Educating Through Art: My Journey with First Amendment Gallery

From 2013 to 2018, I had the distinct pleasure of working as an artist and educator at the First Amendment Gallery in San Francisco, CA. This period was marked by a deep dive into the world of street art, where I facilitated educational workshops, conducted public talks, and led corporate team-building activities centered on the vibrant history and cultural significance of street art. Here's a look at the impactful work and experiences during my tenure at First Amendment Gallery.

The Vision

First Amendment Gallery was dedicated to showcasing and preserving the rich heritage of street art. Our mission was to educate the public about the movement's history, cultural impact, and the artistic techniques involved. We aimed to foster a deeper appreciation for street art and provide a platform for artists to share their stories and talents.

Engaging Workshops and Public Talks

One of the core components of my role was facilitating educational workshops. These sessions were designed to engage participants of all ages and backgrounds, offering hands-on experiences in creating individual works of art. Through these workshops, I guided participants in exploring various street art techniques, encouraging them to express their creativity and gain a deeper understanding of the art form.

In addition to workshops, I conducted public talks that delved into the history of the street art movement. These talks provided valuable context and insight into the evolution of street art, its cultural significance, and the stories behind some of the most iconic pieces. By sharing this knowledge, I aimed to demystify street art and highlight its importance as a legitimate and powerful form of artistic expression.

Corporate Team-Building Activities

Another exciting aspect of my work at First Amendment Gallery was leading corporate team-building activities. These events were tailored to foster creativity, collaboration, and team spirit among participants. Through collaborative mural projects and interactive art sessions, team members worked together to create large co-created group murals. These activities not only enhanced team cohesion but also provided a unique and enjoyable way for participants to engage with street art.

Public Art Walking Tours

San Francisco is home to a vibrant street art scene, and I had the privilege of conducting public art walking tours that showcased the city's rich tapestry of murals and street art. These tours provided participants with in-depth knowledge and context about local street art, offering a closer look at the artists' techniques, the stories behind the artworks, and the cultural significance of the pieces. It was a joy to share my passion for street art with others and to see their appreciation for the art form grow.

Creating Site-Specific Installations

In addition to my educational and engagement roles, I also worked as a contracted artist for public and private murals. This involved creating site-specific installations for conferences and events, blending education with practical artistic applications. Each project was an opportunity to bring unique artistic visions to life, enhancing spaces with vibrant and meaningful artworks.

Continuing the Journey

Reflecting on my time at First Amendment Gallery, I am grateful for the opportunities to educate, inspire, and create. The experiences and connections I made during this period have profoundly influenced my approach to art and education. The gallery's mission to elevate and celebrate street art continues to resonate with me, and I remain committed to using art as a tool for education, connection, and transformation.

If you’re interested in learning more about my work or exploring how we can bring similar transformative projects to your community, contact me. Let's continue to harness the power of art to inspire, connect, and transform.

Creative Growth x method Mural Project

I am continually surprised and delighted to work with diverse groups of people on outdoor collaborative mural projects. My most recent project, taking place in Oakland, CA, expanded my understandings of creativity, the arts, and self expression immensely. The project was an inclusive and exciting collaboration between three entities: Creative Growth Arts Center, method cleaning supplies, and myself! With full support and sponsorship from method, I went to Creative Growth's beautiful space to teach a half-day mural workshop with several of their artists. 

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

The day began with a presentation on the history of mural making and human beings painting their surroundings, with a focus on contemporary urban art. We brainstormed ideas, themes and styles, and talked about other murals and street art they have seen around the city. I then lead the group through several mural design activities. From our conversations and sketches that day I then created a mural design that is meant to show the collaborative effort from all three entities involved with the project. We decided to focus the design toward abstraction, with bright colors, lots of movement, and a graspable balance of dualities. 

View fullsize

The project strengthened my belief that creativity is inherently human and cannot be confined by any perceived or recognized limitations. Creative Growth Art Center is a nonprofit that serves artists with developmental, mental and physical disabilities, providing a professional studio environment for artistic development, gallery exhibition and representation and a social atmosphere among peers. The experience of working with this group was wonderful! As an anthropologist I am endlessly curious of how culture, history, environment, and personal experience inform our creative pursuits. The artists from Creative Growth were not only talented, but brought a sense of pure joy and playfulness to the project; something that I feel can be so easily lost in the professional art world. 

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Creative Growth and method had an already existing partnership, where four artists produced original work for a limited edition run of method cleaning supplies. This cross-industry collaboration surprised and delighted me. After I was brought into the mix to bring my collaborative mural making experience, this collection of diverse people from different places was exciting. Creative Growth has been doing their incredible work for decades now, and method has been actively reaching far beyond their own industry of environmentally conscious cleaning products. These two inspiring stories resonated greatly with me, and as a whole, our values were incredibly aligned. I believe that is visually represented in the mural we created, the memories we made, and hopefully that will be felt by those who see the mural! 

Artist statement:

Emotion, connection, and energy - these are the conceptual elements that have emerged from the workshop, conversations, and experiences between the artists at Creative Growth, Strider Patton, and our friends at method. From these interactions, Strider has created a mural design that is meant to tell a story, evoke feeling, and to give back to the surrounding community. Purposefully staying away from any figurative imagery, the mural is an example of contemporary abstract urban art.

The story is of the project in itself, a visual narrative of what artistic collaboration looks like when perceived barriers are overcome. The skill, joy, and passion of the artists at Creative Growth began this collaboration. Creativity comes in as many forms as there are colors, as anyone who has stepped into Creative Growth quickly understands. As a collaborative muralist, Strider immediately recognized the potential for a most unique project with these talented artists. He held a half day mural workshop with participants at Creative Growth, and from their shared experience, a mural concept began to grow. Connecting elements from Creative Growth artists with elements of Strider’s own artistic style, the mural design weaves together bright colors and layered patterns into a spanning composition. 

There is a sense of energy and connection from Strider’s signature flow design, with thick black lines rolling across the wall, leading the observer’s eye over its surface with a sense of powerful movement. Vibrant colors, introduced from palettes used by Creative Growth artists, and method's bold branding, are meant to instill contemplative emotion and feeling. And coming from both Creative Growth artists and Strider, the use of repetitive patterns flourish within the design, upholding a balance of true collaboration.

Continuing with method’s tradition of designing for good, It is with great hope that the mural will brighten the surrounding community, to invite observers to pause and reflect, and to stand as a visual representation of what people can do when they work together, from all parts of society. Form and color have a powerful way to remind us of what is good in the world, of what is possible, and of our own shared humanity.

Boys on Can Phones

I have recently started an ongoing series called Nostalgia, in which I explore remembrance, wonder, and play, while connecting to current time and place. This piece I speaks to me very much in that it brings back thoughts and memories about making things, and in doing that exploring and trying to understand how things work. When working on the street, placement is extremely important to me. Posters and pieces can be put up anywhere, but in order for them to hold more meaning, placement is key. I was walking through a park in San Francisco a while ago, when I came upon an old army bunker. There are many of these around the Pacific, on both sides of the Golden Gate, but this one was larger and had many beautiful old features like, gun turrets, stairs, barred windows, and iron doors like these. I wrote "we are all one" on the string line connecting the boys' can phones. It seemed necessary to touch on ideas of connection and freedom. 

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize