Faces of Fort Collins

Artist

Susan K. Dailey

Year

2017

Location

617 Laporte Ave

Description

These 2 transformer cabinet murals will be one component of a professional development Art
program called ArtSpeak, which is sponsored by Front Range Community College with support
from the Sister Mary Alice Murphy Center for Hope (Murphy Center) and is run by Samantha
Franklin. The program works with talented and interested guests of the Murphy Center Day Shelter
(often homeless) and teaches them skills needed to become a working artist (which could translate
to professional skills needed in any job setting). Over the past two years, participants have been
learning various techniques from skilled professionals (Instructors at FRCC and local artists).
This coming fall semester, the focus will be on developing portfolio skills such as; how to write a
resume’/CV and artist’s statement, how to create a physical and digital portfolio, how to go about
getting art work shown locally and learning skills involved in applying for art shows and public art
projects. This Transformer mural project along with a mural recently completed on the Murphy
Center wall will become part of a portfolio for involved ArtSpeak participants. Murphy center
ArtSpeak guests who want to participate in the transformer box mural project will have to apply for
a public art internship to participate (and will sign contracts for scheduling their consistent
participation). Creating their piece in the design (the portraits) will be a guided instructional opportunity
for the selected participants, working closely with the lead artist.
Two transformer cabinets will be painted in a trope L’oeil style by Susan Dailey to represent two
stucco decorative fish pond garden features, each with a different color of stucco. The top of each
cabinet will contain an illusionary fish or coy pond. The sides of the cabinet will have illusionary inset
areas in which each participating ArtSpeak intern will paint a portrait. Surrounding the portraits,
Susan Dailey will paint plants and creeping vines to visually activate the whole area.

Photos