An 85-foot wall in the city’s James W. Foley Memorial Community Center is being transformed into an explosion of color by North Berwick, Maine, artist Spenser Macleod.
Macleod, who is originally from Portland, studied at the Maine College of Art. He said he has been doing art for decades, including murals and other street art.
“I hooked up with Matt Wyatt and Amy Regan (of the Rochester Museum of Fine Arts) through social media,” said Macleod. “I took part in a digital art show they produced, I think in December or January. That was new for me, but I had a great time.”
“We have worked with Spenser before,” said Matt Wyatt, a co-founder of the RMFA. “He is very talented, and I look forward to seeing the completed mural.”
Wyatt said the mural was commissioned by the Rochester Museum of Fine Arts and paid for by sponsorships and donations.
One of Macleod’s favorite types of art is what he calls mash collage. The mural at the community center will be in that style.
“There’s a lot of old vintage cartoons, like 1950s and 1960s. You mix old cartoon with an imaginary space where they all live together. The wall is 85 feet long, so I am going to divide it into four paintings. Each will have its own color palette and different vintage era.”
MacLeod said his preferred medium is spray paint, a water-based indoor paint he feels comfortable working with.
The mural is expected to be completed and ready to view by the end of the week.
People see his art around the Seacoast, and they just might not know it’s his.
“I did a 60-foot mural at Ox Bow Brewery in Portland,” he said. “I did two murals at Stoneface Brewing Co. in Newington, both in their dining-tasting areas, and I have done beer label design for them as well.”
In Portsmouth, patrons of Mr. Bubbles Car Wash have likely seen the giant mural on the side of the building, depicting local landmarks. That’s also Macleod’s work.
Macleod can be found at spensermacleod.com and on Instagram @leonardodevinci, or send email to spensermacleod@gmail.com.
