EVERETT, AUG. 12: The City of Everett is hosting its annual Street Tunes event this month, displaying pianos decorated by local artists in the downtown area.
The 10 commissioned pianos will be on exhibit until Thursday, Aug. 28. Community members are encouraged to enjoy the art and play the piano during daylight hours.
“The energy of the art, and the energy of the sound that comes out of the piano, that was truly magnificent,” Vincent Keele, artist of the piano, “Street Concerto No.1”, said.
Keele lives in Washington state and is renowned for his abstract and figurative art. His pieces have been showcased on television and by galleries in Massachusetts, Ohio and Seattle.
Keele’s works are inspired heavily by emotion, along with his unique process of “Rhythm Writing.” This technique combines a series of symbols from calligraphy, Japanese, and African Adinkra to create a language of feeling and movement through art.
It was both Rhythm Writing and the expressionist, feeling-based style of Keele’s art that inspired his piano. The bright blues and yellows, while being effective attention grabbers, were tools to foster deep connections and thought within those viewing the art.
“Color has a lot of energy and a lot of meaning and emotion, and I try to use colors that really resonate with people’s vibrations,” Keele said.
You can find Keele’s piano in front of the Angel of the Winds Arena on Hewitt. To learn more about Keele, see here.
Jackie Cort, the artist behind the “Tickle My Keys” piano, shares a similar sentiment about color.
Being an abstract and intuitive artist herself, color and feeling are strongly interconnected.
Although the bold colors on the piano were primarily intended to grab attention and attract younger audiences, the majority of Cort’s works incorporate elements of intense feeling and influence from her life.
“You just kind of go as you feel things, and that’s how the piano got finished,” Cort said.
In the 10 years since her piano was first shown in the Street Tunes event, Cort has become a pillar of the creative artist community. She relishes the opportunity to bring people together, teaching intuitive art classes at the Schack Art Center and working as a community activist.
“My big thing is that everybody can create something, and it definitely helps with different aspects of your life and community,” Cort said.
You can find Cort’s piano in front of the Everett Public Library on Hoyt. To see more about Cort and her art, see here.
To learn more about the Street Tunes event and where the pianos are located, see here.