Mount Vernon Community Mural Project

Strider Patton - Mount Vernon Iowa Youth Community Mural Project 2017 - Western wall

A project 3 years in the making came to fruition in May 2017. In my hometown of Mt. Vernon, Iowa, I realized a massive youth-lead community mural on a retaining wall behind the house I grew up in. I used to draw on this big grey wall with chalk as a kid. In the fall of 2014 I was visiting for my cousin's wedding, and having completed some larger murals by that point, I began thinking of bringing a mural project to the town, centered around the local youth and giving them first-class arts education and a collaborative event that will be remembered the rest of their lives.

Strider Patton - Mount Vernon Iowa Youth Community Mural Project 2017 - Eastern wall

With the help of my mom and several other dedicated believers in the project, I was able to pitch the project to the town's city council and school district. A unanimous "YES" was received immediately. The majority of the time over the three years was in securing a few grants and local financial donations. Once we knew we had the funding, I was began to schedule the mural design curriculum classes that I would bring to every school in town, serving K-12 grades.

Over the course of the last year, I flew to Mt. Vernon three times for mural design workshops, education opportunities in the schools, and a town hall meeting to open the conversation of what should be depicted in the mural to the larger community. Overall, I had hundreds of conversations which all boiled down to two main themes - nature and culture.

Working with the students, we decided to break the long wall down into six different scenes that would each tell their own story. I held a number of brainstorming exercises and design activities in the three grade schools to decide what each scene could depict. I gathered hundreds of sketches from these workshops, as well as pages of my own personal notes.

Outlining the mural for the first day of painting.

The designs span time, with imagery representing past, present, and even ideas and hopes for the town’s future. The scenes weave together the two main themes of nature and culture, along with more specific ideas, places, or concepts. The scenes may be observed individually or as an entire body of work.

The mural is divided into six cene that each have their own story and meaning. Each scene is filled with conceptual imagery, context, connotation and nuance. The scenes are intended to be immediately graspable, yet also loaded with layers of meaning. Observers may engage the imagery quickly, or take their time and allow the depth of each work to wash over them.

Moving from west to east, the entirety of the mural spans the length of a year, with four seasons represented among the six scenes. Starting with spring on the far west end of the mural, as observers move from left to right, they travel through summer, fall, and finally winter at the far east end of the mural.

Mount Vernon Community Mural KCRG TV-9 News Report

(click link above for TV news report video)

Weaving between the scenes is a linear line design that represents energy and connection, freely flowing from past to present, through seasons and times of day, and among nature and culture. This design represents the connectivity of everything, and how these places, people, and things make the community. This flow of energy culminates at the center point of the mural, where all the components come together and are realized to create the heart of Mt. Vernon, our home. It is at this unique point that observers can become participants, by walking up the stairs - physically moving into through the art.

The Scenes

“Rolling Heritage”
This scene depicts the Mt. Vernon area landscape, with rolling hills, newly tilled farm fields, and windy skies in the springtime. A train is moving into the foreground, symbolizing a major part of Mt. Vernon’s history of transportation with moving people and goods. Seen in the natural skyand the human made train, energy is a major theme depicted here, along with the strong heritage the community has with the farming and the train.”

“Home – Indoors and Out”
This scene represents the idea of home and how Mt. Vernon residents bridge that idea of being both indoors and out. Porches are common in the community, and these architectural elements represent this bridging of home being experienced outdoors. In the late springtime porches turn into places for residents to gather and rest outside after another winter. A setting sun with shining stars is in the background with two chairs on the porch and warm indoor lights coming on in foreground.

“Celebration”
This scene depicts Mt. Vernon’s long history of celebrating life with community festivals and events. From Fun Days, to Kolache Days and to Heritage days, a Ferris wheel is in the foreground, representing the history of annual celebrations as an iconic image. The big sky and white clouds are meant to show this scene on a hot mid-summer July afternoon. Celebrations have come and gone, moved and changed over time, but what remains through the ages is the tradition for residents to gather together in celebration of life.

The one unique feature of the retaining wall we painted was this stairwell. Something amazing about painting outdoors on wall that were not designed to be painted on, is that they already character, history, and charm. This stairwell connects the lower parking lot to the upper and offered an opportunity for observers to literally move through the artwork!

“Residents - Old and New”
In this scene a fox is in the foreground with fireflies drifting about in a farm field on an autumn night. Foxes are recent additions to the Mt. Vernon area, while fireflies have been around forever. These two creatures in the scene represent the idea of residents and how there are always those who have been in the area for a long time and those who are new. The town continues on with this natural ebb and flow of those who make up the community.

“The Shoe Tree”
Shown in this scene is The Shoe Tree, a local secret that is known by many residents. On the old dirt road west of town, the Shoe Tree has been a destination for residents who tie their old shoes together and hurl them into the branches of a tree, perhaps to leave their mark or perhaps to feel part of a tradition. This is a hidden treasure of the community and something unique that many residents may not know of. While this local secret is in the foreground, King Chapel stands tall in the background, an unmistakable iconic symbol of Mt. Vernon that even first time visitors know.

“Pristine Winter”
This scene depicts a snowy landscape at the year's end. A freshly fallen coat of snow with no disruption represents the timeless cadence of the natural world of the Mt. Vernon area, free from any reference of humanity. This scene could be from the distant past, the present, or thefar future. The landscape is a major part of many Mt. Vernon residents’ identities, and trees play a large part of that. In the background are pine trees, and in the foreground, bare deciduous trees cast long shadows at the end of a cold day.

We could not have made this project happen would it not be for the incredible work and support by the people of Mt. Vernon, IA, the school board and teachers, the Mount Vernon Area Arts Council, and the City Council!

Specifically I would like to thank:

Grants:

Iowa Arts Council
The McIntyre Foundation
Maurice Foundation
ACT

Private Donations:

East End Art
Fuel...Art & Espresso
Hands in Harmony
Koppenhaver & Associates
Mount Vernon Bank & Trust
Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services
Zoe's Pet Deli

Individuals:

SteveMaravetz - President of the Mount Vernon Area Arts Council
Marie DeVries - Mount Vernon Area Arts Council member and our grant writer
Joe Jennison - Director of Mount Vernon / Lisbon Community Development Group
Gary O'Malley - Mount Vernon Community School District Superintendent
Sarah Fitzgerald - Washington Elementary School art teacher
Mark Benesh - Mount Vernon Middle School art teacher
Steve Andreson - Mount Vernon Middle School art teacher
Christine Goodwin - Mount Vernon Area Arts Council member and my ever-supportive mom!

"Heuristic Forms" Solo Residency and Show

Strider Patton - Heuristic Forms installation

In the spring of 2017 I finished my first artist-in-residence program with TechShop in San Francisco. A residency program, which can be described as an opportunity for artists to create, research, and learn within a new space or community, is a milestone in any artists career. I have always wanted to participate in a residency program since I began painting more seriously in my mid 20s.

Heuristic Forms is a visual exploration into the intersections of identity, form, culture, space, and connection. This new body of work by Strider is unlike anything from his past 10 years as a working artist. Through this residency program and exhibition, Strider has bridged his understandings of painting with his new findings in sculptural form, navigating the powerful connections between space, value, depth, gravity and shadow.

"Idols" Solo Show

I recently opened my first solo show in San Francisco, CA, at Roll Up Gallery in the Mission District. The show is titled "Idols" and will run for one month, from July 29th to August 29th 2016.

This series is made to celebrate and honor those who have shared their skills, experiences, and passions to help make the world a better place. Todays world has a false sense of idolism, with celebrity and stardom status being given to those who only seek to better themselves. Through this work, I have imagined what the world could be like if we idolized those who have and are giving their all for us. What do you think the world would be like if their names were household names instead of those who only care about me?

I created 8 new works that featured an individuals portrait as the main focus of each piece with my halftone stencil style. The background of each work are abstractions of color fields, gradients, patterns, and words and passages with tags and graffiti. Choosing the 8 people to be featured as Idols was at first daunting, with the thought of how I am going to choose just 8, but then exciting. I knew I wanted to feature some well known figures - Gandhi, Cesar Chavez - but also some current activists - Malala Yousafzai, Rigoberta Menchu - and others who many not be as recognized for their social and political work - Helen Keller, Noam Chomsky, Berta Caceres, Zapatista Woman.

I quickly realized in the research phase that I cannot represent everyone in one show. I then thought, "I could have an Idols show every year and still be finding new figures to showcase." The pressure I was feeling for deciding who to represent was then lifted. I was so happy with the final choices, as I have people represented from the past and present, different cultures, different genders, and different struggles. I very much want to have another Idols show in the future.

In preparation for my solo show "Idols" at Roll Up Gallery, San Francisco, in 2016, I made this little video showing some of the process involved with making the wood panels that I paint on.

Idols and Bios:

Berta Cáceres

March 4th 1971- March 3rd 2016

Berta was a Honduran environmental activist, indigenous leader of her people, and co-founder and coordinator of the Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH). She won the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2015, for "a grassroots campaign that successfully pressured the world’s largest dam builder to pull out of the Agua Zarca Dam" at the Río Gualcarque. She led campaigns on a wide variety of issues, including protesting illegal logging, plantation owners, and the presence of US military bases on Lenca land. She supported feminism, LGBT rights, as well as wider social and indigenous issues.

She was assassinated in her home by armed intruders, after years of threats against her life. Twelve environmental defenders were killed in Honduras in 2014, according to research by Global Witness, which makes it the most dangerous country in the world, relative to its size, for activists protecting forests and rivers.

Cesar Chavez

March 31st, 1927 - April 23rd, 1993

Cesar was an American labor leader and civil rights activist who co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (later the United Farm Workers union, UFW) in 1962. Originally a Mexican American farm worker, Chavez encountered the conditions that he would dedicate his life to changing: wretched migrant camps, corrupt labor contractors, meager wages for backbreaking work, bitter racism.

He became the best known Latino American civil rights activist, and was strongly promoted by the American labor movement, which was eager to enroll Hispanic members. His public-relations approach to unionism and aggressive but nonviolent tactics made the farm workers' struggle a moral cause with nationwide support. By the late 1970s, his tactics had forced growers to recognize the UFW as the bargaining agent for 50,000 field workers in California and Florida.

For thirty years Chavez tenaciously devoted himself to the problems of some of the poorest workers in America. The movement he inspired succeeded in raising salaries and improving working conditions for farm workers in California, Texas, Arizona, and Florida.

Malala Yousafzai

July 12th, 1997 - present

Malala is a Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate, in 2014 at age 17. She is known mainly for human rights advocacy for education and forwomen in her native Swat Valley in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of northwest Pakistan, where the local Taliban had at times banned girls from attending school. Yousafzai's advocacy has since grown into an international movement.

Yousafzai attended a school that her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, had founded. After the Taliban began attacking girls' schools in Swat, Malala gave a speech in Peshawar, Pakistan, in September 2008. The title of her talk was, "How dare the Taliban take away my basic right to education?" In early 2009, Yousafzai began blogging for the BBC about living under the Taliban's threats to deny her an education. In order to hide her identity, she used the name Gul Makai. However, she was revealed to be the BBC blogger in December of that year.

As a child, she became an advocate for girls' education, which resulted in the Taliban issuing a death threat against her. On October 9, 2012, a gunman shot Malala when she was traveling home from school. She survived, and has continued to speak out on the importance of education.

Mahatma Gandhi

October 2nd 1869 - January 30th 1948

Gandhi was the preeminent leader of the Indian nationalism in British-ruled India. Employing nonviolent civil disobedience, Gandhi led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. The honorific Mahatma (Sanskrit: "high-souled", "venerable") — applied to him first in 1914 in South Africa,—is now used worldwide. He is also called Bapu (Gujarati: endearment for "father", "papa") in India. In common parlance in India he is often called Gandhiji. He is unofficially called the Father of the Nation.

Gandhi famously led Indians in challenging the British-imposed salt tax with the 400 km (250 mi) Dandi Salt March in 1930, and later in calling for the British to Quit India in 1942. He was imprisoned for many years, upon many occasions, in both South Africa and India. Gandhi attempted to practise nonviolence and truth in all situations, and advocated that others do the same. He lived modestly in a self-sufficient residential communityand wore the traditional Indian dhoti and shawl, woven with yarn hand-spun on a charkha. He ate simple vegetarian food, and also undertook long fasts as a means of both self-purification and social protest.

Helen Keller

June 27th 1880 - June 1st 1968

Helen was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was the first deaf-blind person to earn a bachelor of arts degree. The story of how Keller's teacher, Anne Sullivan, broke through the isolation imposed by a near complete lack of language, allowing the girl to blossom as she learned to communicate, has become widely known through the dramatic depictions of the play and film The Miracle Worker. Her birthplace in West Tuscumbia, Alabama, is now a museum and sponsors an annual "Helen Keller Day". Her birthday on June 27 is commemorated as Helen Keller Day in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and was authorized at the federal level by presidential proclamation by President Jimmy Carter in 1980, the 100th anniversary of her birth.

A prolific author, Keller was well-traveled and outspoken in her convictions. A member of the Socialist Party of America and the Industrial Workers of the World, she campaigned for women's suffrage, labor rights, socialism, antimilitarism, and other similar causes. She was inducted into theAlabama Women's Hall of Fame in 1971 and was one of twelve inaugural inductees to the Alabama Writers Hall of Fame on June 8, 2015.

Noam Chomsky

December 27th 1978 - present

Noam is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, logician,social critic, and political activist. Sometimes described as "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky is also a major figure in analytic philosophy, and one of the founders of the field of cognitive science. He has spent more than half a century at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he is Institute Professor Emeritus, and is the author of over 100 books on topics such as linguistics, war, politics, and mass media. Ideologically, he aligns with anarcho-syndicalism and libertarian socialism.

Chomsky is an oft-cited scholar whose work has influenced a wide array of academic fields. He is widely recognized as a paradigm shifter who helped spark a major revolution in the human sciences, contributing to the development of a new cognitivistic framework for the study of languageand the mind. In addition to his continued scholarly research, he remains a leading critic of U.S. foreign policy, neoliberalism and contemporarystate capitalism, the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, and mainstream news media. His ideas in these areas have proved highly significant within the anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist movements.

Rigoberta Menchú

January 9th 1959 - present

Rigoberta is a K'iche' political activist from Guatemala. Menchú has dedicated her life to publicizing the rights of Guatemala's indigenous feminists during and after the Guatemalan Civil War (1960–1996), and to promotingindigenous rights in the country. She received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992 and the Prince of Asturias Award in 1998. She is the subject of the testimonial biography I, Rigoberta Menchú (1983) and the author of the autobiographical work, Crossing Borders. Menchú is a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. She has also become a figure in indigenous political parties and ran for President of Guatemala in 2007 and 2011.

Zapatista Woman

January 1st 1994 - present

The Zapatistas are a revolutionary leftist political and militant group based in Chiapas, the southernmost state of Mexico. They have spokespeople, but no leader. Their strength is in all of them, and Zapatista women have been influential in the movement. Since 1994, the group has been in a declared war "against the Mexican state", and against military, paramilitary and corporate incursions into Chiapas. This war has been primarily defensive. In recent years, it has focused on a strategy of civil resistance. The Zapatistas' main body is made up of mostly rural indigenous people, but includes some supporters in urban areas and internationally.

In the 1990s, one-third of the insurgents were women and half of the Zapatista support base was women. The EZLN organization style involved consensus and participation by everyone, including women and children. Therefore, one aspect of the EZLN’s ideology was gender equality and rights for women. After the Zapatista uprising in Chiapas, the EZLN announced the Women’s Revolutionary Law which was a set of ten laws that granted rights to women regarding marriage, children, work, health, education, political and military participation, and protected women from violence.

Although the ideology of the EZLN reflects libertarian socialism, paralleling both anarchist and libertarian Marxist thought in many respects, the EZLN has rejected and defied political classification, retaining its distinctiveness due in part to the importance of indigenous Mayan beliefs in Zapatismo. The EZLN aligns itself with the wider alter-globalization, anti-neoliberal social movement, seeking indigenous control over their local resources, especially land.

Since their 1994 uprising was countered by the Mexican army, the EZLN has abstained from military offensives and adopted a new strategy that attempts to garner Mexican and international support. Through an Internet campaign, the EZLN was successful in extending an understanding of their plight and intentions to the public. With this change in tactics, the EZLN has received greater support.

Searching for a New Home

I've been paying close attention to the "refugee crisis" happening the better part of this last year. There are many issues involved with this very broad and general title. Issues like: war, peace, hope, tragedy, future, past, present, individual, society, migration, boarders, terror, distance, economics, duty, family, and home. The situation is immense and immediate. I wanted to paint a mural to raise attention toward the notions of refugees, immigrants, migration, and borders.

One of my best friends and fellow artists, Max Ehrman, and I were talking about these issues one day and we began sketching. Instead of painting imagery depicting walls and borders, strangers and masses of people, we decided to direct the imagery to be more personal. We wanted real portraits of real people, in delicate bubbles of sky and stars, floating in the midst of linear lines that fade in and out, and a cloud of organic matter.

I began to research and quickly was in the midst of hundreds of images of refugees online. I wanted to be more specific. I narrowed my search to children, caught in the change of leaving their only notion of home. Then I came across 3 specific stories, from different photographers and projects.

Zein al-Houssein. Photo © Alex Oberg — Zein al-Houssein. Photo © Alex Oberg

5 year old Zein al-Houssein. "I need to live as other children and play football," he stated to photographer Alex Oberg. Zein fled Syria with his father and brother, and they are now in Turkey with the hopes of reaching Sweden. I found Zein's story on the National Geographic website in the article Intimate Portraits of Refugees: ‘We Don’t Want to Live in a War’ written by Anna Lukacs.

12 year old Nadia. She (on the right) and her 9 year old sister, Haseena, are the second generation of Afghan refugee girls to attend school. I found Nadia's story from the UN Refugee Agency's flickr page. The photograph of the sisters was taken by Sebastian Rich.

Nadia on the right. Photo © Sebastian Rich — Nadia on the right. Photo © Sebastian Rich

Unnamed Syrian girl. Photo © Benjamin Reece and Robert X. Fogarty — Unnamed Syrian girl. Photo © Benjamin Reece and Robert X. Fogarty

Unnamed girl from a Syrian refugee camp in Jordan. I came across her image as part of the beautiful Dear World project, created by Robert X. Fogarty. The girl's photo was in the Dear World + Syrian Refugees article, which was made possible by partnership with CARE.

True, the world is different today than it ever has been, but we humans must not forget who we are as a species - social mammals who feel, think, imagine, and create. It is these unique traits and qualities that has lead to us circumventing the world and now reaching out into space looking for more. We are curious beings, and that is what has brought us to continually move around. The ideas of borders, boundaries, and division could be our most detrimental concept because it creates the notion of us and them. We are all one, and we share this world.

Here in the United States of America it is especially difficult to hear talk of exclusion and border walls. Is it really so easy to forget where we come from? The majority of our population is here because of immigrants, refugees, and those seeking a new way of life.

In our globalized world today, borders are a place of increasing struggle, hardship, and violence. In July, the UN‘s refugee agency said that 45.2 million people remain displaced from their homes due to worldwide conflicts - a 19-year high.

Many of these people are forced into these conditions due to conflict, economic, or environmental hardship, and would have never chosen to leave their home had they not had too. Most are looking for safety, for a chance, for a home. I hope this mural can offer a moment of reflection for those who come across it.

Strider Patton and Max Ehrman in front of their mural in Clarion Alley, San Francisco, CA.

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.

First Friday's Mural with Max Ehrman

Strider Patton and Max Ehrman - First Fridays, Oakland, CA

One of my favorite events in the Bay Area is First Friday's in Oakland! This monthly event is an evening street festival charged with art and culture. Six blocks of Telegraph St. in downtown Oakland are closed for pedestrians and a huge number of artist booths, food trucks, and live music. Galleries, artist studios, restaurants and bars are opened up on Telegraph St. and beyond for the night and thousands of people come from all around for the event.

I have always enjoyed attending as a spectator, but this last First Friday I was invited to contribute to the magic of the event by painting a live mural with my good friend, Max Ehrman (EON 75)! Max and I have collaborated on paintings a handful of times, but the piece we created for First Friday I would say is my favorite. Max has an incredible style of painting which folds linear line and organic flow into cohesive imagery. Combining some of my stencil portraiture and patterning, I would say we have begun to set a strong foundation for collaboration between the two of us. I greatly look forward to more painting with Max!

Dia de los Muertos Mural

Alvarado Elementary School Mural

I was invited by a friend to help paint a mural at an elementary school here in San Francisco. It is part of the school's Dia de los Muertos festival and over 100 kids were to be involved with helping paint the wall. We arrived two days before to paint the background and tape off segments for the kids to paint on the festival day. It was a beautiful day in Noe Valley, and the background went up quickly and smoothly. I created an Aztec inspired pattern stencil to fill the large background and used two slightly different shades of teal / light blue to have the subtle stencil stand out from the wall.

The day of the festival we grouped the kids into six smaller teams that came to help paint in the marigold flower petals at different times throughout the day. Alvarado Elementary School is a beautiful place, with a rich history of focusing on the importance of the arts and culture. The kids were amazing and it was fun to have them come help paint with some wonderful live Mexican music in the background and all kinds of other activities, celebrating the meaning behind Dia de los Muertos!

Blending Art, Culture, and Shared Spaces: My Journey at the California Institute of Integral Studies

Strider Patton at CIIS working on his master's degree in Cultural Anthropology and Public Art.

From 2012 to 2014, I embarked on a transformative journey at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in San Francisco, where I pursued a master’s degree in Cultural Anthropology and Public Art. This period was marked by intense exploration and creative discovery, shaping my understanding of the powerful interplay between art, culture, and shared spaces.

The Academic Journey

My academic journey at CIIS was designed to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. The curriculum was rich and diverse, offering courses that delved into the complexities of cultural anthropology while integrating the principles and practices of public art. The objective was to create a comprehensive understanding of how art influences and is influenced by cultural contexts, particularly in shared public spaces.

Building a Unique Portfolio

The core of my master’s program was the development of a portfolio that reflected my studies and experiences. This portfolio became a testament to my work at the crossroads of art, culture, and shared spaces. I immersed myself in various activities, from working in art galleries to participating in community public art activations. Each experience contributed to a deeper understanding of how art can transform public spaces and foster community engagement.

Working in galleries provided a behind-the-scenes look at the curation and presentation of art, honing my skills in art administration and exhibition design. These roles allowed me to appreciate the meticulous planning and creative vision required to bring an exhibition to life, skills that would prove invaluable in my later projects.

Community Public Art Activations

A significant part of my portfolio involved active participation in community public art projects. These activations were more than just art installations; they were collaborative efforts that brought together diverse groups to create something meaningful. I worked alongside community members, local artists, and cultural organizations, facilitating the creation of murals, sculptures, and interactive art pieces that enlivened public spaces and sparked dialogue.

These projects underscored the importance of art in community building. They provided opportunities for individuals to engage with each other and their environment in new ways, fostering a sense of ownership and pride in their shared spaces. The lessons learned from these activations have deeply influenced my approach to public art and community engagement.

Documenting the Journey

Throughout my master’s program, I maintained a blog to document my experiences and insights. This blog served as a reflective space where I could analyze the projects I was involved in, share my thoughts on the intersection of art and culture, and engage with a broader audience. Writing about my journey helped to crystallize my understanding and allowed me to connect with others who shared my interests.

A Foundation for Future Work

Completing my master’s degree at CIIS was a pivotal moment in my career. The knowledge and skills I gained have been foundational in my work as an artist and cultural consultant. The program’s emphasis on the integration of art, culture, and community continues to inspire my projects today.

If you’re interested in learning more about my work or exploring how we can collaborate on projects that blend art, culture, and community engagement, contact me. Let’s work together to create spaces that foster connection and inspire creativity.

Immersed in Art and Innovation: My Internship with the Burning Man Art Department

Strider Patton's experience as an intern with the Burning Man Art Department

In 2013, I embarked on a transformative journey as an intern with the Burning Man Art Department in San Francisco, CA. This role provided me with invaluable experience in arts project management, allowing me to assist with the production, coordination, and facilitation of large-scale art installations for the iconic Burning Man event. Here's a look into my enriching experience and the impact it had on my professional development.

The Vision

Burning Man is renowned for its celebration of radical self-expression and communal effort. The art installations are at the heart of this festival, turning the Black Rock Desert into a temporary city filled with creativity and innovation. My role in the Art Department was to support the creation and installation of these monumental works of art, ensuring they were executed smoothly and safely.

Gaining Practical Experience

As an intern, I was thrust into a dynamic environment where I had the opportunity to wear many hats. My responsibilities included attending high-level meetings where strategic decisions were made about the event's art installations. These meetings were a masterclass in project management, exposing me to the intricacies of planning large-scale events and managing multiple stakeholders.

One of my key tasks was participating in the planning processes. This involved collaborating with artists and other team members to develop timelines, allocate resources, and troubleshoot potential issues. Drafting communications was another crucial part of my role, ensuring that all parties were informed and aligned with the project goals.

Managing Art Installations

A significant aspect of my internship was managing registered art installations. This required meticulous organization and coordination to ensure that each installation was executed to the highest standards. I was responsible for organizing information for both artists and audiences, making sure that everyone had the necessary resources and support to bring their visions to life.

Working closely with accomplished professionals in communications and art management, I gained insights into best practices and innovative approaches to project management. Their mentorship and guidance were instrumental in shaping my understanding of what it takes to succeed in the art world.

Collaborating and Learning

The collaborative nature of the Burning Man Art Department was one of the most rewarding aspects of my internship. I had the privilege of working alongside talented and passionate individuals who were dedicated to creating impactful and meaningful art. This experience not only enhanced my technical skills but also inspired me to think creatively and push the boundaries of what is possible in art and event production.

A Foundation for Future Success

Reflecting on my time with the Burning Man Art Department, I am grateful for the hands-on experience and professional growth it afforded me. The skills and knowledge I gained during this internship have been foundational to my career in arts project management. It reinforced my belief in the power of art to transform spaces and communities, and it equipped me with the tools to manage complex projects effectively.

If you’re interested in learning more about my work or exploring how we can collaborate on art projects, contact me. Let's continue to create transformative art experiences that inspire and connect people.

Nurturing Creativity: My Journey at Red Poppy Art House

Strider Patton's transformative internship at Red Poppy Art House

In 2013-2014, I had the privilege of interning at the Red Poppy Art House in San Francisco, CA. This unique and vibrant space is dedicated to fostering intercultural knowledge production and artistic collaboration. My time at Red Poppy Art House was a transformative experience that provided me with invaluable hands-on experience in arts administration and community engagement. Here’s a glimpse into my journey and the impact it had on my professional growth.

The Vision

Red Poppy Art House is more than just a gallery; it’s a hub for artistic and cultural exchange. The mission of the Art House is to create a space where artists, cultural visionaries, and community members can come together to share ideas, inspire one another, and produce art that resonates on a deep, cultural level. The organization’s commitment to multidisciplinary art events and intercultural collaborations was what initially drew me to the internship.

Engaging in Arts Administration

During my internship, I gained hands-on experience in various aspects of arts administration. This included assisting in the organization and execution of multidisciplinary art events that spanned music, visual arts, dance, and more. Each event was a collaborative effort, requiring meticulous planning, coordination, and communication. I learned how to manage logistics, coordinate with artists and performers, and ensure that each event ran smoothly.

One of the highlights was working on a series of cultural events that brought together artists from diverse backgrounds to share their stories and artistic practices. These events not only showcased incredible talent but also fostered a sense of community and mutual respect among participants and audiences alike.

Supporting Intercultural Knowledge Production

A key component of my role was supporting intercultural knowledge production. This involved collaborating with artists and cultural visionaries to create programming that celebrated and explored cultural diversity. I assisted in curating exhibitions and performances that highlighted the rich cultural tapestries of our communities. This experience deepened my appreciation for the power of art as a tool for cultural exchange and understanding.

One memorable project was working on a cultural residency program that provided artists with the space and resources to develop new work. This program emphasized the importance of intercultural dialogue and allowed artists to explore and express their cultural identities through their art. Being a part of this process was incredibly rewarding and inspired me to continue advocating for cultural inclusivity in the arts.

Enhancing Skills in Community Engagement

Community engagement was at the heart of everything we did at Red Poppy Art House. I enhanced my skills in community outreach by developing and implementing strategies to engage local communities in our programming. This included creating promotional materials, managing social media campaigns, and organizing community meetings to gather input and feedback.

One initiative that stood out was a series of community art workshops designed to encourage local residents to participate in the creation of public art. These workshops were a great success, bringing together people of all ages and backgrounds to collaborate on art projects that reflected the spirit and diversity of our community.

The Impact

Reflecting on my time at Red Poppy Art House, I am grateful for the opportunities it provided to grow both professionally and personally. The experience honed my skills in event coordination, community outreach, and artistic collaboration. It also reinforced my belief in the power of art to bring people together, bridge cultural divides, and inspire positive change.

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

Unveiling Hidden Histories: My Role in "Theory of Survival: Fabrications"

Taraneh Hemami's 'Theory of Survival: Fabrications' project, with research assistance from Strider Patton.

In 2017, I had the profound opportunity to work as a research assistant for artist Taraneh Hemami during her residency at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in San Francisco. This collaboration was part of the "Theory of Survival: Fabrications" project, an ambitious exhibition and publication initiative that aimed to uncover and showcase the intentionally erased histories of dissent in Iran. This project was deeply meaningful, blending art and research to shed light on important cultural narratives.

The Vision

"Theory of Survival: Fabrications" is a continuation of Taraneh Hemami’s ongoing effort to archive and narrate the stories of Iranian political dissent. The project seeks to make visible the histories that have been systematically erased from public memory, creating a platform for voices that have been silenced. Hemami's work is not only a tribute to these lost narratives but also a call to action, encouraging viewers to reflect on issues of memory, identity, and resistance.

My Role

As a research assistant, my primary responsibility was to conduct in-depth research that would inform the development and narrative of the project. This involved extensive archival work, gathering historical documents, and piecing together stories that had been fragmented or hidden. My work was crucial in building a comprehensive narrative that could be translated into visual and textual elements for the exhibition and publication.

Working closely with Hemami, I delved into various sources, including personal testimonies, historical records, and cultural artifacts. This meticulous research was aimed at uncovering the nuances and complexities of the stories we sought to tell. The process was both challenging and rewarding, requiring a balance of analytical rigor and creative interpretation.

The Exhibition

The exhibition, which was held at the CIIS, was a powerful manifestation of our collaborative efforts. Through a combination of visual art, archival material, and interactive installations, "Theory of Survival: Fabrications" invited viewers to engage with the histories of Iranian dissent in a deeply personal and reflective manner. The artworks were meticulously crafted to evoke a sense of loss, resilience, and resistance, encouraging viewers to connect with the stories on an emotional level.

One of the key elements of the exhibition was the use of textiles and handcrafted objects, which served as metaphors for the fragility and strength of the narratives we uncovered. These pieces were not just art objects but carriers of stories, each thread and pattern holding a piece of history that had been painstakingly researched and preserved.

The Impact

"Theory of Survival: Fabrications" had a significant impact on both the art community and the broader public. The exhibition received critical acclaim for its innovative approach to storytelling and its ability to make complex historical narratives accessible and engaging. For me, being part of this project was a transformative experience. It deepened my understanding of the power of art as a tool for social change and reinforced my commitment to using my skills to uncover and share important cultural narratives.

Reflecting on my time as a research assistant for this project, I am filled with a sense of pride and gratitude. It was an honor to work alongside Taraneh Hemami and contribute to a project that has had such a profound impact. The lessons I learned during this time continue to influence my approach to art and research.

If you’re interested in learning more about my work or exploring how we can collaborate on similar projects, contact me. Let's continue to harness the power of art to uncover hidden histories and inspire meaningful change.