Venazir Martinez & Karen Lynch Harley: Collaborative Mural Painting Project (Day 1)
Venazir Martinez (Filipina artist); Karen Lynch Harley (Haliwa-Saponi artist)
In conjunction with the exhibition "Hilabana: Espasyo Temporal" at the John Hope Franklin Center, artists Venazir Martinez and Karen Lynch Harley will collaborate on a mural project highlighting the threads that connect art and artistic sensibility across cultures.
On Saturday, October 7, come see their work in progress from 3:00-4:00PM.
From 4:00-5:00PM on Sunday, October 8, the public can view the completed paintings in the John Hope Franklin Center main gallery.
About the artists:
Venazir Martinez is a Filipino visual anthropreneur, and a street muralist. She graduated cum laude with a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from the University of the Philippines Baguio. She was awarded Best Thesis through her art and advocacy entitled Hila-bana. This street art hunt challenged the public's visual perception through cultural emblems to revitalize Filipino ancestral heritage.
Martinez's creations are deeply influenced by the stories of people she encountered during her creative journey. Her artworks portray realistic depictions of individuals from diverse cultures, rendered in a fragmented and animated style. This approach, Progressive Abstract Realism, captures the intricate layers of our identities and the factors that have molded our fundamental values as a nation.
Venazir's profound fascination with identity formation became her spiritual quest and life's purpose, compelling her to redefine the myriad meanings of "Filipino" by interweaving the red thread, one wall at a time.
Karen Lynch Harley is a Native American Artist. She is a member of the Haliwa-Saponi Tribe of North Carolina. Her work is inspired by her love of life and culture and usually tells a story. She believes art is therapy for the body and soul and enjoys sharing her gift with others to help them find their inner gifts and spirit. She pulls from her own roots to create art in a variety of art mediums.
Karen’s work has been received nationally and internationally. Her work has been featured in numerous newspaper and magazine articles regarding her art and devotion to teaching others how to release their creativity through art.
Karen has recently completed several outdoor murals in Halifax County, North Carolina for the Ed Fitts Charitable Foundation; the Z Smith Reynolds Foundation and the University of Maryland, College Park Campus.
Karen has also illustrated two story books. One for the Piscataway Indians of Maryland and one a story she created herself for children.
Parking information for visitors
The closest parking for visitors is available in the lower levels of Parking Garage II (rate: $2.00/hour), in the visitor section of Parking Garage I (rate: $2.00/hour), and a limited number of PayByPhone spaces in the upper lot north of the the John Hope Franklin Center (enter via Trent Dr.; rate: $2.00/hour, plus transaction fees).
Please contact APSI if you have questions related to accessibility.