For Immediate Release July 11, 2022
Media Contact: Kate Taylor Davis | 202-321-2878 | ktdavis@pyramid-atlantic.org
(Hyattsville, MD) Muralist John Ortiz finished “The Sky’s The Limit” July 11th. This project, funded in part by The City of Hyattsville’s Corridor Investment Grant program, enlivens the Church Place alley wall of Pyramid’s facility. The former coating, a patchwork of different shades of white, has been replaced by a colorful vista that is evocative of the screenprinting process.
“I went with soothing/fresh colors, organic shapes, and drew a lot of inspiration from screenprinting. I thought about how sky’s the limit with printmaking, it’s experimental, adventurous, and there is really no limit to what you can do,” says Ortiz. Of the design, Pyramid Executive Director Kate Taylor Davis remarks, “I am excited that John’s mural speaks to what happens inside our building. It works on a couple levels, both as a vibrant landscape and also as a hint of what can be done at Pyramid. In addition to inspiring a few selfies, I hope it also inspires curiosity.”
Ortiz draws his inspiration from a love of diverse art and design. Growing up between Washington, DC and New York City, he was introduced to graffiti at a young age. His approach to the creative process, combined with a keen interest in abstract expressionism, is showcased in his mixed media art and printmaking. This style contains great movement and interaction between organic and geometric shapes. John has a studio at Pyramid Atlantic.
Ortiz was assisted in the execution of the mural by fellow artist Korey Richardson. Richardson’s artistic practice includes painting and printmaking with themes related to history, popular culture and identity. “The Sky’s The Limit” will be up for a minimum of three years. It is Davis’ hope that this side wall will rotate murals every few years to give multiple artists a giant public canvas.
ABOUT PYRAMID ATLANTIC ART CENTER (pyramidatlantic.org)
Founded in 1981, Pyramid Atlantic is a nonprofit contemporary art center fostering the creative disciplines of papermaking, printmaking, and book arts within a collaborative community. We equip, educate, and exhibit in our historic Hyattsville home. Our vision is to create an artistic hub in Hyattsville that inspires and enables local, national, and international artists to create and innovate in our core disciplines; elevates the local arts and small business scene; and enhances the quality of life for artists and neighbors. We value artistic excellence, infrastructure for artists, hands-on experiences, and collaboration.
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