i am piano. play me.

Honoring Our Military Heroes

June 2 - June 25, 2012

About

The 2012 theme is Honoring Our Military Heroes. This year six pianos will be installed in public meeting places. The pianos will be delivered primed white (a blank palette) the morning of Saturday, June 2. A short while later a professoinal artist will arrive at each piano and begin the painting. The pianos will rest there for three weeks available to the public to look, touch, and (if condition is upheld) play! Information on each piano follows.

Piano: Collage / 3D
Where: Ambassador House and Heritage Gardens
Artist: Liz Jenkins

Piano: Spirit & Pride
Where: Fishers Train Station
Artist: Nekoda Witsken

This piano will honor Native Americans as US heroes. Their faces, weapons, and pieces of their homeland will blend into exaggerated colors, highlighting their innate spirit, pride, and regalia --three characteristics that are undoubtedly American.

Piano: The Face of a Hero
Where: 116th Street & Lantern Road
Artist: Lydia Burris

Portraits of military heroes will cover this piano!

Piano: Captain America
Where: Brooks School Road Park
Artist: David Goloversic

I am envisioning a stars and stripes theme. My premise: if Captain America or Uncle Sam had a piano, what would it look like. Imagine red, white and blue. Stars and stripes. Simple and bold.

Piano: Tribute to Women Who Served
Where: Billericay Park
Artist: Pam Fraizer

A cartoon-style tribute to all the women who served during combat from the Revolution to present.

Piano: Unsung Heroes
Where: Saxony (131st Street & Saxony Blvd.)
Artist: Christi Ziebarth

Messages from the community of Warsaw/Winona Lake, Grace College and surrounding areas will submit messages of thanks or honoring a friend or family member. Color washes would be painted strategically in similar stylization of past Ziebarth artwork, but themed in shades and tints of red, white, blue and orange (the universal color of freedom) to gain the "curiosity factor". My personal art exhibit celebrates the theme of freedom by drawing educational focus to cultures of the world where freedom is not realized. The color orange is a symbolic emphasis.

Messages/voices of thanks would be written across the line patterns of the colors as seen in the prayers piece...also inviting the community who observes on the painting day to write messages so the "voices" are in many handwritings representative of generations (as well as other languages.) I have artist friends. I would bring one or two with me to help and interact with the public.

My grandfather was a photographer in the airforce and captured the aftermath of Hiroshema. You may have seen his photos in history books. This would be a tribute to him.

The Artists

Liz Jenkins

Liz received her BFA from Cornell University and her Masters in Art Education from Teachers College. She taught art in New York for ten years. Liz moved to Indiana in 2002 and currently teaches classes at the Fishers YMCA and Gallery 116. Several years ago Liz started creating mixed media collages as gifts for friends and family members. She was soon taking orders from people who saw her work. Liz's work is for sale at Gallery 116.

Website: www.collageworksbyliz.com

Nekoda Witsken

Walking up to a piano at the age of 19 will be for me, daunting, and yet here I am! I'm Nekoda Witsken, (call me Koda), student at Duke University and resident of Hamilton County for all of my life. I am currently studying Visual Art as well as taking the Pre-med track to be more involved with my other passion, kids. My style has been developing for about 3 years now, a mix of visible strokes and exaggerated color in a way that highlights my personal, surreal vision. I am currently running my own small time business transactions as an artist on commission and working my way through college.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nekoda.witsken

Lydia Burris

Lydia is an Indianapolis artist with a studio in the downtown Stutz Building. She travels the country showing her work at fantastic (fantasy, sci-fi, horror, gaming) conventions and has a preference for painting faces, both real and fantasy.

Website: http://lydiaburris.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/zyphryus

David Goloversic

I am a resident of Noblesville, Indiana where my family and I have resided for almost four years. I attended various art schools throughout the midwest including The Ohio State University, where I won the Edith Fergus Gilmore Award for academic excellence. I also worked on the staff of MOSAIC; the undergraduate art and literature magazine at OSU as the Art Editor. I was also a presenter with Peer Power; a youth directed outreach program through the Department of Women's Studies at OSU. In addition to my studies at Ohio State, I studied at Columbus College of Art and Design, Kent State University and The University of Cincinnati. Having studied all over the map (literally) allowed me the unique advantage of working with some of the finest creative minds out there. I was able to work with a vast array of materials in a variety of approaches and tap into myriad sources of inspiration. My passion includes volunteer outreach projects with local youth groups, commissioned murals, sculpture and performance art as well as positive and motivational speaking and life coaching! I presently earn a lifestyle through my work as a manager with Dave & Buster's of Indianapolis where I oversee our recently launched Visiting Artist Series in our Showrooms. (For more information on this showcase of local talent, or for opportunities to display your work, contact me!).

MySpace: www.myspace/thedgspot

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1534938866

Pam Fraizer, Owner FraizerDesigns

Pam Fraizer is the owner of FraizerDesigns, which was founded in 2004. Pam works exclusively with local and national non-profits and small businesses creating unique design solutions that often include original illustration work. FraizerDesigns is based in Indianapolis, Indiana.

My services include consulting and creative thinking at every level of the creative process—from brainstorming and project development to print management and delivery. And, more importantly, personalized one-on-one service that is thoughtful and timely.

Pam received her degree in Fine Arts from Ball State University in 1985 and enjoys creating whimsical illustrations for children’s books, murals and posters.

Clients include: ACLU of Indiana, RecycleForce Inc., Planned Parenthood of Indiana, Dress for Success, City Market, Pogue’s Run Grocer, Bohlsen PR, Gracie Communications, Rita Spalding Fine Art, Green Clippings, Downtown Bootcamp, CICF, Historic Indianapolis, Hoosier History Live, Indiana Public Schools Education Foundation (IPSEF), Project Home Indy (PHI), Partnership for Lawrence, Biz on Fletcher.

Past clients include: City of Indianapolis, Legacy House, Health and Hospital of Marion County, Indianapolis Zoo, Julian Center, Hoosier Environmental Council, Paws & Think, Joy’s House, Drug-free Marion County, Indiana Youth Group, IUPUI, Catholic Charities of Indianapolis, Lambda Legal, Trader’s Point Christian Church, City Café.

Website: http://www.fraizerdesigns.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/FraizerDesigns/76850607206

Christi Zeibarth

I have been accused of being "passionate". I'll accept this as a running compliment and aim to be contagious through the Voice of Art; awaken passion for life, meaning, community connection, sift the mundane to grasp the transcendant. In the process, I find fuel for my own reserve in the synergy of giving and receiving inspiration. "Express yourself!" is a common tagline of modern media as well as an accepted "Call of the Wild" in the art world. I choose to reject the "self" aspect. Experiment. What if we, as artists, and creative souls created in the image of a Creative God seek first to "express the needs of others?" Where does impact land it's wings then? After a debut in the graphics world and teaching art education, I invest my creativity in an ecclectic array of involvement: an exhibit raising abolition awareness for children in Africa, speaking, adjunct professor, theater, acrylic mosaic, performance art, and raising four children.

Website: www.abolitionart.com

Website: www.africrans.com