Not too long ago, we had the opportunity to support our local community in a visible way when Project Hope, Unity, and Compassion came together. Following the boarding up of businesses after the Trump rally, Tulsan artists repurposed plywood as canvasses for their art, which then went on to premiere at the art show Project Hope, Unity and Compassion at Living Arts.
After the show, all the artwork went online for digital auction, with the proceeds going to the Greenwood Mainstreet District. We purchased this piece created by Clean Hands, and it’s currently in our office. At 27’ wide across 7 panels, it definitely helps fill the space, which was a little uninspiring before. We love the coloration of the piece and the texture it brings. To me, this piece is about hope and looking toward the future, and is in line with how Method thinks about the world.
Below is the Exhibit Curator Tina Henley’s Statement.
“Project Hope, Unity, and Compassion” showcases a range of artistic expression from artists at a very crucial and tense time in Tulsa’s recent history. With downtown Tulsa businesses boarded up in preparation for the Trump rally taking place during a pandemic, and the unknown in anticipation of large groups gathering and/or rioting, plywood boards became canvasses for messages of encouragement and to inspire a higher consciousness in what the city should truly stand for. To come together. Not in a cliche way, but a reckoning in Tulsa as a city on a global stage and the posture towards its citizens. That unity is found not by choosing sides in opposition to be right or wrong, but to remind Tulsans of the value we have in each other as a community. To actively listen, correct and change for the better, and to respect each other as human beings.
The plywood boards themselves are massive in size and a word to describe this exhibition is puzzling. Literally and figuratively, placing the boards according to the artists’ design was like putting a puzzle together. Placing the pieces of art strategically to fill up the space appropriately while considering each piece in relation to one another in terms of imagery, color, line work, and use of words. The raw and bold nature of this exhibition strikes a new definition and direction of street art and lends itself to argue the importance of street art and the positive yet unique potential it provides.
The Clean Hands mural at its original location.