Fall Artist in Residence: M.E.V. Franasiak
M.E.V. Franasiak at the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine
This fall, Artist in Residence M.E.V. Franasiak will work with visitors to build a monstrous creature with feathers and scales to encourage, befriend, and embrace our inner friendly monster selves. Utilizing recycled materials, M.E.V. Franasiak invites visitors to assist in designing, painting, drawing, working with fiber, and sculpting a wearable monster costume/puppet.
MakerSpace Visit Schedule
There are three opportunities to create with M.E.V. Franasiak:
Wednesday, September 27, 2023, 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Thursday, September 28, 2023, 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Friday, September 29, 2023, 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Location: MakerSpace, 2nd Floor
Included with Admission.
Afterschool Experiences: Monster Makers: Ages 5 -7
M.E.V. Franasiak will also help lead the upcoming Afterschool Experience: Monster Makers program! This multi-week drop-off program meets weekly on Wednesdays at 3:45 - 5:15 pm, September 27 - November 1.
Program Description: Use unique art techniques to make friendly big and small monsters come alive. Work alongside an Artist in Residence to create a 3D feathery monster sculpture, learn printmaking to design monster friends, harness the sun to make cyanotypes that look like monster footprints, and more! As we make, we will create stories about our monsters, learn what they are afraid of and how we can befriend them.
Registration required. Learn more here:
ABOUT M.E.V. FRANASIAK
“Drawing, as an art form and a concept, is a large force in my work due to its directness and mutability. I question the importance of boundaries that are drawn between seemingly opposed concepts, such as human and creature, audience and stage, real and imagined. I attempt to disrupt these notions to reinvigorate our perceptions of the world and our sense of compassion for ourselves and others.”
A Word From The Artist
When asked about their work, inspiration, and methodologies, M.E.V. Franasiak had this to share:
"My work is generated from a pursuit of understanding, much like the struggle that Camus describes in his writings on absurdism: the search for meaning in an incomprehensible world.
I do not have a pre-prescribed plan of what a costumed character will look or act like, but through working by hand, their various qualities and ambitions emerge. I look towards theatre and puppetry -- as well as writing -- for inspiration, performing occasionally at the Puppet Slam at Mayo Street Arts.
Drawing, as an art form and a concept, is a large force in my work due to its directness and mutability. I question the importance of boundaries that are drawn between seemingly opposed concepts, such as human and creature, audience and stage, real and imagined. I attempt to disrupt these notions to reinvigorate our perceptions of the world and our sense of compassion for ourselves and others.
Through this approach, I strongly believe that everyone can benefit by creating and I am thrilled to collaborate with visitors at CMTM!"
M.E.V. Franasiak Bio
M.E.V. Franasiak is a mixed media artist living and working in Portland, ME. They earned their BFA in Painting from Boston University (2010) and their MFA from Maine College of Art (2017). Franasiak brings together a variety of art processes to create drawings, paintings, comics, costumes, and performances that concern the topics of mental health and the pursuit of understanding. Theatre is a prominent aspect to their artwork; they have created puppets and costumes for two plays at CMTM, The Girl Who Swallowed A Cactus and Dragons Love Tacos, respectively. Franasiak has collaborated with and provided instruction for a variety of artists, including but not limited to K-8 students at Spring Harbor Hospital, adults with disabilities, and adults in continuing education.
Website: www.mevf.me
Instagram: @oh_sweet_beast