MARKUS TRACY
Since 1994, Markus Tracy has been a community artist and coordinator of community mural projects throughout the United States. Markus uses his community arts experience as the foundation to inspire, promote, and plan long-term programs for nonprofit agencies, cultural institutions, and for communities at-large. These projects have helped to address neighborhood crime; rehabilitation of troubled teens; cultural diversity; environmental preservation and sustainability; and - of great importance - civic pride.
Markus believes the success of community arts occur when you explore new artistic strategies through community dialogue, social activism, and partnerships. The community artist is "civically engaged" through partnerships in the understanding and celebration of cultural diversity, socioeconomic concerns, conflict resolution, celebration of past histories, current events that help shape individual communities, and hopes for a productive and sustainable future. The outcome of these shared experiences empowers individuals and communities at-large to make positive choices fostering tolerance and respect. These relationships promote a positive outlet for artistic expression, community dialogue, access to social services, reduction of negative behavior among troubled teens, and life-skill exercises in the arts.
Many of these workshops that he offers stem as preparation to a community mural. His “Creative Awareness” workshop offers an explorative exercise using a variety of mixed media to help students associate color, line, and form to abstract states such as: emotions, psychic function, life experiences and physical touch. “Story of Metaphors” shows how two things that are not alike in most ways are similar in one important way; it's a way to describe something. In “Color Theory” students will be re-introduced to the concept of color in conversation, poetry, musical representation, and local newspapers and/or magazines. During “Enlarging an Image” students will produce a large image (4'x6') from a small image (4"x6") by drawing separate pieces of that image. The “Community Mural Workshop” begins with an open forum where every person will share their concerns and celebrations through personal photos, printed materials, story-telling, and/or spoken word. This approach will encourage dialogue that will directly relate to the planning stages of the community mural.
Grade levels: K-adult
Markus Tracy
39456 Warm Springs Drive
Palm Desert, CA 92260
phone: (702) 330.7623
e-mail: markuswtracy@gmail.com
website:https://www.markustracy.com/