CopiA Y Pega
Wheatpaste murals printed from digital files were installed in assorted locations mostly along Cherry Street.
In summer 2020 local artists were invited to online workshops and one-on-one technical support sessions to help advance their artmaking skills and develop their wheatpaste designs. Professional public artists, Carolyn Lewenberg and Amanda Hill facilitates the workshops and support sessions.
Wheatpaste murals are a form of temporary art. Duration depends on many factors like the condition of the wall and weather.
Eileen Riestra
The artist, Eileen Riestra, created this paste up titled, "Power of the Hidden."
Through this piece, Riestra reflects the working women that are hidden in the corners of Chelsea. She writes, that these women are recognized "by her smile and/or for her effort to do her job well and in silence. The emotion that I want you to see is the beauty of these immigrant working women and how they can be an example for us to make a better America."
Eileen mentioned that "the idea of having the models in black and white is to indicate that the immigrant woman remains in the shade but her work always shines. Having the other elements in bright colors is to indicate their work shining in America."
Riestra's design company is called Depict Brands. She's a sought after painter of pet portraits.
Photo by Matt Frank
Photo by Matt Frank
Photo by Matt Frank
Molly Scannell
Molly Scannell's two wheatpaste murals on the side of Chelsea's iconic Dillon's Steambath pay homage to icons of Chelsea.
Chelsea has a deep history and Scannell celebrates some of Chelsea's past residents who changed the world one hurdle at a time, one note at a time, one march at a time, one degree at a time. On one side is a tribute to former Chelsea resident musician Chick Corea. On the another are featured four famous women of the City including abolitionist and suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton, groundbreaking lawyer Anna Christy Fall, feminist activity Mariam Chamberlain, and Olympic Gold Medalist Annette Rogers.
Molly Scannell is a collage artist and graphic designer. She has more than 20 years of experience with clients that include major arts institutions and corporations such as the Smithsonian, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Harpoon, John Hancock Investments, Lane Bryant, L.L.Bean, Sealy, Stop & Shop, and CBS.
Photo by Matt Frank
Photo by Matt Frank
Anna Dugan
Anna Dugan created her wheatpaste mural, “Wildflowers” after considering the role that ROCA, where the mural is installed, plays within the Chelsea community. The imagery she chose directly reflects and the hope and resiliency of the youth ROCA serves. The message is empowering and positive, while acknowledging the role our struggles play in making us who we are. Anna writes, "struggle, failure, hardship—these are not things to be afraid of. They are the rainstorms we need to help us grow and bloom into our most beautiful selves."
Anna Dugan is a Filipina American mural artist and illustrator based in Salem, MA. She uses colors, patterns, typography, and humor to spread joy & positivity through her work.
The printed paper is affixed to the wall with a temporary paste made of flour, water and artist medium.
Photo by Matt Frank
Photo By Matt Frank
Photo by Matt Frank
Edwardo Chacon & Amanda Hill
Chelsea Tropical was the idea of Edwardo Chacon. This piece is a physical representation of the positive and uplifting energy, feelings, or ‘vibes’, Edwardo has experienced from living and visiting tropical locations. Moving back home to Chelsea, he wanted to recreate that energy. An homage to endless summer days and beach life, as well as an escape for anybody during those long cold winter nights. Just visit Chelsea Tropical and the winter blues will melt away!
Taking Edwardo's concept, Amanda digitally fabricated the base image in black and white.
Edwardo is a musician and owner of Jukebox is a consulting & management team with a focus on visualizing, planning, and creating unique engagements to bring people & brands together. Our goal is to organically grow within our local community while providing solutions for our client partners across all markets.
Amanda is a multi-media artist and muralist in the Boston area.
SOPHY TUTTLE
Artist Sophy Tuttle asked members of the Chelsea community to “close your eyes and think of the place where you grew up. What sounds of nature do you hear? What do you smell? Is there a certain bird you heard every morning? A flower that’s a sure sign that spring is on the way?”
The artist, created drawings of the responses—memories of plants, animals, and nature that remind Chelsea residents of home.
Sophy is a Lowell-based artist with extensive experience in murals. Her first experience with wheatpaste murals was while living in Mexico. Her work focuses on the natural world, taking a carefully researched, scientific approach to render in detail, the beauty and color of the real world and to inspire in the viewer a sense of awe and reverence.
CHelsea Collaborative YOUTH
These pieces were created by a group of 14 youth leaders participating in the Chelsea Collaborative Summer Youth Employment Initiative.
The youth created their pieces after several weeks of research and exploration of social justice topics that affect Chelsea’s youth. Through their art, the youth leaders send a passionate message calling for equal rights for immigrants, anti-racism and an end to police brutality.
Photo by Matt Frank
MERLO Philiossaint
Let’s Fly High reflects the resilience and the diversity of Chelsea. With images of children of different ethnicities riding paper planes over a field of multicolored geometric shapes the artist pays homage to the phrase “to rise above” which he feels aptly describes Chelsea.
Merlo Philiossaint is an artist based in Dorchester and this paper airplane motif playfully nods to the wheatpaste technique in this work.
