porcelain, stain, wood, wire, paint, plexiglass
36" x 48" x 5"
2024
This community mural project was done in collaboration with Jazen Reuss and the Saranac Lake Community. For six months Reuss worked with the Saranac Lake community to make beads. Armstrong held 2 beading workshops and constructed the mural. This project was funded by Blu Seed Studio through a National Endowment of the Arts Grant.
Armstrong and Reuss are from the Adirondack Park in New York, this project was a means to give back to a community that has given them both so much.
This mural was made in collaboration with the Missoula Community. Beads were made during various workshops throughout the summer and fall of 2023. Brooke assembled the mural following the community bead making.
The Mural is on display at 120 N. Higgins Ave in Missoula, MT from May 13- December 2023.
Statement:
This Mural was made by members of the Missoula Community. Each bead is hand formed with intention. The act of making individual parts that come together as a whole, embodies the notion of community. We Are Cloud references the idea of water particles coming together to form a cloud. It is individuals who have come together to form this cloud. Clouds provide rain for nourishment and growth. With its big sky full of clouds, the identity of Missoula is held by its willingness to provide nourishment and growth.It was a pleasure to work with so many people and businesses, and engage in conversations surrounding art and life while making these beads. Using clay as a material to create beads for the Identity Mural series highlights Montana’s rich history of ceramic art.
Standing close, looking at this mural you will see fish, the “M”, ice cream cones, canoes, funny faces, snowmen, and more. All things that make Missoula a place that has heart.
Standing back, you see a texture that blends together, patterns, and forms that repeat, suggesting a beauty to the whole. There are vibrant colors, and darker shadows. Beads swoop and hang as our bodies physically and empathetically relate to gravity, allowing for compassion and empathy to form. The identity of community is not only the individual parts, but the relationships formed between these parts.
A huge thanks to all that participated as well as The Clay Studio of Missoula, Bathing Beauties Beads, and WIldfire Ceramic Studio for hosting events. Thank you to Allez! for sponsoring this project.
