“EXPLOSIVE NATURE #4”
SOUTHBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS
“In June of last year, I had the opportunity to paint a large mural in the city of Southbridge, MA. I learned the interesting dynamics of this old mill town with a lot of pride for its past. Over the years, Southbridge has seen a lot of changes, one of those changes was my large-scale mural in the center of town. At first, some residents were hesitant to engage with me at the wall because I was painting over an older mural that had been up for 40 years. Unfortunately, the original mural was in poor shape, it had not been taken care of and it needed an upgrade.”
“Change is inevitable in communities over time, but these changes can have a conscious approach to its current time, and this mural proposes new alternatives to the vision of their town. There is now a resilient community that strives for a brighter future, and bringing colorful, expressive public art is a small contribution to Southbridge's evolving social urban landscape.
Many thanks to the town of Southbridge. The McCarthy family, my assistant Ezenxia, and everyone involved in this project.”
-Felipe Ortiz
Charlton Villager
Muralist aims to ‘add some color to the community’
“The project is part of this year’s Urban Agenda grant, which is also fundinga weekly series of concerts on Fridays and Saturdays through mid-June at the relatively new pedestrian plaza there. The series has so far been eclectic.
According to Ortiz, the new mural will become something emphasizing the town’s ecology – ‘a vibrant, colorful abstract background with a more detailed foreground of the flora and fauna of the area. I want to include everyone and make it a great backdrop for community events there,” he said. “I hope I get to connect with a lot of the residents and bring some joy, add some color to the community.’