MURAL “Artemis Emerging from the Quarry” by Gaia
MEDITATION by Shawn Harrison
MUSIC “Bilancia II” by Jeff Mercel
International mural artist Gaia, based in Baltimore, depicted the ancient Greek goddess Artemis ascending from a limestone quarry with a skyline of New York City on the horizon and a Corinthian crown on her head. The mural references Kingston’s proximity to the natural resources that helped build New York; the process of resource exploitation as a defiling of Mother Earth; and marble and limestone used for architectural embellishments in early Neoclassical revival / Georgian style architecture. The statue represents Mother Earth and is a Hellenistic/ Roman reference to the celebration of democracy in early United States history.
- 82 Crown St., Kingston, NY 12401, USA
Gaia
Gaia grew up in New York City and is a 2011 graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art with a Bachelor in Fine Arts. His studio work, installations and gallery projects have been exhibited throughout the world most notably The Baltimore Museum of Art, Rice Gallery in Houston, the Palazzo Collicola Arti Visive in Spoleto and the Civil and Human Rights Museum in Atlanta. His street work has been documented and featured in several books on urban art, including Beyond the Street: The 100 Leading Figures in Urban Art, (Berlin, 2010) and Outdoor Gallery (New York, 2014). Gaia was listed as a 2015 Forbes 30 Under 30 in Art and Style recipient in Art and Style and was a Fullbright beneficiary to study and paint in New Delhi and Bogotá on behalf of the State Department. In addition to a prolific and precocious artistic practice, Gaia has curated projects funded by the National Endowment for the arts, and consults with brands, organizations and government agencies on creative place-making projects. Gaia lives and works in Baltimore, Maryland, but spends a majority of his time painting murals across the world and has produced works in all six habitable continents.
Shawn Harrison
Shawn teaches yoga and meditation throughout the Hudson Valley. She created Mudita Yoga Lab in Kingston, NY 10 years ago. Shawn is interested in self-awareness rather self-improvement. She brings this spacious attitude to all her classes, offering an opportunity for exploration and discovery through the practice of yoga and meditation. Her classes focus on breath, mindfulness and loving-kindness.