For Immediate Release: 5/20/2016 2:26 pm
Worcester, MA (May 20, 2016) - After much anticipation, the Public Art Working Group is pleased to announce the completion of the WCUW Mural Project at 910 Main Street. Artists selected to create five murals on the southwest side of the WCUW building installed their works of art in a series of two weeks. "Great cities deserve great art. The addition of these murals to the Main South streetscape adds local color and personality. The artists display extraordinary talent," noted City Manager Ed Augustus who stopped by the site to meet the artists with Mayor Joe Petty. To mark the success of this project, WCUW 91.3 FM Worcester's Community Radio Station will kick off a celebration during their Annual Meeting on Saturday, May 21, 2016 from 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM.
Entering their 43rd year serving Central MA, WCUW will hold its annual meeting to membership followed by a night of music, food and fun. The entire facility will be open to the public to explore in addition to viewing the completed murals in its entire splendor. Doug Chapel, Andrei Krautsou (Key Detail), Louis Hairapetian and Ryan Gardell were the selected muralists by the Public Art Working Group, part of the Worcester Cultural Coalition and the City of Worcester's Cultural Development division's "Make Art Everywhere" campaign. WCUW 91.3 FM, Worcester's community Radio station, partnered on the campaign by donating wall space to the cause with funding provided by the Worcester Cultural Coalition. Their selections of Douglas Chapel's "Open Your Ears and Mind"; Andrei Kraytsou's "Tempo" & "Jazz Work"; Louis Hairapetian's, "Untitled" and Ryan Gardell's "Boombox" now join and complement the existing Dynamy mural that has been part of the building for more than 25 years. "Public Art changes our perceptions of the world around us and these murals demonstrate how art brings a community to life," said Erin Williams, Cultural Development Officer for the City of Worcester. The Annual Meeting will take place from 6:00-7:00pm where members of WCUW will be able to vote for new candidates running for the WCUW Board of Directors. The celebrations will conclude with a live performance from the Sara Levaque band from 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM. Event is free and open to the public; however a suggested donation of $10.00 will be accepted.
About WCUW
WCUW, Worcester's community radio station, was founded in 1920 by Robert Goddard and incorporated by students at Clark University in 1973. The organization moved to its current 910 Main Street location in 1980 and the non-profit purchased the building in 1989. WCUW strives to involve those communities typically under-represented by the media in programming and operations; - providing responsible community members access to the facilities and training, regardless of race, creed, sex, life style, or age; - educating the community about local issues; - supporting local artists, activities and culture; - promoting awareness of global culture and issues; - fostering creative freedom and experimentation in the use of the communications media; - operating the station through participatory democracy; - and participating in the National Federation of Community Broadcasters.
About PAWG:
The City of Worcester's Cultural Development division of the Executive Office of Economic Development is spearheading an effort to increase the amount of publicly accessible art in Worcester. As part of these efforts the Public Art Working Group was established. The Public Art Working Group advocates for the creation and installation of new publicly accessible art and is currently working to identify possible sites for new public art. The Public Art Working Group is made up of local citizens and art lovers who are committed to supporting public art initiatives in the City of Worcester. Learn more about the #MakeArtEverywhere campaign at http://www.worcestermass.org/www/publicart and on YouTube.
