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Artists Turn Pianos Into Masterpieces for World Music Day


York Art Association’s Plein Air Piano Project will meld music with the visual arts when creatively painted pianos are installed throughout downtown York to be played by the public beginning on June 21, Make Music Day until September 30, 2023. The event is aligned with World Music Day, an international event that celebrates the gift of music and its ability to unite people of every culture and background.


Four regional artists were selected to paint the pianos in early June after York Art Association issued a call for design proposals. They are Brett Greiman, Annelise Vuono, Amelia Mellberg, and Derek Henry. The artists are now working hard, turning the donated and unwanted pianos into masterpieces. The public will paint a fifth piano during a community art project on World Music Day.


Learn more about the artist below:


Amelia Mellberg

Piano Sponsor: UPMC Pinnacle

Amelia Mellberg is an illustrator & designer based in Lancaster, PA. She earned her BFA in illustration from PA College of Art & Design. Using a variety of media she creates work that is vibrant, whimsical and evokes a sense of childlike wonder. If she is not creating she is hanging with her dog, Sebastian!


About the design: I'd love to create a piano design that is reminiscent of scratch art sheets with an abstract line design inspired by an ECG reading. The ECG ties the sponsor UPMC Pinnacle to the piano. In the design, the waves are similar to an ECG but are abstract enough so that they could also be read by the viewer as the musical vibes being created / emitting from the pianists when they play or vibes to draw players towards the piano to enjoy. Color wise the bright rainbow of color peaking through catches the eye and draws a viewer in.


How to connect with Amelia!

Website: https://www.ameliamellberg.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amelia.mellberg.arts

Instagram: @amelia.mellberg.arts

Twitter:@amelia.mellberg.arts

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ameliamellberg?_t=8ccBSR725Ag&_r=1

 

Annelise Vuono

Piano Sponsor: Appell Center for the Performing Arts

Annelise's style is characterized by figurative elements within abstract environments. Her paintings in particular feature strong color schemes and an emotional presence. Originally based out of Central Pennsylvania, Annelise is the daughter of an art educator and designer. She began drawing at a young age finding inspiration from fantasy films, music, graphic novels, and nature. Later, she graduated with a BFA from Pennsylvania College of Art and Design. Annelise has been working for years in various visual art fields and participates in gallery showings yearly. Her work has been published in books and magazines, and featured among athletic and fashion venues. In addition to creating art, Annelise has a passion for community involvement, including volunteering, educating, and raising awareness for the arts. In recent years she has shifted her focus almost solely to mural installations and other forms of public art.

About the design: The Appell Center is near and dear to my heart as I frequent (mainly musical) events there. The theater was built in the 1920s and has strong nods to the Art Deco architecture of that Era. The inspiration for my piano design is ritzy, 1920s nightlife as I believe the theater has carried on elements of that over the past century of operation.


How to connect with Annelise!

Website: https://www.lovebugillustrations.com/

Facebook: Lovebug Illustrations by Annelise

Instagram: @anndope

 

Brett Greiman:

Piano Sponsor: Explore York

Brett Greiman, a graduate of the York Academy of Arts, is a muralist, illustrator, graphic designer, educator, and painter. He is a Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Arts in Education Artist in Residence teaching at schools, senior centers, and arts groups. He also taught for well over a decade at Bradley Academy for the Visual Arts as an adjunct professor of graphic design. His popular Dynamic Acrylic painting class at York Art Assoc. and Myerberg Center of Baltimore is offered throughout the year. He currently works in both conventional and digital mediums in his business “Brett Greiman Design”.


Brett’s paintings can be found in both private and corporate collections. Corporate collections include Wellspan Health, Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center, Harley Davidson, Junior Achievement of Central PA, Nixon Nature Center, Mulberry Art Studios, Bella Italia restaurant of Gettysburg and York History Center where his large triptych “Civil Rights Heroes, Barrier Breakers” has been inducted into the center’s permanent collection.


His works have received much recognition over the years. Barnes Foundation CEO, Kimberly Camp, juror for the 2004 Yorkfest juried exhibition, awarded Brett the “Best of Show” award for the exhibit. That painting was then selected in 2006 as the featured artwork for that year’s Yorkfest. The Cultural Alliance of York County invited Brett to exhibit at the Governor’s Awards for the Arts in 2010 and designated him as one of the county’s foremost artists. York Sunday News editor and historian Jim McClure wrote of Brett, “Brett Greiman is a York artist who history will remember”. In 2002, York mayor John Brenner awarded Brett the York Public Arts Award in recognition of his creative contributions to the York community. Several years later, he shared that recognition again with two other artists in honor of the trio’s work to revive Yorkfest. Brett has illustrated many children’s books with one of them now having worldwide sales in excess of one half million including its Spanish language version.


Brett is a lifelong resident of York County along with wife, Nina and lives and works in his York Township home and studio.


About the design: Title of my design is "Windsongs". One of my favorite places is the York County Heritage Rail Trail. When biking the trail I'm in touch with the sights, sounds, and scents of the trail that nature offers. In my design, "Windsongs" I've taken inspiration from all that the trail offers. In addition to the varied wildlife, the experience of the trail also brings the visitor in touch with the weather and all its changes. Beyond that, I've added a touch of York County history with the Hanover Junction building featured on one side and the Gladfelter homestead featured on the other.


How to connect with Brett!

Website: https://brettsart117.wixsite.com/brett-greiman

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrettGreimanDesign

 

Derek Henry

Piano Sponsor: Royal Square Development and Construction & The Parliament Art Organization featuring Royal Square District Merchants

My name's Derek Henry. I'm a visual artist and musician from Mechanicsburg, PA. I enjoy drawing/painting surrealist scenes with moody and thought-provoking imagery. I'm also in an alternative rock band called Observe the 93rd.



About the design: The concept for this project will be based on Eternalism, which theorizes that the past, present, and future exist simultaneously. I'll be using ghost and ufo imagery as visual metaphors for the past and future. Given that this will be painted on a piano, I think I'll call this piece Keyternalism.


How to connect with Derek!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derek.henry.988?mibextid=ZbWKwL

 








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