Tag: Art

  • David Stoltz and Alex Brumlik

    David Stoltz and Alex Brumlik

    [vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][vc_column_text]

    MEMBER COLLABORATION – DAVID STOLTZ and ALEX BRUMLIK

    [/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][vc_column_text]David Stoltz and Alex Brumlik, two Generator studio members, have teamed up to create wooden figures for David’s latests cultural piece: “A Ride On The Carousel a Circus of Life”

    David Stoltz grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and was always interested in art: “I’ve been a sculptor since I was practically three years old.” While his peers multitasked, David was singularly focused, spending his days sketching and crafting. By thirteen, he was already working under Maccabi Greenfield, an artist who ran in circles with legendary abstract expressionists like Jackson Pollock. After several other apprenticeships, David’s style emerged: a motion-filled, playful abstractionism, where “everything is about negative and positive space, weight and balance, the essence of what I do being form.” He eventually graduated to larger pieces and steel installations, similar in style to his previous work but drastically different in their medium. He relocated to Vermont to pursue an opportunity as an artist-in-residence at Bennington College, where he continued making, finding room for vibrant characters and dynamic figures.[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line”][image_with_animation image_url=”12742″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][divider line_type=”No Line”][vc_column_text]Since joining Generator, David’s medium exploration has exploded. He went from working from his own steel knowledge to collaborating with expert Generator members and staff to bring his pieces to life in forms he could have never imagined. Seamus Hannan and Alex Hahl have made it possible for David to CNC and engineer his complex structures, while Chris Jeffrey has made it possible to create stained-glass versions of David’s structures. Alex Hahl has been working with David since he joined Generator, helping him craft, weld and create, mostly in steel. Alex began working with David as a freelancer, but has transitioned into a more permanent role at Generator and has enjoyed the collaboration. Seamus’ woodworking skills and business sense have allowed for productive collaboration, and made 3D printed figures possible. Both Alex and Seamus have played big roles in David’s latest piece, and most recently, David is collaborating with Alex Brumlik to breathe life into his newest project.[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line”][image_with_animation image_url=”12744″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][divider line_type=”No Line”][vc_column_text]Alex has always been a maker. What started as a way to spend time with his grandmother, whittling away at blocks on his front porch, has transformed into a craft of passion, where Alex found freedom, agency and creativity in woodworking. Engineering and metal work were his first passions, but a desire to avoid a sedentary lifestyle and a nudge from his father’s partner, world-renowned jeweler Suzan Rezac, led him to pursue a degree at the Vermont Woodworking School. Although reluctant at first, Alex grew to love the medium: “There’s something about wood, it’s organic, friendly, tactile, which means you really have to work with it.” His attention to detail and precision earned him a reputation as a perfectionist in the shop. He spent hours and hours refining his pieces, a practice which aligns with his creative philosophy: “I believe there is a right way to do things, and short of budget, I don’t think there is any reason to cut corners…I like to put care into things, from the big picture of the piece to the smallest thing you interact with, everything in a piece should work perfectly.”[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line”][vc_column_text]He earned his BFA in furniture studies and found himself experimenting in combining functional pieces with artistic sculpture. Merging two worlds that tended to disagree has been a fun challenge, and Generator has offered Alex the tools, storage and access to continue this fusion. “At home it’s a bigger deal if everything is covered in sawdust.” With a new display space at Frog Hollow, Alex has the opportunity to showcase his work, including his most recent project, his refurbished senior thesis work, a mahogany head with moving drawers and a hidden key, evidence of his creative syntheses.[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line”][image_with_animation image_url=”12745″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][divider line_type=”No Line”][vc_column_text]David feels lucky to have found Alex: “He is a craftsman par excellence and he was right next door to me.” For David, great assistants are able to understand an artist, yet create independently, all while elevating the art. The balance is not an easy one. David makes a rough form of plaster, and passes it off to Alex, who outlines the piece into a block, bandsaws it roughly and then carves out the details. The process has been educational for the pair. As Alex puts it: “It is not easy to bring someone else’s designs to life. He has a clear idea, and I have material constraints. He is learning what is possible with wood and I am learning what he likes and responds to.”

    The duo just completed their first wooden figure, and plan to continue to collaborate. As David remarks, Generator has allowed for an artistic renaissance and for meaningful collaboration with talented artists: “Most people don’t get a second chance, all of a sudden I am creating a whole new body of work. I’ve got a lot out of this place, it’s been an amazing couple of years”

    [/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Luna Shen

    Luna Shen

    [vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][vc_column_text]

    LUNA SHEN, ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE

    [/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][vc_column_text]Luna Shen is Generator’s Current Artist-in-Residence. From drippy, flowery sculptures to detailed geometric prints, Luna’s work encompasses many materials, styles and forms. As her artist-in-residency program draws to a close, Luna reflects on her experience, her artwork and lessons learned.

    Luna Shen comes from an artistic household. Her mother attended a highly selective art school, and creativity was all around her growing up: “I wasn’t afraid of creating things.” As a teen, art school felt like an exciting possibility, but Luna decided to pursue a Sociology degree at Middlebury College instead. Despite her mother’s experience in a cutthroat art institution, her mother emphasized to Luna that she could be an artist without a formal education, and art could fit as part of a balanced existence. “I wanted to have a container for my creative processes.” In 2019, artist and educator Estefania Puerta took her students on a trip visiting Burlington artists and their studios. This introduced Luna into the Burlington art scene, and later connected her to the artist-in-residency opportunity at Generator.

    Prior to her residency, the idea of working on her art for 20 hours each week was daunting, especially given Luna’s familiarity with a lifestyle of working full-time as a case manager at a homeless shelter. When she applied and accepted Generator’s residency, she shifted to working part-time as a case manager so that she could dedicate more time and energy into creating. Art had always been a hobby, the opportunity at Generator would allow her to test out just how she would find balance as she made art a bigger part of her life.

    Until her residency, much of her work was guided by what was financially feasible and practical, her art dictated by her access to material and space. Before her residency, Luna largely focused on making prints at BCA; sculptures had yet to be a part of her portfolio, as space was limited. The potential to explore new mediums, learn new tools and connect with other artists at Generator opened up Luna’s art world: “The support of knowledgeable people, the space, and the material stipend have allowed me to be playful and experimental.” Luna’s experimentation has led her to combine her experience in the metal shop and in printmaking with new mediums, including incorporating materials like expansion foam, spray paint and braided hair into some of her latest sculptures. As Luna puts it: “An emphasis for me has been trying to transcend materiality. I want people to look at my work and not necessarily be able to read what it is.” Part of her creative process has been learning the “personalities” of different materials–how they drip, stick, and solidify. Observing the preferences of different materials played a large role in directing the evolution of each project. “My sculptures, or creatures, have a life of their own. Often they are informed by how they want to exist in space, what they might want and what they don’t want.”[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line”][vc_row_inner text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/2″][image_with_animation image_url=”12682″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/2″][image_with_animation image_url=”12683″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][divider line_type=”No Line”][vc_column_text]Luna has also used her time as an artist-in-residence to connect with the Burlington art community, even hosting an open-mic, pop-up gallery for her friends and fellow artists in May. The event was a huge success: a chance to display completed pieces and works in progress and a time to celebrate. As Luna puts it: “I’m always curious about what people are thinking about and making. Final pieces are interesting but I’m also just as interested in pieces that are in evolution, so it felt really fun.”[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line”][image_with_animation image_url=”12684″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][divider line_type=”No Line”][vc_column_text]Luna has valued the relationships built with fellow Generator members during her time in the space. The logistical, technical and artistic guidance she has received from fellow members has allowed her to navigate challenges within her artwork. Asking for help isn’t just OK, it’s the norm. Luna recalls one example of this, on a rainy day at Generator, when Eric Roy helped her gather materials and pitch a make-shift, garbage-bag tent so Luna could continue to work on one of her sculptures outside, sheltered from the down-pour. As she puts it: “It’s great to ask for help here because a lot of people like problem-solving, and a lot of people like helping others in problem-solving, like making literal tools or brainstorming creative workflows.”

    Luna’s residency has made it clear that art can and will fit into her life moving forward. As she continues her work as a case manager, she is excited about the possibility of what her next creative pursuit might hold. Although she will be phasing out of the residency program at the end of the month, she will continue to work and create in Generator. We can’t wait to see what she creates next.

    Connect with Luna at linktr.ee/lunashen.

    [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Black Freedom, Black Madonna, & The Black Child of Hope

    Black Freedom, Black Madonna, & The Black Child of Hope

    [vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][vc_column_text]

    ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE UNITE

    Raphaella Brice and Josie Bunnell Join Forces to Create Mural Celebrating Juneteenth

    [/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line”][vc_row_inner text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/4″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/2″][image_with_animation image_url=”12670″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][divider line_type=”No Line”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/4″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Raphaella Brice and Josie Bunnell, Generator Artists-in-Residence alumni, have teamed up to create a public mural for the BCA’s 2022 Juneteenth celebration. Combining Raphaella’s digital artistry and Josie’s vinyl printing expertise, the mural represents a month of labor, collaboration and design. Selected in May and installed on June 15th, their bright holographic mural depicts Black Mother Mary and Christ, a reflection of Raphaella’s Haitian and Catholic roots, and a celebration of Black reclamation of traditional Catholic imagery. The mural takes up the South-facing exterior of the Fletcher Free Library in downtown Burlington and is a testament to Generator’s project potential: collaborative across discipline, rooted in community, and celebratory of underrepresented voices.

    Read on to learn more about their process, their inspiration for the piece, and to see how this project came to life.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/4″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][image_with_animation image_url=”12672″ alignment=”” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”small_depth” max_width=”100%”][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”3/4″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][vc_column_text]Raphaella Brice is a self-described cultural and digital psychedelic artist, with vibrant digital drawings and trippy pieces characterizing her work. The daughter of an artist, she grew up around the creative process and has enjoyed a fierce rekindling of artistry over the last few years. After studying dance and creative writing at Manhattanville College, she pursued travel writing before Covid interrupted those opportunities. With life on pause, Raphaella found purpose once again through her art. A crash course in Adobe Illustrator during a computer graphics course at Manhattanville had sparked her love for digital design. The accessibility and creative potential of the medium allowed Raphaella to create a piece or more each day, beginning with recreations of her friends, but soon graduating into original pieces and psychedelic reconstructions of traditional imagery. Raphaella joined Generator as a volunteer in 2021 and recalls Jim Shield’s transformative laser cutting training as a critical moment of realization that her digital pieces could be vibrantly translated from the screen into the tactile world. As she saw it: “I didn’t think it was possible for my digital pieces to come to life as they did.” This revelation unlocked a world of possibility, and Raphaella chased down all opportunities to bring her digital work to life. With support from Rebecca Schwarz and Meg Hammond, she pursued the artist-in-residence program and was accepted in December of 2021. With the dedicated space and materials, her digital work reached new levels. The chance to apply for BCA’s Juneteenth mural was the next step in her creative journey, and her application was accepted on May 15th. The mural’s image was designed by Raphaella.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/4″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][image_with_animation image_url=”12673″ alignment=”” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”small_depth” max_width=”100%”][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”3/4″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][vc_column_text]Josie Bunnell began her artistry at home in small-town New Jersey, re-drawing photographs and diddling in design. Small town meant an even smaller art community, so it wasn’t until her time at Bennington College that she discovered the breadth of artistic community and creative opportunities available to her. Josie quickly found and fell in love with printmaking and began working in press shops, designing her own prints and honing her craft. When she moved to Burlington in 2020, Covid had rendered in-person printing virtually impossible, so Generator’s laser cutter provided one of the only chances for her to continue creating. With support and expertise from Generator members she had just met, Josie designed and built a printing press, and began laser-cutting wood block presses to print. Since then, Josie has thrown herself into the Generator community, acting as a liaison between Champlain College and Generator, becoming an artist-in-residence and leading Generator’s laser cutter shop. Her most recent creative focus is on capturing the power of light. As an avid astronomer, Josie’s art and designs seek to reflect light’s power, and her colorways and materials look to collect and reproduce its vibrance. Josie led the vinyl printing portion of the mural construction.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default”][vc_column_text]Although divergent in the mediums, Raphaella and Josie connected immediately. Their complementary skill sets and artistic trajectories made a partnership and friendship inevitable. A conversation in early January of 2022 about the course of their respective artistic careers revealed that they both saw an opportunity to bring light and color into the Generator space and in the last five weeks they have done just that. The pair have filled Generator with their vibrant colors and bubbly laughter, and have welcomed members, friends and staff into their creative process. As Raphaella puts it, and the Generator staff concur: “It has been magical.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/4″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][image_with_animation image_url=”12674″ alignment=”” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”small_depth” max_width=”100%”][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”3/4″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][vc_column_text]The image depicted in the mural is a fusion of Raphaella’s lived experiences as a Catholic Haitian, and a celebration of Black liberation and reclamation. Working with the BCA’s theme of a love story, Raphaella chose to portray the story of universal love between Mother Mary and Jesus. She sees herself in both figures, as “an old soul with the energy of a kid,” but also seeks to represent the power yet undeniable self-sacrifice involved with bringing another being into the world. Given the pervasiveness of these figures and their deep connection to colonial legacies, the mural represents a reclamation for Black Haitians of these symbols, and the confluence of pain, religion and liberation which they often represent. Raphaella’s colorful and psychedelic flair also adds color and movement to this traditional image, bringing it to life and celebrating the liberation of Haitians and Black Americans.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][vc_row_inner text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/4″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/2″][image_with_animation image_url=”12675″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][divider line_type=”No Line”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/4″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][vc_column_text]Timeline, Process, & Collaboration

    The first week of the mural process was spent breaking the digital design into various pieces, so the vinyl cutter could print and cut out the shapes which formed the image. These shapes were then layered onto one of six massive aluminum panels, the base of the 16ft by 12ft mural. Raphaella and Josie spent the last weeks refining the image, adding layers and accenting the design.

    Given Raphaella’s limited experience working with vinyl, it was Josie who spearheaded the vinyl process. When asked about what it was like to hand over her design, Raphaella said: “Honestly, I just trusted her. As artists it is so easy to get stuck in your individual niche or style, but collaborating with Josie helped me realize that my vision could be brought to life in a style that was not mine.”

    Their process was full of discovery, including the addition of a holographic layer of vinyl to the background, which has become one of its defining characteristics. With no rigid format, Raphaella and Josie found space to innovate. As Raphaella put it: “We were constantly discovering new things as we worked on the mural.” For Josie, this collaboration allowed her to avoid the self-doubt that she often feels creeps into longer-term projects: “I didn’t have the same attachment or self-doubt that comes with making my own art. My main thought was ‘how are we going to execute this properly.” And execute they did.

    Generator’s Impact

    Although Raphaella and Josie were responsible for the design and execution of the mural, they were supported by the community, tools and space at Generator. They both recognized Elliott Katz, Operations & Facilities Director, as critical in helping them navigate the application and proposal process, as well as helping them strike a balance between their art and the parameters designated by BCA. Generator’s vinyl cutter, Adobe software and Flexspace, allowed for a creative space complete with the tools necessary to bring the mural to life. As Raphaella noted: “To have a space which honors the creative process has been amazing.” The energy and scale of the project also attracted the attention of Generator members involved in their own projects, whose curiosity and excitement was always welcomed by the pair.

    What’s Next?

    As for what comes next, art and creation will remain central for Raphaella and Josie. For Josie, making will be a priority: “My goals are to make sure I fit time into every day, or even every week, to being creative and making art so I can continue to grow as an artist.” And as for the duo, Raphaella and Josie are clear that this is only the beginning. As Raphaella sees it: “Now that we know we can do this, we are definitely gonna go do it again!”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Meet Josie Bunnell, Artist in Residence

    Meet Josie Bunnell, Artist in Residence

    [vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][vc_column_text]Josie Bunnell is an artist and maker based in Burlington, Vermont. She’s also the Champlain College’s Emergent Media Center Technical Operations Coordinator, Coordinator of the Champlain Maker Program at Generator, and Generator’s Laser Cutter and Vinyl Cutter Shop Lead.

    Check out our conversation with Josie, see some of her beautiful work, and learn more about why Generator’s Artist in Residence program should be on your radar![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaWqiZm4zMc” el_width=”80″ align=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Meet Artist in Residence, Raphaella Brice!

    Meet Artist in Residence, Raphaella Brice!

    [vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][vc_column_text]Have you met our Artist in Residence, Raphaella Brice? Have a look at the video below to learn more about Raphaella’s work as an up-and-coming graphic artist.

    Raphaella’s art is inspired in part by her Haitian roots and stories from her family. Hear the full story of Raphaella’s path into becoming a graphic artist and what words of advice she has for others considering exploring their art in the video interview below!

    Follow Raphaella @ instagram.com/raph.drawsss[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][vc_video link=”https://youtu.be/MiNOFlKMFv8″ el_width=”80″ align=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Rebecca Schwarz – Generator’s Artist in Residence

    Rebecca Schwarz – Generator’s Artist in Residence

    [vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][image_with_animation image_url=”12105″ alignment=”” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Maker In Residence: Peace Paper Project

    Maker In Residence: Peace Paper Project

    Drew Matott and Peace Paper Project was our Maker In Residence for August and September 2018.

    We asked him to share a little bit about his residency and he shared a summary of his work below. Thanks so much for being part of Generator’s community, Drew!

    —

    Peace Paper Project is an international organization of hand papermakers, art therapists and social activists. We set up hand papermaking studios around the world that in turn engage with the communities addressing specific issues.

     

    Since 2011, when Peace Paper Project was founded, we have established over 40 studios and worked with more than 30,000 survivors of war, terrorism, human trafficking, incarceration, mental illness… transforming clothing into paper, transforming associations of trauma & loss into the building blocks for healing.

     

     

    While Peace Paper Project is currently based out of Hamburg, Germany, we spend most of our time traveling the world conducting workshops and setting up papermaking as art therapy programs.

     

     

    The extreme portability of our studio and the transient nature of our operation allows us to have a wide impact with communities affected by war & terrorism and trauma & loss. The trade-off is that we rarely are able to spend quality time off the road focusing on developing specific projects. Our residency at the Generator afforded us with this much needed time and space to make innovations to, not only our program but also our tools.

     

     

    For our Maker-In-Residence at the Generator, we set out to make improvements on the tools that we use. Specifically, we focused on the Hollander beater, the machine that transforms the old textiles (rags) into paper pulp.

     

     

    While hand papermaking field is growing in popularity and practice around the world, there are only a few individuals who make Hollander beaters for sale. Since there are so few individuals making these machines, they are extremely expensive, which presents challenges to Peace Paper Project operations when setting up studios in countries that are often disaster-torn.

     

    With our time at the Generator, we set out to design and build a DIY Hollander beater that could be built for less than $1,000, using locally sourced materials and labor.

     

     

    The finished result will be published as an open source file on Peace Paper Project’s website, with a complete step-by-step to the process. It is our goal to make papermaking more accessible to communities in need and to inspire a new generation of hollander beater builders.

     

    The Generator wan the perfect location to embark on this journey; for over two weeks we were able to take classes and personal tutorials to learn how to use the tools and equipment needed to conceptualize, engineer and construct our DIY Hollander beater. The staff were incredibly helpful and the maker community offered fresh insight, inspiration and were always willing to lend a hand.

    Learn more about Peace Paper Project at peacepaperproject.org.

  • Meet the Makers: Alex Swaisgood and Ben Colbourn

    Meet the Makers: Alex Swaisgood and Ben Colbourn

    [vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEQ-TOhImmk&t=4s”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Big Maker: Amelia Marzec- Making Systems Prepared for the Apocalypse

    Big Maker: Amelia Marzec- Making Systems Prepared for the Apocalypse

    Big Maker: Amelia Marzec
    Wednesday, Sept. 27 I 7:00 pm
    Generator, 40 Sears Lane

    Amelia Marzec is a Brooklyn-based artist focused on enabling activist communities through innovative uses of technology. Through projects such as New American Sweatshop, Future Satellite, and Weather Center for the Apocalypse she uses accessible technologies to develop the critical awareness of technological systems.

    Imagine a future where the American dollar is worthless. To rebuild the economy, citizens must use the only resource available: decades of post-consumer waste. With no way to afford expensive international electronics, they sift through products that have been subject to planned obsolescence for the possibility of working parts. The goal is to build a new communications infrastructure that is community-controlled and far from the prying eyes of any government.

    The New American Sweatshop manifests itself as an installation that models a functioning manufacturing plant. It relies on intern labor to hand-build semi-functioning prototypes of what our technology could look like in the future. All supplies, furniture, and uniforms are created from local salvaged goods.

    BIG Maker is a free public discussion series presented by Burlington Generator with support from the City of Burlington, Burlington Telecom, Vermont Community Access Media, and Designbook
                                                                                                                                                                

    The Laboratory for What’s Possible:
    A Free Workshop with Artist/Inventor Amelia Marzec
    Wednesday, Sept. 27 I 3:00 to 4:00 pm

    Generator, 40 Sears Lane

    With our uncertain political future, how can we take communications into our own hands and be independent of the international supply chain? The Laboratory for What’s Possible is a project to share knowledge on reclaiming electronic waste and to discover possibilities existing in our cast-off items that can keep our communities connected.

    Visiting Artist/Inventor Amelia Marzec leads this hands-on, public workshop that has participants taking a fresh look at electronics components, and reimagining those into new forms and functionality.

    Free Admission.  Registration is required.
    Limit: 15 participants

  • Hop Over to Generator

    Hop Over to Generator

    Art Hop at Generator

    Generator’s open hours for Art Hop Weekend:

    September 8th – 5pm-10pm
    September 9th – 11am-7pm
    September 10th – 12pm-4pm

    Come meet the makers! Generator is composed of creatives with different backgrounds, interests, and goals. Every member has a different story to tell. Generator is hosting demonstrations, tours, a maker market, and art exhibit for Art Hop weekend.

    Activities include-

    Maker Market: ALL WEEKEND

    Food Truck– Southern Smoke: Saturday and Sunday

    Photo Booth– 802DJ: ALL WEEKEND

    Drone Demos– Stever Mermelstein: ALL WEEKEND

    Bike Demos– Robert Devlin: ALL WEEKEND

    Laser Etched Dog Tags– Brook Martenis: Friday 5-8pm

    Music Visualization– Leif Hunneman & DJ Gabriel Night: Friday 7-10pm

    t-shirt hack– Karen Freeman: Saturday ALL DAY

    Laser Cut Flutes– Brian Merrill: Saturday 11-3pm

    Lab B Soldering Workshop: Saturday 11-3pm

    Giant Spirograph– Jake Blend: Sunday ALL DAY

    Natural Dyeing: Bundle Dyeing with Flowers- Adriana Lentrichia: Sunday 12-2pm

    Laser Cut Wood Hinge– Jean Cherouney: Sunday 12-4pm

     


    Generator Tours– Hop in on one of our scheduled tours for a walk through of our studios and Generator fun facts.

    Friday 7pm
    Saturday 11am
    Saturday 3pm
    Sunday 4pm