Mural Artist Meet & Greet and Reception

4-5 p.m.: Join us for an artist meet and greet and Q&A at the Somerville Media Center. 

5-6 p.m.: Reception outside the Union Square mural (2 Union Square) with delicious Venezuelan Pabellón bowls from Las Carolinas and music from the Tarciso Alves Forró band! 

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The City of Somerville will be getting three new murals this month, thanks to a mini mural festival produced by the Somerville Arts Council. The project was the brain child of Mayor Joseph Curtatone who wanted to inject the City with more bright colored murals! From August 21 through August 31, three internationally-renowned artists will be painting murals in East Somerville and Union Square.

On August 26th join the artists for a meet and greet and Q&A session from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Somerville Media Center in Union Square, followed directly by a reception with music and food from 5 to 6 p.m. in front of the mural. The Q&A will be moderated by local artist Dave Ortega. Ortega is the Programming Coordinator & Production Assistant at Somerville Media Center. He also writes reviews for graphic novels of publishers weekly and produces the monthly arts calendar show SOMARTS for SMC. We will get a chance to hear from the artists about the inspiration for their work,
their process, and their experience making work in Somerville. Following the Q&A enjoy a celebration outside the Union Square mural (2 Union Square) with music from the Tarciso Alves Forró band and Venezuelan Pabellón bowls from Las Carolinas - one of our Nibble Entrepreneurs. Come dance and mingle with the artists and community members!

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The artists lending their creativity to Somerville’s newest murals include David Zayas from Puerto Rico, Angurria from the Dominican Republic, and Marka27, who resides just next door in Cambridge. These artists will be painting contemporary street art on local walls highlighting the diversity of their cultural heritage and the diversity of Somerville and its residents. The painting will take ten days to complete, and two culminating events are planned where Somerville residents will get to meet the artists and hear from them about their process and artistic practice. 

On Thursday, Aug 30, there will be a parade starting at 6pm at Taco Loco (46 Broadway) and a celebration with a chance to see the two East Somerville murals. Hear from the artist and stay for refreshments and music by local Brazilian band and activist group Grooversity outside the East Somerville branch library!

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ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Angurria: Angurria is an illustrator and art director from the Dominican Republic, with more than 18 years in the advertising industry in the DR. He has excelled nationally and internationally in the area of design, typography and lettering. He has represented big brands, driven by his particular way of expressing himself and creating frank connections with the public and his followers, thus making the Adidas brand a vital part of his image in his home country. He has taught courses for the School of Arts of Chavón, APEC University, Brothers, Centro Leon and Creative Box. He has created well-known series of "Doña Patria: Dominican Beauty" with which he has participated in activities such as Design for the Kids, Wallride, Rayaera, Artesano Project, Provocadores del Caribe, Transitando Art, Hoy Santa Barbara, Hoy Villa Francisca and the events of Muralizando RD.
He has participated in international mural festivals such as Pow Wow (Worcester, MA), Beyond Wall (Lynn MA), Extra Muros (San Juan, PR), Santurce es Ley (San Juan, PR), Fiesta de Colores (Ecuador), and Transitando (Havana, Cuba).

David Zayas: Zayas is a visual artist and muralist whose exhibitions include ANIMALIA at the Art Museum of Caguas and MURALIS: An Exhibition of Contemporary Muralism at the Museum of the Americas in Old San Juan, the only one of its kind in the history of the island. In 2012, Zayas created the "One Zayas per Day" project that he entered into collections in Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Paraguay and the U.S. That same year he began offering the first short course on Street Art at the Metropolitan University.
Zayas has participated as a muralist locally in projects such as Los Muros Hablan and Santurce es Ley and internationally in projects such as the 12th edition of the Biennial in Havana, Cuba, in Loiza Festival of El Barrio in New York, Forensic Curation in Villa Alegre, Chile , in Street Art Tallahassee, FL, in the 3rd Biennial International MULI of Muralism and Public Art of Colombia, 352Walls of Gainesville, FL, Fiesta of Colors in Ecuador, Artist 4 Israel in Israel, Beyond Walls in Lynn, MA, TODAY Villa Francisca in Santo Domingo, and Caribbean Festival in Santiago de Cuba among others. Zayas recently received the key to the city of Lynn, Massachusetts for his outstanding work as a muralist. He continues to develop projects internationally. 

Victor "Marka27" Quiñonez: Quiñonez is an international street artist who works at the intersection of graffiti, vinyl toys, contemporary art, fashion and design. With paintings, murals, drawings, mix-media pieces and commissions for major brands, his robust palette blends elements of street and pop culture with Mexican and indigenous aesthetics—a signature look the artist has coined “Neo Indigenous.” Marka27’s work has become part of graffiti and street art history, but he has flourished as a product designer, gallery artist, toy designer and more. Marka27 has emerged as one of the most sought after muralists in the world, mastering his craft since before “street art” was even a term. 
He currently splits his time between his studio in Brooklyn and home in Cambridge, where he and his wife and creative partner, Liza, run their award-winning creative agency, “Street Theory.”

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For more info: 
http://somervilleartscouncil.org/muralproject2018

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/2140274316288618