Janel Young sees the Artist-in-Residency program at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art as a way to push her artistic practice in new directions.
The Pittsburgh native, who recently moved to Chicago, began her seven-month residency on March 6. Her work will include working on a public art project and creating an installation inside the Greensburg museum.
“What this program is offering is something that is hard to find, in my experience,” said Young, whose artistic brand is JY Originals. “It’s not a product-focused residency, meaning that there is no expectation, necessarily, for me to have created X number of works and have a showing at the end.
“It’s more about the experience to do what I think will push my practice forward. What I think I will end up doing, public projects aside, will be things that I typically would not do,” she added.
The Artist-in-Residency Program is part of the museum’s ongoing partnership with Pittsburgh-based artist resource organization BOOM Concepts.
Featuring two to four artists annually, the program is designed to engage and support Black and marginalized artists, promote equity in the arts and share compelling and meaningful cultural experiences with the regional community. Young is the program’s fifth resident artist.
Known for a number of public installations and murals in Pittsburgh, Young said, “I consider myself a community artist, so a lot of my practice involves research, talking to people, listening to stories and memories. It focuses a lot on my unique perspective, especially as a Black woman.”
Young’s recent work in Pittsburgh has included curating “New Space Spheres,” a series of pandemic-inspired social-distance artworks that appeared throughout the city in 2020. Her “Pathway to Joy,” a large brightly-colored geometric asphalt mural, was created for the Allegheny Overlook pop-up that kicked off the 2021 Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival. “Heroes on the Horizon,” a permanent three-dimensional mural in Larimer’s Bakery Square, was created after working with students from Lincoln K-5 and Urban Academy of Greater Pittsburgh.
Explore and experiment
While primarily working as a mural artist, Young also enjoys painting on canvas and working with found objects.
“I’m really excited to use some of this time to explore and experiment with other mediums that I don’t typically work in,” she said.
One such project could incorporate collage and fabric, inspired by her mother, Carla Young of Pittsburgh.
“My mom would describe herself as not artistic, but she is very creative and has a lot of talent with sewing and fabrics,” she said. “So I’ve teased the idea of getting her involved, if there’s some sort of mother-daughter connection that we could create.”
Young also would like to offer workshops based on her coloring book, “Color Your Crown,” depicting various natural hair styles paired with mantras and positive affirmations.
“It’s meant to spark joy and celebrate the different ways you can wear your hair,” she said. “It’s especially geared toward Black women, but it brings so many different types of people joy. Adults and kids all love the book.”
Young, 30, attended Schenley High School in North Oakland, and studied business marketing and international studies at Penn State University. She moved to New York City in 2013 to work in public relations before becoming a full-time artist in 2018.
After returning to Pittsburgh in 2019, she completed an installation of Pittsburgh’s first art basketball court at McKinley Park in Beltzhoover, called “The Home Court Advantage Project.” Local children and other residents participated in the design and painting process, prompting the City of Pittsburgh to designate Oct. 23, 2019, as “Janel Young Day.”
Young’s canvas titled “Be Open To…” was displayed at the 2020 U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York City. She also designed the 2021 Black History Month logo for Yahoo!
“(Young’s) work is vibrant and joyful, playful and poignant, and we are so excited to see what she creates during the residency,” said Erica Nuckles, The Westmoreland’s director of learning, engagement and partnerships.
During her residency, Young said she will spend about one week per month in Greensburg.
“In addition, I’ll be doing some virtual programming and finding ways to stay connected even if I’m not physically there,” she said.
Programs will be announced on the museum’s website as they are scheduled.
“Art has always been there for me and with me,” Young said. “In all of my work, I aim to inspire new creativity and play and bring joy to people through color and shapes — and to leave mark mark on The Westmoreland on that account.”
The Westmoreland’s Artist-in-Residency program is supported by The Pittsburgh Foundation and The New Sun Rising Arts | Equity | Reimagined Fund. For more information, visit thewestmoreland.org.
Shirley McMarlin is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Shirley at 724-836-5750, smcmarlin@triblive.com or via Twitter .
Categories: AandE | Local | Art & Museums | Pittsburgh | Top Stories | Westmoreland
"artist" - Google News
March 14, 2022 at 11:00PM
https://ift.tt/DglIrke
Pittsburgh muralist Janel Young is new Westmoreland Museum resident artist - TribLIVE
"artist" - Google News
https://ift.tt/mS59aWB
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Pittsburgh muralist Janel Young is new Westmoreland Museum resident artist - TribLIVE"
Post a Comment