. These images will be used to create the final design, which will be executed with the assitance of area residents. Completion is scheduled for July, 2005.
This site, like this project, is under construction. A gallery featuring many more works is coming soon. For now, here are some photos of the murals I painted at 13th and Vine Streets in Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati. I painted them between 1992 and 1995. These are neighborhood children. The series is titled “Climbing” and is meant to convey the joy, challenge and risk of growing.
“What you focus on, increases.” I firmly believe this. This was my mantra during my years as a substance abuse counselor in a long-term facility for parolees and indigent clients. As I had learned to refocus my clients in positive directions, I wanted “Climbing” to provide a place for people to refocus on positive images.
I promised you paintings. Hopefully, by the time you have read to this point, the images have loaded. : )
Here they are:
Climbing: Marcus
Climbing: Bennie 1
Climbing: Bryan
Climbing: Joseph
Climbing: Shawanda
Climbing: Bennie 2