Mural Project Realized in Collaboration with the Residents of 4th and William
Host / Curator: Chuck and Karen Clifford, Bicycle Express
Artist: Piero Passacantando
Chuck and Karen Clifford have run their bike shop for over twenty years. In addition to providing excellent service, parts and repairs, they also act as a hub of neighborhood activity. The Cliffords were especially drawn to Piero’s painting skill and his interest in the historical basis of ‘commissioned’ artworks. The artist describes his vision of a ‘commission’ as “a materialization of the process of conversation between the ideas of two or more people.” The balancing act between the desires of the commissioner and the visual vocabulary of the artist appeals to Piero.
Piero and the Cliffords agreed that the project would take the form of a mural on the back wall of the parking lot shared with an adjacent apartment building and other small businesses, including a barber shop operating out of that location for over fifty years. Karen invited all of their neighbors to a combined barbeque and brainstorm session in the back lot. Piero and the Cliffords took this opportunity to meet with their neighbors and solicit ideas about the theme, look, and subject of the proposed mural. They recieved not only ideas, but also many eager volunteers to help to paint the mural.