Happy New Year 2023

February 5, 2023January 14, 2024
by Jeff Mihalyo

Hello from Mihalyo Studios. I hope this message finds you well.
Below are some activities that have kept me occupied recently.

The Clatsop-Nehalem Mural Restoration
For the last four months I have been working on a large scale mural restoration project for the Clatsop-Nehalem tribes of Northwest Oregon. This 600sf public-art mural was originally created in 2008 by Roger Cooke (1942-2012) who painted more than 60 murals across the country. Many in Oregon State. In 2021 the mural was damaged in a car accident and removed from the wall on which it resides in downtown Seaside and shipped to Seattle for repairs.

An article about the project written in June 2022 can be read at The Seaside Signal HERE

Interior view of mural restoration job site.

Nearly every inch of this mural needed repairs.
The substrate is Aluminum Composite Material (or Dibond). It is a relatively new product on the market and requires specialty products to repair damaged material. In this case each panel had metal corrosion on both sides, as well as dents, scratches, graffiti and holes. I developed experiments and solutions for each step of the restoration process with the goal of extending the life of the mural another 15-20 years.

Detail section of portrait restoration process (before and after).

Roger Cooke worked with color differently to my studio practice. His use of black mixed into every color was masterful. While restoring his mural I was surprised how effective and efficient his color work was. It has been ten years since his passing and he has a new student in me.

This mural returns to its original location on the Ace Hardware building in Seaside Oregon at Broadway and Holliday Dr. in the spring of 2023. Donations towards the project can be made at their GoFundMe page HERE and will help with installation and ongoing maintenance.

Our last public viewing in Seattle before delivery to Seaside will be held on Saturday Feb 18th, 2023. 2-6pm.
Location:
119 Prefontaine Pl. S,
Seattle WA 98104

The Mannequin Returns

In 2014 I was commissioned to paint a mannequin for a collector. Later it was placed in storage and eventually acquired by someone with another storage unit.
One day a received a call and was asked if I wanted it back. I did. Although scratched and dirty, I spent some time repairing it and added a few new details. It is difficult to find full body mannequins in good shape these days. I’ve had a lot of fun placing this mannequin in various locations and scenes.

Oh, the places we will go. Maybe even the carpool lane.

SeArtNow

In July of 2022 a web based project I’ve been working on titled SeArtNow went live.

SeArtNow logo

SeArtNow.com includes current listings, exhibitions and maps of the regional arts community in Puget Sound. This is a one stop place to find your way around the visual art scene there.

The Seattle Art Dealers Association facilitates the project and hired me to build and maintain it monthly. My focus is on backend and publishing operations as all design-work was established when I came onboard. Plans for expansion are underway. Its a challenging project with many participants and lots of potential. For me this project is a culmination of decades building and maintaining web sites for art galleries and artists in the Puget Sound area.

Happy Lunar New Year of the (Water) Rabbit.
Stay safe out there.

Jeff

Mural

The Lighthouse Roasters Mural

June 28, 2020June 28, 2020
by Jeff Mihalyo

In June of 2020 I completed and installed a mural for Lighthouse Roasters in Seattle located at 400 N 43rd St, in Seattle.

During the Covid19 pandemic the business requested artistic signage to adorn their facade while they partially re-open to the public.

light house sketch sketchbook drawing 8.5x5.5 — light house sketch sketchbook drawing 8.5×5.5

The process started with sketchbook drawings. The final design was later scaled-up to the full size panels using roll paper. Once fully drafted, I traced the image backwards and pressure-transferred the drawings onto the final surface in my studio.

Lighthouse drawing graphite on paper 30 x 156 inches

Utilizing traditional painting methods I rendered the image freehand in sections but took care to color match each panel to the next.

Mural in progress Studio view acrylic on panel 30 x 156 inches — Mural in progress – studio view, acrylic on panel, 30 x 156 inches

The first panel installed included signage as the business was open with limited hours. The verbiage requested asked customers to Social Distance, to wear a mask and preferred that they perform card transactions. I made light of bank card aesthetics with type and effects using silver paint and the company logo as the chip hologram.

I delivered the centerpiece and final small panel a week later. The imagery relates to the company name “Lighthouse” and their core business of delivering coffee shots and bags of whole beans or grounds

The Lighthouse Mural, acrylic on panel, 30 x 156 inches, 2020

Humans of all colors casually soak in individual cups of coffee and are tied with payer flags to an uprooted lighthouse floating in the sky. In the distance are mountains of lighthouse labeled bags jutting out of an island of coffee beans.

Coffee Bean Island (detail), acrylic on panel, 30 x 24 inches. 2020

The total width of the mural is just under 13 feet and fills nearly half the hight of the storefront windows. The colors used were intentionally selected to match those of the building. The sectional panels are designed so if the signage needs to be changed in the future, that it can be done so with relative ease.

The mural is visible from across the street or from passing vehicles on the corner of North 43rd and Phinney Ave. North in Seattle’s upper Fremont neighborhood.

Exhibitions

15 openings in 15 weeks

July 18, 2016May 3, 2021
by Jeff Mihalyo

Thank you!

As my Abstract Alternatives show at Dendroica Gallery in Seattle comes to a close this week I would like to thank all those who made it a success. Especially proprietor Martha Dunham, writer Russell Smith, PR-man Steven Vroom, and writer Elisa Mader for her review in Cincinnati’s arts publication AEQAI.

http://aeqai.com/main/2016/04/the-formal-behind-the-surreal-abstract-alternatives-jeff-mihalyo-dendroica-gallery/

During the next week I open three more shows.

On Thursday May 12, The Center on Contemporary Art (CoCA) presents artists working with augmented reality in a show titled CoCA Pop-Up (AR)t. My contribution in this group show is a AR version of my painting Suitors. A companion book has been published including all the work from the show and is available for $20 from their web site.
http://www.cocaseattle.org/exhibitions/current/coca-pop-art/

Opening in Astoria Oregon on Saturday May 14 at RiverSea Gallery is a solo presentation titled East is West. The oil paintings are a collection of new and older works that span 15 years. I was invited to show at RiverSea as one of the artist who worked on the mural restoration of the landmark Astoria Column.
http://riverseagallery.squarespace.com

On Thursday May 19, Black Lab Gallery in Everett presents a group show curated by Anne Grgich titled Archaelogies of the Extraordinary Everyday. Black Lab Gallery is Everett’s newest art spot. Recently I presented travel photography for their two-month inaugural exhibit which closes this weekend as well.
http://blacklabonlinegallery.com/

For me these three exhibits will end the streak of 15 opening in as many weeks. The show storm was a challenging run that also put me in the hospital with stress related symptoms. My health is fine yet I discovered my limits. Although I have a few more shows opening in the year ahead, I will look forward to a change of pace in the coming months. My next missive in early August will announce my inclusion with a special exhibition of European Visionary artists.
Thank you for your participation in my newsletter’s mailing list.
Have a great summer!

Mihalyo

The year of the Fire Monkey provides good inspiration…

March 3, 2016January 14, 2024
by Jeff Mihalyo

Enzyme Magazine and OK Hotel Mural — The cover of Enzyme Arts Magazine – issue one, and a selection of the OK Hotel bar mural

So far it¹s a year characterized by a rolling series of deadlines. The events listed bellow is a sap-shot of the last 10 days.

My six foot painting “Pyramid” was on the cover of the fist issue of Enzyme Arts Magazine and coincides with a nine page article about my work and studio practice. The magazine is available as a download and print-on-demand.

The original 20-foot OK Hotel bar mural was installed at the Royal Room for the OK Hotel Family Reunion. The event celebrated the venue’s cultural legacy by compressing fifteen years of Seattle music history into four days. The OK Hotel closed in 2001 due to the Nisquallie earthquake, but the reunion drew people from around the country to attend and/or play music at something like a high school reunion for Seattle’s Grunge era. Many recordings are already available on Youtube.

Giant Steps publicity graphic and competition submission for$10k award.

So far it¹s a year characterized by a rolling series of deadlines. The events listed bellow My submission to deploy Nitinol (memory metal) structures resembling mid-century modern architecture in a cul-d-sac arrangement for Giant Steps opens March 3rd at Seattle¹s King Street Station. The exhibition is also a competition for an artist residency on the moon. Fifty artists/artist groups compete for $10k and will be selected by a committee of scientists. Winner announced at the opening. More info at http://www.giantsteps.space

COCA and Beard Video — COCA 35Live member show with beard video.

I will be presenting a selection from my Beard Video project in three locations with Seattle¹s Center on Contemporary Art (COCA). Also opening March 3rd. COCA 35 Live is an exhibit in three locations celebrating 35 years of contemporary art with a member show including 185 artists. More info at: http://www.cocaseattle.org/

Next up:
My unconventional travel photography including image-manipulations, composite photography, and in-camera effects will be included at Black Lab Gallery’s inaugural group exhibit opening March 17th. More info at: http://www.blacklabonlinegallery.com/

A new body of abstract drawings will be on display at Dendroica Gallery opening April 14th. More info at: http://dendroica.gallery/