Phoenix Art Museum, Men’s Arts Council partner to commission original mural by local artist Giovannie

Apr, 11, 2023

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Phoenix Art Museum, Men’s Arts Council partner to commission original mural by local artist Giovannie

The Phoenix-based artist will work with Camelback High School students to complete the mural for a public premiere at PhxArt on May 28, 2023

PHOENIX (April 11, 2023) – Phoenix Art Museum (PhxArt) is collaborating with Phoenix-based artist Giovannie to create an original, spray-painted mural as part of the Museum’s larger initiative to deepen engagement with the local artist community and the community at large. Giovannie will work with student-artists at Camelback High School to create the mural and install it in the Museum’s community art gallery, located in the Education Building on the PhxArt campus. The project is funded by the Men’s Arts Council (MAC), a non-profit member organization of Valley philanthropists dedicated to supporting the Museum’s community-outreach programs through annual giving. The mural will premiere to the public on May 28, 2023 during PhxArt Family Funday at Phoenix Art Museum, a free-access day also made possible through the generosity of MAC.

“We are very grateful to the Men’s Arts Council for supporting this exciting project,” said Jeremy Mikolajczak, the Museum’s Sybil Harrington Director and CEO. “This mural provides the opportunity to showcase the work of a fantastic local artist in our community art gallery while also allowing the Museum to engage young artists who are still discovering and experimenting with different creative expressions and practices. We look forward to premiering this original work to the public during our Family Funday in May.”

Born and raised in Los Angeles to Jamaican parents, Giovannie is a self-taught multidisciplinary artist who found art in 2017 while working a construction job in Phoenix. He draws from his experiences as a student-athlete to explore themes of perseverance and strength, and since finding his own unique artistic expression, he strives to find more creative ways to create and play in spaces where finding and interacting with art is unexpected. Giovannie has created murals across the United States, including in Phoenix, Los Angeles, Miami, Atlantic City, and Denver, and his work has been pictured in The New Times, Arizona Republic, and PHOENIX Magazine.

Beginning April 11, Giovannie will work with Camelback High School art students (ages 15-18) on completing a spray-painted mural on plywood. The work will recreate the artist’s signature “love note.” The concept evokes a sense of nostalgia, utilizing an image of a piece of notebook paper as the foundation on which to write different messages.

“The design will be rendered in six different colors with various hearts that when installed together will be viewed as one large piece,” said Giovannie. “My hope is that the work creates different discussions among both the students and viewers about the narratives around the idea of love—what it means, the romance of it, how it’s perceived, how it’s leveraged, what is self-love, and more. I also hope that it spreads a little more love here in the Valley.”

The mural is funded by the Men’s Art Council, who in September 2022 named PhxArt the recipient of a $1 million grant to fund new education and engagement initiatives, free-access programs, and a new curator of engagement position. The original work will premiere in the Museum’s community art gallery, located in the PhxArt Education Building, on May 28, 2023 as part of PhxArt Family Funday, an all-ages free-access day sponsored by MAC that features free admission to the entire Museum from 10 am – 5 pm, along with hands-on art-making, live programming, and other activities designed to engage intergenerational audiences. The mural will be on view at PhxArt from May 28 through June 30, 2023, after which Camelback High School will take possession of the work and display it on its campus indefinitely.

“Our goal, as an organization, has been to have as much of an impact as possible through the arts in our community,” said Joel Coen, president of the Men’s Arts Council. “With this effort, we are reaching kids through an innovative medium that continues to grow in popularity throughout the United States. Our hope is that through Giovannie’s infectious personality and his incredible artwork, that our youth will be inspired to find their own artistic passion. We are very lucky to have a talent like Giovannie here in the Phoenix metro area and are thankful that the Museum supports this effort.”

For more information and high-resolution photography, contact the Communications Office at 602.257.2117 or samantha.santos@phxart.org.

About Phoenix Art Museum
Since 1959, Phoenix Art Museum has provided millions of guests with access to world-class art and experiences in an effort to ignite imaginations, create meaningful connections, and serve as a brave space for all people who wish to experience the transformative power of art. Located in Phoenix’s Central Corridor, the Museum is a vibrant destination for the visual arts and the largest art museum in the southwestern United States. Each year, more than 300,000 guests engage with critically acclaimed national and international exhibitions and the Museum’s collection of more than 20,000 works of American and Western American, Asian, European, Latin American, modern and contemporary art, and fashion design. The Museum also presents a comprehensive film program, live performances, and educational programs designed for visitors of all ages, along with vibrant photography exhibitions made possible through the Museum’s landmark partnership with the Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona. To learn more about Phoenix Art Museum, visit phxart.org, or call 602.257.1880.

About the Men’s Arts Council
The Men’s Arts Council (MAC) of Phoenix Art Museum, founded in January 1967, is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that supports the Museum’s programs and activities through unique events such as the Copperstate Overland. The Men’s Arts Council’s efforts enable the organization to make annual contributions to Phoenix Art Museum’s operating budget and financially sponsor exhibitions. For more information, visit mensartscouncil.com.