Even More New Art from the Boys at Schaefer House

More outstanding work from our high school boys in the William Donald Schaefer House (a halfway house-style detention center; MD Dept. of Juvenile Services).

Roy continues to blow us away with his painstaking attention to detail and perseverance. Here is the heart in stages 1, 2, and 3 that he made for his daughter.

Geometric piece by Girardo

2-D planet of organized chaos by Cason

Peace by Roy

Hearts and tributes by Tre Quan

MD by Girardo

Happy birthday, Tabitha Womack (Mom), by Rico

 Follow our Shining Youth Shining Walls :: AVAM Facebook page for ongoing updates + photos of our new permanent panels, and work from the boys. Previous post of boys' work here.

New from the Boys at Schaefer House

Over at the Visionary Museum studio, we have a large new crop of finished mosaics and "planets" from our high school boys in the William Donald Schaefer House (a halfway house-style detention center; MD Dept. of Juvenile Services).

'Rome, by Jerome

 Angel between darkness and light, and cross by Roy.

 Citrus + Fig by Anthony

 MM by Girardo Munoz

 Another from Jerome (tribal)

 Image of home by Tre Quan

 Grouting process for Sabian's 2-D planet, permanent fixture on the AVAM building.

 "Shining Youth, Shining Walls" project title, getting made into a new sign for our studio. Schaefer House collaborative work.

 Follow our Shining Youth Shining Walls :: AVAM Facebook page for ongoing updates + photos of our new permanent panels, and work from the boys.

Visionary Museum Part 4, The Roof

Hello Baltimore! We are now on the roof. The fourth and final phase of the mosaic project and the 20 year anniversary of the American Visionary Art Museum entails the crowning and covering of the small rooftop surface (upper skylight shaft) visible from across the Inner Harbor, and most visible from Federal Hill Park.

Like always, this is a proper mix of manual labor construction, and fine art. In November we spaced and hung the steel struts and installed 90 cement board panels, then de-installed to take back to our studio for design and mosaicing. Late spring/early summer look for us up in the lift piecing together the final glitz and glam. PS even when icy cold, the view is worth it.

The Fin

After finishing the mosaic wall at AVAM, we flipped to the North side of the building to complete a 20ft. fin-like pennant facing Key Highway.

Sunset meeting night sky, in conjunction with south side of the building (Day, 2006) and west side of the building (Aurora Borealis 2014).

Night (2013)

30 feet up; transferring glass from strips of industrial contact paper, after building the entirety of this in our studio. 

Glass process

The Schaefer House Boys

Part of my work (glass studio+mosaicing+AVAM) involves teaching, coaching, and interacting with a group of young men from the William Donald Schaefer House of Baltimore, (a group home for boys in the juvenile detention system) who are being treated there for various health and addiction related issues before going home. Sincerely- they are a pleasure to work with. 

Listen to their interview this Friday at 7pm (+ Saturday at 3p), on WYPR (MD NPR station 88.1 fm) as a segment on The Signal, with Aaron Henkin. It is so good! Or listen here.

The boys learn foundations by building their own pieces, and then make 2d circles and 3d "pop-out" spheres that are permanently installed in the main architectural mosaic at the museum.

They are eager to be there. They are ambitious and diligent. They always get right to work on the masterpieces they have been constructing from session to session (after changing the music selection).

They have also developed a very specific art skill that not even other high schoolers (who are young artists in stable home/school environments) traditionally would have. For that, I am so proud of them. They are funny. They make funny things (see "Fats Life" vs "Fast Life" above.. Fats was one guy's nickname). They all make beautiful glass hearts, and most of the time for their family members (hear about it in the interview).

This Sunday, October 26 at 3pm, is the opening and completion ceremony at the Visionary Museum. If you are in Baltimore stop by 800 Key Highway, it's free and open to the public. Several of the boys will be in attendance to hang their very last panel and see the whole 2000 sq. feet in it's permanent glory. I cannot wait to see and hear their reactions.

Mosaics for the American Visionary Art Museum

Cutting glass, mirrors, fingers, etc. 

I've been working for the Visionary Museum in Baltimore, and artist Mari Gardner for several months building the rest of the mirror and mosaic panels that cover the outside of the AVAM building. 

Progress charts and layout diagrams. Install to begin August (or September) 2014. This faces Covington Street, Key Highway, and Federal Hill Park.

Grouted, polished and completed panels. There are just under 200, 30"x60" Durock cement panels, made beautiful.

Laid out for grouting and stacked for slow-drying.

Process plans.

We also get to work with some of the boys in the Schaefer House of Baltimore (Juvenile Services) ages 14 to 17. We teach them the mosaicing processes, they get to make their own pieces, and they add to our final panels with circles and 3-D pop-out spheres. They do amazing and wild work, see below!

Extra addition: old school overhead projector lenses, sprayed and coated with super-glam car paint.