Gibbs Rounsavall loved the idea of painting a large-scale mural in Shelby Park and doing something positive for this southeast downtown community. What he didn’t expect was how the neighborhood would return the favor.
“The experience of working in public for an extended period of time has really changed me and made me realize more than ever how art can be impactful and beneficial,” says Rounsavall, a Louisville-based artist who is most recognized for his abstract enamel paintings exploring movement through pattern and color.
“I have had many conversations with different people, but one conversation really took the wind out of me,” he continues. “I was stopped by a women who wanted to compliment the piece and tell me how much she felt the neighborhood needed what I was doing. She continued by explaining that her only son was shot and killed just a few blocks from where I was working a week prior to my beginning the mural and that this neighborhood desperately needed something positive like this.”
The idea that art heals is not new; nor is the idea that art inspires and creates beauty and conversation. However, it’s art’s ability to refresh and revitalize neighborhoods, which often gets overlooked.
“The creative arts are often considered to be at the periphery of the community development process and only a minor player in regenerating neighborhoods,” says Ben Terry, Creative Director of Access Ventures based in Shelby Park. “We believe that the cultivation of smart, skilled, conceptually rich and beautiful art is essential for the health and development of individuals and communities. We are using colorful, large-scale murals that honor the neighborhood to help beautify Shelby Park and demonstrate the restorative power of art in communities. We believe art helps spark conversations and engagement amongst people in the community.”
Rounsavall’s mural is the third and latest project commissioned by Access Ventures. It’s strategically located at the busy intersection of E. Oak and S. Shelby Street on a building that is being renovated to become Scarlet’s Bakery. (The bakery is a project of Scarlet Hope, a Christian-based nonprofit organization that acts as a support group for women who are attempting to leave the adult entertainment industry.)
Each commissioned mural in Shelby Park differs from each other since they’re produced by individuals with unique creative visions. However, the murals are connected by the theme “Building Something Bigger than Ourselves” that emerged from a poll of several neighborhood leaders and the neighborhood association.
An Artist & Teacher
Those who know Rounsavall weren’t surprised to hear he took on such a lofty project. Rounsavall trained as a commercial illustrator, earning his BFA from Washington University in St. Louis and his MAT in Art Education from the University of Louisville. Currently, he is also Chair of the Arts Department at Fairdale High School (1001 Fairdale Rd.) in Southwest Louisville where he received the “2011 Most Influential Teacher” award via student nomination.
“The authentic connection between Gibbs, his students, and the work his students are creating can be felt from the moment you walk into Gibbs’ classroom,” says Brad Weston, Principal, Fairdale High School. “He consistently pushes students to their limits. The pride and confidence students gain from producing a piece of art they never dreamed they had the ability to produce is invaluable. There’s no way to measure the deep and far-reaching positive impact Gibbs has on his students. He is a very talented artist and teacher.”
About four years ago Rounsavall’s classes started painting large historical art murals in the school’s hallways, which helped to not only brighten the school, but also bring the experience of art to students who might not have the opportunity to take an art class.
“Gibbs is a very dedicated art teacher. He brings a lot to Fairdale and to the public school system. The large-scale murals are incredible, and the students have such a sense of pride at the completion,” says Skylar Smith, Assistant Professor, Kentucky College of Art + Design at Spalding University. Smith considers Rounsavall an “old friend” and colleague, who participated in a show she curated called “With Child” that dealt with the effects having children has on an artists’ work.
Shelby Park Introduction
After the success of his Fairdale High School murals, it seemed only natural for Rounsavall to take-on an outdoor mural project. A friend connected Rounsavall to Terry, who recalls that their first conversation left them both wanting to work together.
The Oak Street Mural project, Terry explains, is not only an investment in the creative arts within a neighborhood, but also in the artists themselves. “We want to help bring to life the creative dreams of diverse artists,” he says.
Gibbs was the right investment because he was a Louisville local, an established artist with high-quality work and a leader in the community as a local teacher. “We believed his work would impact and honor the neighborhood while also inspiring him with a challenging creative project,” says Terry.
Rounsavall came up with an original design drawing inspiration from the neighborhood and the business going into the building. Access Ventures, in turn, provides the project’s funding, resources, coordinates volunteers to clean and prep the wall for installation and documents the work through video and photography.
“Ultimately, we try to give the artists creative freedom and ownership of the project, and we come alongside them to support their efforts in any way we can,” Terry says.
Sunshine & Shadow
Rounsavall’s 750-square-foot mural “Sunshine & Shadow” is composed of concentric circles of varying hues and values that connect and overlap. “I have always drawn inspiration for my color palettes from a variety of sources but largely from quilting and fabric designs,” says Rounsavall. “Prior to this piece, I was reading up on Amish quilts, specifically the ‘Sunshine and Shadow’ style of quilts, which are beautifully made with geometric designs and vibrant fabric. I wanted the piece to imply movement and connectivity.”
From the physical demands of dealing with Louisville’s summer weather—Rounsavall could see the shadows of the heat fumes emanating off the top of his head on the wall in front of him as he worked—to working with new materials, the mural challenged him in unexpected ways. For starters, Rounsavall was uncertain which paint would take to the brick. He chose 1-Shot Enamel Paint, an alkyd-resin (oil base) gloss enamel, typically used for exterior signage and car detailing, figuring it would withstand the elements.
The mural has also been more physically demanding than his previous projects. “I was coming from working on smaller works in my studio to this larger project, which required a fuller range of motion of my arms and upper body and turned into a workout every day,” he says. “I also learned that working in humid 90 degree weather in front of a bright white wall for eight hours creates a lot of reflected light and heat, which resulted in my developing a nice tan and dropping about 5 pounds of water weight.”
These efforts have not gone unnoticed. “I’m impressed Gibbs is taking it all on,” says Smith. “The scale, it’s large, and he is doing the whole thing by himself with no assistants. Most artists would have a few assistants on a mural that size.”
Rounsavall expresses no complaints, just gratitude for what he describes as an “amazing opportunity.”
“I love the idea of public art because it helps demystify ‘Art'”” he says. “Sometimes people become overwhelmed or intimidated once they cross the threshold of a gallery or museum. When the art is brought to them out into the street, it becomes part of their daily life where they can live with the work.”
Further, Rounsavall learned first-hand how public art has the unique ability to help refine and evolve a neighborhood’s character.
“I met many residents, and many are very positive about the mural and how it will offer a fresh perspective on their neighborhood,” he says. “This new perspective can serve as a new beginning, which sometimes could be all that stands in the way of a thriving neighborhood.”
Only time will tell if a new perspective coupled with new art can help revitalize a neighborhood. But, for artist and teacher, Gibbs Rounsavall, it was all that was needed to reinvigorate him.
