top of page

Community centered Design & PUBLIC ART

Selected Community-centered Design Projects & Public Art installations from

Digital Art & Design Students at  

Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic, CT.

In 2006, the curator and director of the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum, Wethersfield, CT requested help in restoring the dining room walls of their historic house/museum, which had once been covered with a wallpaper/mural. Eastern Design students** recreated the original mural beginning with drawings on paper, then digitally colored, sized and prepared for output as wallpaper and professional installation (shown in this video) This project was awarded a National Association of Historic Houses Merit Award  

*Donna Baron, curator, Jennifer Eifrig, director **Student Designers: Chris Abbate, Kelly Alves, Brock Arsenault, Margaux Barlow, Jennifer Chobot Jennifer Collins, Greg Davis, Jared Ford, Christopher Kerr, Paula Kittle, Erin Kozloski, Josh Perry, Stephanie Roe, Jennifer Trubisz, Alison Wasik

In 2007 Eastern Connecticut State University design students Michelle Cunningham, Hanna Shea, Mike DeFazio and Dale DaRos were asked by Sarah Winter, clothing designer and owner of Sarah Winter Clothworks, Church Street, Willimantic, to re-envision and transform her storefront windows. Students designed suspended panels with images reflecting Clothworks' eco-friendly materials and hand-crafted process to create an engaging environment for the display of Sarah's unique clothing and accessories.

In celebration of Connecticut’s Last Green Valley’s* Annual Green Lights Project, Eastern Connecticut State University design students joined local artists to create a series of green light images for outdoor projection. Multiple interpretations of green lights were projected from the Windham Town Hall onto the facade of the Willimantic Brewing Company, Main Street, Willimantic, CT. The projection was on view in public space from February 15- March 17, dark til dawn. 

*The Last Green Valley is the 35-town National Heritage Corridor in Eastern Ct and South Central Mass. tlgv.org/

In celebration of Connecticut’s Last Green Valley’s* Annual Green Lights Initiative, Design students at Eastern Connecticut State University created a series of green light images for exhibition and projection which were installed at the Kerri Art Studio & Gallery, 861 Main Street, downtown Willimantic from 2/27-3/5, 2014.

Green light images were installed on the gallery walls and rear projected from the gallery’s storefront window, visible each night from dark til midnight. This project was sponsored by the Kerri Gallery, the Willimantic Brewing Company, Thread City Development , Inc. and the Willmantic Screen Project

*The Last Green Valley is the 35-town National Heritage Corridor in Eastern Connecticut and South/Central Massachusetts tlgv.org/

READ!! is a collaborative public art project created by art students from Eastern Connecticut State University and audio/visual students from EASTCONN's Arts at the Capitol Theater. READ!!, which celebrates books and reading, was shown on the facade of the Willimantic Public Library, Willimantic, CT for two weeks

in April 2012 from 8pm - midnight.

Selected Public Art projects from students at  Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic, CT.

Signs of the Times 2009 - a public art project created by Eastern Conn. State University students enrolled in Art 226, Public Art & the Community. Students used information gathered from the campus community to design and produce 30 metal street signs addressing a variety of issues ranging from serious comments on personal safety to playful observations about Eastern’s parking shortage. With the assistance of Eastern’s facilities crew, Signs of the Times was installed on existing sign posts throughout campus for one month. 

READ!! 2012 - a collaborative video projection for public space created by students from Eastern Connecticut State University's Art 226, Public Art & the Community, and audio/visual students from EASTCONN's Arts at the Capitol Theater. READ!! celebrated books and reading, and was shown on the facade of the Willimantic Public Library, Willimantic, CT in

April 2012 from 8pm - midnight.

Green Light 2013 - Eastern Connecticut State University design students joined local artists to create a series of green light images for outdoor projection as part of of Connecticut’s Last Green Valley’s* Annual Green Lights Initiative.  Multiple interpretations of green lights were projected onto the facade of the Willimantic Brewing Company, Main Street, Willimantic, CT. The projection was on view in public space from February 15- March 17, dark til dawn.*The Last Green Valley is the 35-town National Heritage Corridor in Eastern Connecticut and South/Central Massachusetts - tlgv.org/

Green Light 2014 - Eastern Connecticut State University design students

created a series of green light images for both exhibition and projection at the Kerri Art Studio & Gallery, 861 Main Street, downtown Willimantic, as part of of Connecticut’s Last Green Valley’s* Annual Green Lights Initiative. Green light images were installed on the gallery walls and also projected from the gallery’s storefront window, visible in public space each night from dark til midnight, 2/27-3/5, 2014. *The Last Green Valley is the 35-town National Heritage Corridor in Eastern Connecticut and South/Central Massachusetts - tlgv.org/

The Willimantic Screen Project 2011, presents "Love in a Cold Climate", an exhibition in public space about art, love and winter. Produced by June Bisantz & Harrison Judd.

Works by artists Harrison Judd, June Bisantz, Rachel Siporin, Flash Rosenberg, Sue Berg, Caroline Beasley Baker, Holly Anderson & Sev Coursen & Eastern Connecticut State University Design Group students: Kaitlin Butler, Barbara Graf, Paula Hansen, Derya Ibic, Ross Harney, Sarah Larson ,Diana Ramos, Eliza Saterlee, Trevor Shaw-Mumford and Aaron Zambarano. The Willimantic Screen Project, visible in five outdoor locations in downtown Willimantic, CT from February 11-21, 2011 - a global partner of the StreamingMuseum.org

Bus Stop Galleries 2006 Eastern Connecticut State University Art 226, Public Art & the Community students created site-specific images for bus shelters on Eastern's campus. Each design referred to its location. Images were printed on transparent outdoor cling vinyl and installed with the assistance of Eastern's Buildings and Grounds crew. Student artists in order of appearance: Krista Utke & Tim Jordan (Shafer Hall Classrooms), Alissa Morello (Library/Winthrop Hall), Jessie Marshall (Planetarium), Ashley Crispino (Health Center), Amy Purja (Child & Family Services Center) Laurie Kammer (Heating Facility) Kyle Osolin (Noble Hall Residence) Kimberly Wiknik (Sports Center). 
 

bottom of page