With the advent of some graffiti and new-wave street artists such as London’s Banksy, and Lisbon’s “carved-in- stone” portrait artist, Alexandre Farto, and America’s famous Roy Lichtenstein, you don’t even have to go into an art gallery, museum, or retail store to find assemblages of art that can do all of the above. It’s popping up everywhere, on shipping containers, structures, fences, and even on traffic signal utility boxes!
A couple of months ago, while driving down Crow Canyon Road in San Ramon, my wife and Istopped at the corner of San Ramon Valley Boulevard where an artist waspainting some utterly beautiful art nouveau designs on the stop signal control boxes at that corner. Attached to the protective bollard’s at each corner ofthe utility boxes was a simple paper sign that read, “San Ramon Art Work inProgress.” This prompted a discussion which continued until we again observed another strikingly attractive utility box of blazing colors and beautifuldancers at another corner. It didn’t take long to discover that there were five unique and beautiful utility boxes on Crow Canyon Road alone. Now, I seek out these beautiful little pop-up works of art wherever I drive.
I became curious as to whose idea this was, how long it had been going on and what were these communities’ plans for similar public art projects in the future. I went back to the first art project and found the artist’s name and email address onthe side of the box. It turned out that this artist’s name is Sophia Lee. I called her, and she, in turn, advised me to contact Erica Burg at the City ofSan Ramon’s Parks and Community Services for more detailed information and history about this art project.
I interviewed Sophia Lee and asked her how she found out about this art creation opportunity in San Ramon. She explained that once she got into the Public Art Network, the art commission in Redwood City hired her to paint one of that city’sutility boxes. Erika Burg then contacted the Public Art Network, asking about how she could contact similar street artists, similar to those employed by Redwood City. The woman who manages the Public Art program in Redwood City forwarded Sophia’s name to Burg.
After sending in an example of her artwork, Miss Lee secured a commission for her artwork in San Ramon and was awarded the job to paint two large electrical control boxes. She explained that the job was quite time consuming, as she was required to clean the boxes and prime them before she began painting herartwork. The job took far more hours to complete than she originally thought.
This hard-working lady has loved art and painting since she was a child in Taiwan and has become a professional artist who continues to explore her love of art. Sophia’s family left Taiwan in 1979. Her family eventually moved the United States.
Thanks to the help Sophia provided me, I was able to contact Erica Burg who is the recreation coordinator for the arts in San Ramon. She was excited to show me how this program came to fruition, and how pleased the community seems to be. Erica told me that the city has sought out members of the arts community for input and ideas and ultimately sought out individuals who might be interested in just such a project.
Out of a substantial group of applicants, five artists were chosen based upon the proposed artwork they submitted. After a lengthy consideration process, the five artists selected for this most recent program were Suzanne Gayle, Jeanett Braucher-Wolfe, Molly Keen, Sophia Lee, and Lee Burg.
I asked Erica if any of these artists were residents in any of our nearby San Ramon Valley communities and she gave me the name of a Mr. Lee Burg. With her help, I managed to contact Mr. Burg, who lives in Livermore, and met with him at his art project at the corner of Twin Creek’s Drive and Crow Canyon Road. I asked what this project has meant to him. He appreciatively explained that he has been painting and creating art his entire life. Having grown up in Pleasanton, California, he feels quite fortunate to have been so close to fine museums and other places of inspiration nearby. He says that he loves everything; from painting on canvas, to film and digital photography.
Even though he has sold a number of his works, he does not consider himself a professional, but simply an avid, passionate artist. He states that when he was in high school he learned about Pop Art and the work of famous artists such as Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol. He says his passion and love of their work inspired him. He also follows the work of current famous street artists, such as Shepard Fairey and Banksy. He has acquiesced to working with a paint brush but his real passion has been in learning to spray paint his subject matter with a style of paint application that is difficult to work in.
He didn’t begin to realize how vital and valuable art was to his existence until in 2011 he suffered a major brain injury and lost feeling in his hands and legs. He was deeply concerned that he would never be able to create anything artistic ever again, but after a few years of intense therapy and slow recovery, which is still progressing, he feels much better and is now able to hold a paint brush (or spray can) again. He still has minor seizures every month and may never have 100% of his brainpower back, but in his own words “I am alive and have plenty more things to create!” And I would say, he is truly alive and living inhis art, and we, the public, are perhaps even more alive and grateful for his endeavor to overcome his disability and provide us with such a wonderful gift—art that is easily accessible.
Photographs by Charles Jarrett, Stephanie Gellepes, and Stacy Belmont.
For more information of these artists, visit their websites:
Suzanne Gayle: Suzanne@starArtsStudio.com; JeanettBraucher-Wolfe: ibwolfe50@yahoo.com; Molly Keen: mollykeenart@gmail.com; Sophia Lee: solee@barkingowls.com; and Lee Burg:leeburg86@yahoo.com.
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