[NEohioPAL] Rough Neighborhood Get Polished Gem

[via NEohioPAL]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:                                           
           
Nancy Lewis                                         
             
nancylewis at muralmaster.org                               
(216) 228-2325                                       
       

ROUGH NEIGHBORHOOD GET POLISHED GEM

The richest piece of public art in Cleveland's west side is completed

CLEVELAND, OHIO USA - 11TH JULY 2014

The busy intersection of Clark Avenue and West 25th Street on Cleveland's
near west side has been made an iconic landmark by the addition of the
large-scale mural titled: It's up to us.  The mural's realism and
panoramic scale (2000 square feet) is visually stunning in its own right. 
But what is strongly resonating with audiences is what it shows: a hard
hitting and thought provoking commentary about the damage that social,
economic and political ills do to a neighborhood.

The mural's location is at the heart of one of Cleveland's most vibrant and
culturally rich  neighborhoods, home to large Hispanic, Asian,
African-American and Italian communities.  Its central theme, inspired in
part by John F. Kennedy's speech about reaching for the moon -by putting
aside personal differences, being accountable and making sacrifices, and
Bob Dylan's song "The times they are a-changin", urges people to take
responsibility for their actions to improve their lives and their
neighborhoods.

The mural's design is as ingenious as any renaissance masterpiece.  The
illusion has been constructed within a life-size scale backdrop of six
storefront facades that cleverly incorporate the real entrances to medical
offices.  Within this framework, a cast of over 40 individual characters
grittily capture many elements of urban life in a seamless blend of form
and content.  What's more, pedestrians walking along the mural really
appear to inhabit the space thereby adding more to the realism.  When seen
with the attentiveness it commands, the artistry and depth of the design
provides almost the richness of a great panoramic novel.  The universality
of its theme and imagery is one that can easily speak to any urban
community in the world.

The artwork was created by master-muralist and Cleveland native John
Rivera-Resto.  A 40-year veteran in the international stage, with degrees
from Cleveland State University and Norwich University of Vermont and
hundreds of works to his credit, Rivera-Resto is considered by many as one
of the top-ten muralists in the nation.  His specialty in propaganda art
and a background in theatre, writing and lecturing make him a natural for
this type of narrative painting.  His artistic philosophy is as thoughtful
as his paintings.  He states: -"A great mural lives within an
environment.  But it does not preach, it does not blame; it makes us
understand."

Rivera-Resto and his young apprentices spent three years developing and
painting 'It's up to us' on site. Completing this ambitious project was
challenging and fraught with many obstacles.  Cities such as Boston,
Philadelphia  and Los Angeles have large and well funded professional
mural painting programs that highlight the cultural riches of their
neighborhoods, beautify their urban areas, and bring new forms of revenue
to their economies.  With this mural, Rivera-Resto means to throw down the
gauntlet with the challenge: "Why not Cleveland?  This is proof that it
can be done." 

In fact, the mural is surpassing all community expectations and people from
other parts of the city are taking notice.   With 'It's up to us'
Rivera-Resto managed to hit a cord in the public's consciousness, and in
the process he created the richest piece of public art in Cleveland and the
most thematically relevant to the community.   

To find out more about this project and see detailed photos, please visit

http://www.muralmaster.org/current/curr_2012_mural_it%27s_up_to_us/It%27s%20up%20to%20us.html

To see other works by the artist, please visit

http://www.muralmaster.org

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