ARTIST Zach Chasnoff & Simiya Sudduth
TITLE Highway Mural
LOCATION Retaining Wall Near 1410 S. 9th Street in LaSalle Park
WARD 8
FOLLOW @zachchasnoff & @spiritscapesss
MURAL LOCATION
ABOUT ZACH CHASNOFF & SIMIYA SUDDUTH
I am a long-time resident in LaSalle Park, and being active in the LaSalle Park Community Association, I have volunteered to represent our community by applying for this mural grant. I own a small commercial painting company which supports my family, in addition to creating photography and art.
Beyond my passion, my background in commercial painting makes me well equipped to undertake a large scale exterior mural project. With this grant award, I have budgeted to hire a local artist with national acclaim and extensive mural experience to provide the artistic concept and vision. I will provide the equipment, prep, and legwork while Simiya Sudduth will provide the visual narrative that will bring to life the project’s concept. I will also serve as the community liaison, relaying the history and energy of the LaSalle Park community to Simiya Sudduth, resulting in a collaborative, and community supported art piece.
Simiya Sudduth is a multidisciplinary artist and art educator. She has painted murals throughout the United States, including a 2,000 sf mural at St. Louis Lambert Airport. Her work in the 2023 Counterpublic Triennial was featured in the NYTimes and PBS NewsHour. Within her practice, she explores the concepts of healing, spirituality, social justice, visibility, the landscape, joy and beauty. Characteristics of her art include bright, bold and often fully-saturated colors, resulting in works that promote a sense of joy and collective healing. She prioritizes public facing art because of its unique power to educate and engage a larger community in ways a gallery cannot. In her words “Public artwork becomes part of public space, thus becoming art of the people”. Her motivation as an artist is to support ways that art can be a part of everyday life.
This partnering of myself, a local resident and part-time artist, serving as the voice of the community and spearheading this initiative for LaSalle Park, paired with an experienced and acclaimed artist, Simiya Sudduth, ensures that the grant funding supports local artists as well as a public art installation that is truly representative of the local community.