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The Cultural District of the City of North Adams has selected two artists for the creation of two “Selfie” Murals. The murals are intended for installation in the downtown Cultural District this June.

One mural will be installed on Holden Street near the corner of Main Street and Holden
Street. This will exist side by side with the Melissa Matsuki Lillie mural “That’s Gneiss”.

The Annie Selke Companies/ YouTube

The second mural will be mounted to the side of the Village Pizza building facing Center
Street, visible from Route 2.

Valerie Carrington was selected to create the Selfie Mural on Holden Street and Amy
Coon was selected to create the Selfie Mural on Center Street. Both artists reside in
North Adams, MA.

Valerie will create a selfie-style mural of a monarch butterfly on Holden Street. The monarch is a treasured butterfly in North Adams and the surrounding region. Amy’s mural on Center Street will create a modern take on a vintage postcard with vibrant colors and references to North Adams.

The committee had some wonderful selections of proposals for each of the murals which made the job of the selection committee really fun but also very difficult.

The project is intended to draw increased attention to downtown by adding to the city’s vibrant mural collection. The project doubles as a long-term marketing campaign for the district encouraging visitors and residents viewing the murals to interact with the artwork by creating selfies. The hashtag “northadams” will be painted within each mural encouraging viewers to post their photos tagging North Adams, helping to spread the visibility of the city on social media.

This project is made possible by grant funding from the Massachusetts Cultural
Council’s Cultural District Initiative Grant.

For those who are unfamiliar with a “selfie” style mural, popular examples are of butterfly or angel wings the viewer can stand between or a postcard style mural with the name of the community.

Valerie Carrington works out of her studio in the Beaver Mill in North Adams, MA where she produces drawings, paintings, prints, and artist books. Her work explores the intersection of the natural world and the human spirit. Valerie has been the recipient of the Assets for Artists North Adams Project grant, the Cultural Council of Northern Berkshire individual artist grant and the Martha Boschen Porter Fund of the Berkshire
Taconic Foundation.

She is currently a Visiting Artist and Lecturer at Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island, where she teaches Drawing, Design, and Studies of the Book. Amy Coon is a multidisciplinary artist and designer. Her practice encompasses personal, collaborative, and client-based projects. Amy holds a BFA in Studio Art and Communications with a concentration in Media Studies. She is a Junior Graphic
Designer at the Clark Art Institute.

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