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Anna Arnold, painter and educator, lives and works in Cleveland, Ohio. Anna has been one of America’s most expressive, exciting, enduring artists and independent educators for nearly three decades. She is an advocate of life-long learning and recently graduated from Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies program and earned a Master’s degree in Art Education. She completed an extensive two year program under the leadership of director Professor Tim Shuckerow. Anna Arnold earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Cleveland Institute of Art and has exhibited in over 200 solo and group art exhibits throughout the United States. As a teacher, she believes she is a catalyst to inspire, uplift and change. She has helped to educate hundreds of school children as an artist. Anna is recognized for her lush, exuberantly colorful expressive portraits, ceramics, masks, beads and painted furniture. Contact Anna @ a.arnold9416@sbcglobal.net

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Changing Our World Through Art

May 14, 2011 -- I just had the pleasure of watching a video of the French artist JR, 2011 TED prize winner talk to a TED audience about how he effectively uses art to literally change the world. JR's TED Prize Wish: Use Art to Turn the World Inside Out He often goes into areas of countries where there is an abundance of destruction, violence, despair and grief. These are places where people are struggling to survive, there's a loss of identity and there is no art. He inspires community members to participate. Involvement in these projects gives people hope, a regained sense of identity and opportunities to express these painful emotions.

Inside Out: A Global Art Project

I am a community muralist/art educator. After working with Mural My Neighborhood several years ago and earning a Masters in Art Education from Case Western Reserve University last year, I was commissioned to create community murals in Cleveland last fall. As I watched J.R's video, I realized that murals must go far beyond beautiful or provocative art on a wall. It should have some meaning and connection to the people who live in the area where the mural is installed. I am also, striving to bring vitality, hope and pride to areas of my city where it is needed. Below are murals I created last year for the Buckeye and Hough neighborhoods. I am excited to work with a group of young people and community volunteers to create a huge 19' X 150' exterior mural for Harmony Park in Ward 5 this summer. Harmony Park is the brain-child of Gwen Garth, a Cleveland artist and community activist. Who knows how far this type of work will reach and how many lives that will ultimately be impacted and changed by our work?









Photo by Michael Loccisano for WireImage

Anna Arnold, Getty Images  by Michael Loccisano



"The Storyteller: Hough", Cleveland Museum of Art Community Mural


"The Storyteller" (top) painting on canvas (36" X 48") that is the original sketch and inspiration for the large scale Cleveland Museum of Art Community Mural. Below, Anna stands in front of a section of the 8' X 32' mural that is now installed on the front of the Thurgood Marshall Recreation Center (8611 Hough Ave.) in Cleveland's Hough neighborhood.


2 comments:

Unknown said...

ANNA'S EXPRESSIONS ARE FAR RANGING AND RUN THE SCALE OF HUMAN EMOTIONS.I THINK SHE IS A GREAT ARTIST OF THE PEOPLE.
==========W.C.HEMMING

Anna Arnold said...

Wow, W.C., thank you so much for expressing your powerful and encouraging words! This will keep me going on my journey!

Anna