ST. JOSEPH, MI — The façade of the Box Factory for the Arts on Broad Street in St. Joseph is taking flight under the artistry of Kimberly Woods. Her mural design “Birds of a Feather, Flock Together” will wrap the sides and front of the building in a colorful mix of flora and fauna.
“The design is meant to emulate the community and the arts in a vibrant and playful way,” says Kimberly. “I specifically chose origami birds to mimic the history of the Box in paper products and then evolve and take flight into something colorful and new.
I believe that the Box Factory and artists within it are what keeps the arts in St. Joseph alive and flourishing – not just the visual arts but the performing arts, the galleries, the ArtMarket and more.”
The Berrien Artist Guild at the Box Factory feels the work on the mural will be a positive visual during these unusual times. Once the COVID-19 guidelines are relaxed and the gallery hours return to normal, the mural will pull visitors in to explore what the Box has to offer. In the meantime, it will provide a backdrop for photographs by passersby.
Kimberly Wood, who works in a variety of media, has been a regular participant in the local Chalk the Block events. As an international street artist, she has participated in festivals in many states including the Coloured Earth Festival in Halifax, England and the Sarasota Chalk Festival in Florida.
Kimberly has helped create murals in North Dakota and Minnesota. The most recent mural in Breckenridge, MN was awarded the Arts Legacy City designation, one of only 9 cities to receive the designation. Her work has been entered in Box Factory exhibits and can be viewed on her website at www.TheSeventhStudio.com. A graduate of Grand Valley State University, she is a full time Commercial Design instructor at Van Buren Tech Center in Lawrence, MI.
The mural is being underwritten by a grant from the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts which has been matched by members and friends of the Berrien Artist Guild. Scaffolding and lift are being donated to the project by Giannola Construction Services.
For more on the mural project, contact the Box Factory at board@boxfactoryforthearts.org or visit the Box online at www.boxfactoryforthearts.org or on Facebook.