Will Sears

Portland Mural Initiative

I'm very pleased to announce that Tessa Greene O'Brien and I have been awarded a grant together through the Kindling Fund. The Kindling Fund is provided by Space Gallery as part of a regional re-ranting of the Warhol Foundation. The mission of the Kindling Fund is to support the energy of Maine’s visual arts community by funding innovative, artist-organized visual arts projects that engage the public in ways that are both inventive and meaningful. The Kindling Fund values risk and experimentation, unconventional engagement, and critical dialogue, and encourages collaborative efforts to reach new audiences, increase public interaction, and create new models for presenting artists’ work.

Our Project that we're starting with this grant is the Portland Mural Initiative. We aim to bring contemporary art into the public spaces of Portland and its’ surrounding areas. We will work with emerging and established artists that have a strong connection to Maine, to create innovative murals and architectural interventions. We also aim to facilitate a dialogue between the artists and the communities in which the murals are located, through public meals and artist talks. 

To get a more detailed look into this project check out our website here

Our confirmed 2015 artists are:

We'll post another entry this spring, as the snow melts and the mural get under way...

Erstwhile; Lot F Gallery


Starting off the new year with an older twist:

OPENING RECEPTION - FRI JAN 10TH 7 - 11PM

Lot F Gallery is pleased to present Erstwhile this January, with new works by Portland, ME artists Tessa Greene O'Brien and Will Sears.  Being a sign painter by trade, Sears hones in on his skills to create beautiful assemblage pieces and paintings with a focus on typography. O'Brien, who is also a sign painter, is showing an oil and watercolor painting series based on vintage synchronized swimming ladies in a pinup-esque fashion. 

Erstwhile, which is the artists first time showing at Lot F Gallery, has a vintage quality throughout and will run from January 10th to February 28th, 2014.  The public is welcome to experience the exhibition first hand, with an opening reception on Friday, January 10th, 2014, from 7 to 11 pm at their Pearl Street location.  Lot F Gallery has open hours on Saturdays, during the exhibition, from noon to 4pm, and is also open by appointment.

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Steady Work; Space Gallery

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I was very privileged to be included in the "Steady Work" Show at Space Gallery. The show was a collection of artists who are all employed as sign painters, and who employ sign painting techniques in their own artwork. The Show consisted on Jimmy "Spike" Birmingham. Patrick Corrigan, FrissoJosh Luke, Kenji Nakayama, and myself. Heres some photos of the show courtesy of Bret Labelle Photography:

 

 

Click on the photo below to scroll through the gallery:

 

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Traditional Sign Maker Magazine

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This Month I was honored to be featured on "Traditional Sign Maker Magazine

Traditional Sign Maker Magazine is an online magazine devoted to the craft of traditional sign making. It is a collaborative effort between active sign makers all over the world who contribute articles, how-to’s and photo archives of their work.

 Click Here to check out the feature.