Bianca Mireles & Durkish Delights
The Rochester Museum of Fine Arts is commissioning Bianca Mireles and Durkish Delights for two large murals in the main hallway of the Rochester Community Center. The murals will bookend numerous works on display from the museum's permanent collection.
Bianca Mireles
Mireles is an artist living and working in the seacoast area. Originally from Big Spring, Texas, Mireles has exhibited in a variety of venues in Los Angeles CA, Birmingham AL, Odessa TX, and Big Spring, TX. She received Bachelors degrees in English and Studio Art at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin in Odessa.
"I’m honored to work with Matt Wyatt and Amy Regan with the RMFA. They dedicate so much time to facilitating a connection between art and the community. I’ve lived in three states in the past few years and always gravitate towards the grassroots doers and shakers, and Matt and Amy are exemplary. I love being part of their artistic initiative. Rochester is so lucky to have these two." - Bianca Mireles.
"I’m honored to work with Matt Wyatt and Amy Regan with the RMFA. They dedicate so much time to facilitating a connection between art and the community. I’ve lived in three states in the past few years and always gravitate towards the grassroots doers and shakers, and Matt and Amy are exemplary. I love being part of their artistic initiative. Rochester is so lucky to have these two." - Bianca Mireles.
"All People Welcome" Durkish Delights
Durkish Delights (Mike Durkee) is a graphic and mural artist living and working out of his home studio in Alton, NH. He is originally from Massachusetts and studied fine arts at Chester College. His works have been previously exhibited at Ello Gallery, Oak and Iron Gallery, Monastery Artists Gallery, and Wrong Brain Studios.
“The RMFA is special to me because it is such a hidden gem. From the art to the curators themselves, the vibe of this place is so welcoming and fun. I’m so excited to share art in this space… Art should be accessible to all and I want people to feel welcomed as soon as they approach the gallery. My goal is to spark people’s curiosity and draw them in to experience all the art Rochester has to offer… There’s a lot of heart in the RMFA and I feel truly blessed to be a part of their vision. Huge thanks to Matt and Amy for this opportunity!” - Durkish Delights.
“The RMFA is special to me because it is such a hidden gem. From the art to the curators themselves, the vibe of this place is so welcoming and fun. I’m so excited to share art in this space… Art should be accessible to all and I want people to feel welcomed as soon as they approach the gallery. My goal is to spark people’s curiosity and draw them in to experience all the art Rochester has to offer… There’s a lot of heart in the RMFA and I feel truly blessed to be a part of their vision. Huge thanks to Matt and Amy for this opportunity!” - Durkish Delights.
josh dannin January 2020
The Rochester Museum of Fine Arts is proud to present a window art installation by Josh Dannin. The installation is on view in the windows of the long-vacant Hoffman Furniture building, in downtown Rochester. The project was completed on Saturday, January 11, 2020. Visit www.joshdannin.com to learn more about the artist. A public reception will take place at the Rochester Performance & Arts Center (RPAC) on Thursday, January 23 from 6-8pm.
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Josh Dannin is an artist and printmaker based in Goffstown, New Hampshire. Working primarily with relief and risograph print processes, he is interested in the intersection between modern technology, traditional craft, and mass production. Dannin has a BFA in Printmaking and Photography from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania and an MFA in printmaking from Ohio University. His printed and bound works have been exhibited both nationally and internationally.
Original design rendering "Rochester MFA"
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Dannin runs Directangle Press, a small printshop that specializes in letterpress and risograph printing and publishing. He co-edits Power Washer Zine: a semiannual publication about screenprinting that asks soft questions and thinks hard thoughts. In addition to running group workshops at Directangle Press, he teaches printmaking, letterpress, and design at Saint Anselm College and the New Hampshire Institute of Art.
Nathan Walker Katydid
The Rochester Museum of Fine Arts commissioned NH artist Nathan Walker to install a large metal sculpture on the front lawn of the Rochester Community Center. The project, which was supported by the Office of Economic and Community Development (City of Rochester) and Rochester Main Street, was completed on November 23rd, 2019. Special thanks to Stan Walker.
"I've been an artist for pretty much as long as I can remember, working in animation, graphic design, children's literature, and sculpture (both 3D and metal). I've worked for a wide variety of clients, such as Dora the Explorer, the Union of Concerned Scientists, McGraw-Hill Publishers, Backpacker Magazine, and Highlights for Children. Each new assignment offers me the opportunity to not only fulfill a client's need, but to further enrich my conceptual and artistic skills..."
"I've been an artist for pretty much as long as I can remember, working in animation, graphic design, children's literature, and sculpture (both 3D and metal). I've worked for a wide variety of clients, such as Dora the Explorer, the Union of Concerned Scientists, McGraw-Hill Publishers, Backpacker Magazine, and Highlights for Children. Each new assignment offers me the opportunity to not only fulfill a client's need, but to further enrich my conceptual and artistic skills..."
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"I believe that making a strong statement is not about being loud and flashy. It's about understanding your audience, knowing your client's needs, and focusing your creativity in order to develop that perfect artistic concept. I believe that what you say is as important as how you say it; to me, beautiful design speaks volumes. For over 15 years I have been fostering partnerships with my clients to help them create a strong visual statement and to find their own unique voice." - Nathan Walker, artist.
The sculpture, a nearly 8ft tall Katydid made entirely of recycled metal, stands prominently near the main entrance of the Community Center, welcoming visitors as they enter the building. The RMFA will paint the sculpture in the spring when the weather is warmer. What color do YOU think it should be?
The sculpture, a nearly 8ft tall Katydid made entirely of recycled metal, stands prominently near the main entrance of the Community Center, welcoming visitors as they enter the building. The RMFA will paint the sculpture in the spring when the weather is warmer. What color do YOU think it should be?
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"On behalf of the City of Rochester, Economic Development Department, we recognize that art not only adds to the quality of life of the community but it spurs commerce – businesses benefit from a community investing in itself with Public Art – it signals to visitors they are welcome, encourages them to linger, to shop, dine, and live.
Rochester Museum of Fine Art’s mission is “Art is for everyone,” and this installation of “Katy” the Katydid, by international artist, Nathan Walker, brings a playful exuberance to the main entrance of Rochester Community Center. We can’t think of a better host at the front door, a warm welcome to the newly renovated recreation area and the art exhibits inside. Bravo!” - Jennifer Murphy Aubin, Public Art Project Liaison, Office of Economic Development, Rochester, NH.
Rochester Museum of Fine Art’s mission is “Art is for everyone,” and this installation of “Katy” the Katydid, by international artist, Nathan Walker, brings a playful exuberance to the main entrance of Rochester Community Center. We can’t think of a better host at the front door, a warm welcome to the newly renovated recreation area and the art exhibits inside. Bravo!” - Jennifer Murphy Aubin, Public Art Project Liaison, Office of Economic Development, Rochester, NH.
RECOVERING THE CLASSICS September 2019
The Rochester Museum of Fine Arts is proud to present Recovering the Classics, a pop-up art and design installation that highlights some of the greatest works in literary history. The posters will be displayed in the former Hoffman Furniture building, one of the longest vacancies in downtown Rochester.
Recovering the Classics is a crowdsourced collection of original covers for great works in the public domain. Sadly, many of the greatest classics in the public domain are left with poorly designed or auto-generated covers that fail to capture what makes these books exciting and inspiring to us. So the Creative Action Network invited illustrators, typographers, and designers of all stripes to create new covers for 100 of the greatest works in literary history.
Recovering the Classics is a crowdsourced collection of original covers for great works in the public domain. Sadly, many of the greatest classics in the public domain are left with poorly designed or auto-generated covers that fail to capture what makes these books exciting and inspiring to us. So the Creative Action Network invited illustrators, typographers, and designers of all stripes to create new covers for 100 of the greatest works in literary history.
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In 2013, the museum curated the first pop-up show featuring Recovering The Classics in another vacant location that is now occupied. This display features all-new book covers. All designs are available for sale as prints, apparel, and other products to support the artists, and Digital Public Library of America (DPLA). Visit creativeaction.network/collections/recovering-the-classics for more information.
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“We are so thrilled to be partnering with the Rochester Museum of Fine Arts to bring Recovering the Classics to life. For better or worse, people often do judge books by their covers. That’s why we felt it was so important to create new, original, quality covers for some of the greatest works in the public domain - to celebrate them the way they deserve to be celebrated. As a cultural center of the community, we couldn’t imagine a better organization to celebrate the classics!” - Max Slavkin, CEO, Creative Action Network.
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“The City of Rochester, Economic Development Department is so pleased to partner with the Rochester Museum of Fine Arts, on the Recovering the Classics public art display. This is an opportunity to draw attention to Rochester’s downtown spaces, helping to turn the page on vacancies. It’s also a chance to increase foot traffic to the stalwart businesses and restaurants that are doing a spectacular job anchoring the downtown, while introducing new audiences to newly reimagined covers of classic literature that is still relevant today. What a wonderful chapter for Rochester!” - Jennifer Murphy Aubin, Public Art Project Liaison, Office of Economic Development, Rochester, NH.
Bianca Mireles Barker Court Mural
The Rochester Museum of Fine Arts is pleased to announce the addition of another vibrant mural in downtown Rochester. Artist Bianca Mireles designed the mural specifically for the former Charter Trust building, behind Bernier Insurance. The mural will face the Union Street municipal parking lot. The project is supported entirely by Bernier Insurance, a financial sponsor of the RMFA.
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Bianca Mireles is an artist living and working in the seacoast area. Originally from Big Spring, Texas, Mireles has exhibited in a variety of venues in Los Angeles CA, Birmingham AL, Odessa TX, and Big Spring, TX. She received Bachelors degrees in English and Studio Art at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin in Odessa.
“We have wanted to support a project like this for years… I think the mural will fit in nicely with all the work the Rochester Museum of Fine Arts, and the entire arts community, has already done to enhance our every day lives. We hope this project inspires our neighbors to add even more wonderful art like this. We believe it’s the key to unlocking the beauty of our downtown.” - Troy Dillow, Bernier Insurance.
“We have wanted to support a project like this for years… I think the mural will fit in nicely with all the work the Rochester Museum of Fine Arts, and the entire arts community, has already done to enhance our every day lives. We hope this project inspires our neighbors to add even more wonderful art like this. We believe it’s the key to unlocking the beauty of our downtown.” - Troy Dillow, Bernier Insurance.
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“I taught public school, 5th grade reading, and art in Big Spring, Texas. Through community funding, my student Honors Art Club and I helped completely several murals in our downtown district. Our small downtown was beat up and a bit infamous for being in a downward track. My students got to experience actively partaking in creating change and beauty in a worn space, and that meant a lot to me. As an educator, I had a passion for taking art beyond the classroom and into the community. Although I no longer teach, I’m still an aspiring muralist. Public art is a movement. It is a social tool that can spread ideas, and perpetuate and influence a collective positive identity. The muralist I am inspired by most is Diego Rivera. As a freelance artist, I have a curiosity to explore identity through cultural, historical, scientific, and transcendent perspectives.” - Bianca Mireles, muralist.
Follow Bianca on instagram (@art.biancamireles) to see more of her work.
Follow Bianca on instagram (@art.biancamireles) to see more of her work.
Adam Pearson Sculpture Walk
The Rochester Museum of Fine Arts is proud to announce the installation of 3 large metal sculptures along Rt. 125. The sculptures, made by Adam Pearson, will be anchored along a paved walking trail that leads to the Rochester Common. The location was chosen because it's a major gateway to the downtown. Approximately 21,000 automobiles pass the site during the week, 30,000 during the weekend.
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Adam Pearson is a sculptor and craftsman from Barrington NH. In 2003, he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of New Hampshire. He currently works in the Art Department at the University of New Hampshire. His work focuses on sculpture, ceramics, welding, and casting.
Pearson served as the president of the non-profit arts group Art Esprit from 2009 to 2012. As president he led the organization through the successful completion of the major public art projects If These Rocks Could Talk: Stories of the Granite State in 2010; Rochester Creates: Portraits in 2011; and The Mythology of Rochester in 2012. Visit www.pearsonsculpture.com to learn more about Pearson's work.
Pearson served as the president of the non-profit arts group Art Esprit from 2009 to 2012. As president he led the organization through the successful completion of the major public art projects If These Rocks Could Talk: Stories of the Granite State in 2010; Rochester Creates: Portraits in 2011; and The Mythology of Rochester in 2012. Visit www.pearsonsculpture.com to learn more about Pearson's work.
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“Public Art represents a beacon of revitalization, leading the charge to beautify, renew, repurpose and transform a community’s identity of what came before to what it will become – and it’s a beautiful future with collaborative partners like the Rochester Museum of Fine Arts and Rochester Main Street.
The City of Rochester, NH enjoys more than double the economic impact of communities of similar size across the nation. According to the Americans for the Arts, the Arts & Prosperity study found spending by the arts & culture industry and its audiences totaled $12.3 million — more than double the $5.3 million median for communities its size nationwide. In the Office of Economic & Community Development, we value arts in its own right, as a cultural element that links us all together as a society, and to also, acknowledge it’s mighty financial contributions as a great, lasting benefit to the whole community.” - Jennifer Murphy Aubin, Public Art Project Liaison, Office of Economic Development, Rochester, NH.
This project, which was supported by the Department of Economic Development (City of Rochester, NH) and Rochester Main Street, was completed on Saturday, May 26th, 2019. Special thanks to Spaulding High School / R.W. Creteau Tech Center Engineering students for creating the custom QR codes for each sculpture.
The City of Rochester, NH enjoys more than double the economic impact of communities of similar size across the nation. According to the Americans for the Arts, the Arts & Prosperity study found spending by the arts & culture industry and its audiences totaled $12.3 million — more than double the $5.3 million median for communities its size nationwide. In the Office of Economic & Community Development, we value arts in its own right, as a cultural element that links us all together as a society, and to also, acknowledge it’s mighty financial contributions as a great, lasting benefit to the whole community.” - Jennifer Murphy Aubin, Public Art Project Liaison, Office of Economic Development, Rochester, NH.
This project, which was supported by the Department of Economic Development (City of Rochester, NH) and Rochester Main Street, was completed on Saturday, May 26th, 2019. Special thanks to Spaulding High School / R.W. Creteau Tech Center Engineering students for creating the custom QR codes for each sculpture.
James Chase Downtown Murals
The Rochester Museum of Fine Arts has commissioned NH artist James Chase to create public art for the city’s historic district. The installations will cover boarded windows and alley separators in Factory Court, North Main Street, and Wyandotte Walkway. The project, which was supported by the Office of Economic and Community Development (City of Rochester) was completed on October 22nd, 2017.
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James Chase is currently the Director of Community Education and Visual Arts Faculty at the New Hampshire Institute of Art. He has been featured in more than 50 art exhibitions since 2009. Recent solo exhibitions include Echoes with the Rochester Museum of Fine Arts and Kill The Lights at South Plains College in Levelland, TX. Visit www.neverfading.com to learn more about Chase's work.
“I am honored to have been commissioned by the Rochester Museum of Fine Arts for a public art project. It says a lot when local organizations and municipalities invest in the arts. This project will hopefully further the appreciation for public art and help beautify the downtown.” said Chase. “The opportunity to interact and give back to the community through the power of art is important to me. I truly believe art builds community.”
“I am honored to have been commissioned by the Rochester Museum of Fine Arts for a public art project. It says a lot when local organizations and municipalities invest in the arts. This project will hopefully further the appreciation for public art and help beautify the downtown.” said Chase. “The opportunity to interact and give back to the community through the power of art is important to me. I truly believe art builds community.”
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“My aim with the mural project in Rochester is to enhance a visual sense of vibrancy that is already growing in the downtown area. With businesses and organizations like the Rochester Museum of Fine Arts, Rochester Opera House, Revolution Taproom, and Fresh Vibes Cafe all making substantial investments in the downtown area, these murals will hopefully become another piece of the conversation.”
Economic Development Manager, Karen Pollard said, “As we learned from the Arts & Prosperity survey, compiled by the national organization, Americans for the Arts, measures the economic impact of art and cultural contributions within the community. It has been proven that one of the most powerful economic engines in City, is from the arts. We are thrilled to support public art throughout our community.”
This project was sponsored by the Department of Economic Development (City of Rochester, NH) and Rochester Main Street.
Economic Development Manager, Karen Pollard said, “As we learned from the Arts & Prosperity survey, compiled by the national organization, Americans for the Arts, measures the economic impact of art and cultural contributions within the community. It has been proven that one of the most powerful economic engines in City, is from the arts. We are thrilled to support public art throughout our community.”
This project was sponsored by the Department of Economic Development (City of Rochester, NH) and Rochester Main Street.