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kyle holbrook
Kyle Holbrook opened KH Design Studio in 2002 producing art in various media. The studio has since expanded to offer graphic design, logo design, web site design, photography and videography, music, portraiture, fashion design, entertainment art such as face painting and caricatures, and public art. KH Designs most visible contributions to community art are the striking outdoor murals for which Holbrook is known, not only in Pittsburgh but also around the world (including Brazil and Haiti with plans for China this year). KH Designs unique structure is project-driven, adding as needed to a core group of artists, administrators, and educators. One of Holbrooks trademarks is the inclusion of local people and historical events in his murals, making the creation of art both educational and inspirational. Holbrook and KH Design established the MLK Mural Arts Project and have been involved in painting more than 200 murals in and around Pittsburgh; each is a point of neighborhood pride. In their work with KH Design, young people acquire new art, work, and life skills as well as increased respect and appreciation for self, other, and community. Some have gone on to successful college studies and careers in the arts. Artists working on the projects develop not only their artistic talents but also their management and leadership skills. Job training and much needed employment are also important benefits to our participants.In 2006, KH Design Studio, with Kyle Holbrook as artistic director, completed the Pittsburgh All-Star Communities Project, a community arts project in conjunction with Major League Baseballs All-Star Game. Young artists and youth from several communities in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County worked with KH Design to illustrate The History of Baseball in Pittsburgh. The project had three phases:A large scale canvas painting that was suspended from the superstructure of the Roberto Clemente Bridge. Several communities were visited with this portable canvas adding artistic contributions to the pictorial history of baseball.A trail of Major League Baseball team logos was created, starting from PNC Park through the Cultural District to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center (site of the MLB Fan Fest).Four murals showcasing a visual narrative of baseballs rich history in Pittsburgh were produced.Murals were placed at four corners of the city: North, East, South, and West.This project expanded on models successfully implemented by KH Design Studio in creating dozens of murals around Pittsburgh. The All-Star project gave the artists and visitors to the All-Star game a pictorial history of Pittsburghs professional baseball stars, including the Negro League stars of the Pittsburgh Crawfords and the Homestead Grays. At the same time, the project showcased the many youthful artistic all-stars who reside in Pittsburgh and surrounding communities. The young artist participants not only learned about local sports history, they experienced being part of a team creating monumental artistic beautification projects in their neighborhoods. Participants included neighborhood youth, local artists, and students from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and the Creative and Performing Arts High School. A booklet on the project was published to document the process, publicize its success, and serve as a testimonial to help leverage support for future community arts projectsIn 2007 Holbrook directed the Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway Community Murals Project. This half-million dollar project was the largest summer employer of youth in Pittsburgh, paying stipends to more than 100 young artists. Creating the murals involved local artists, young people, and community organizations in the most ambitious public art project ever attempted in the city (and possibly in the country). It was truly a collaborative effort supported by City and County Councils, other elected officials, local foundations, and corporations. Neighborhood groups were involved in every phase of the project from selecting sites and researching local history to designing and painting the murals. One of the most important achievements of this project was the interaction among twenty established artists and arts educators and the young, aspiring artists. The highly acclaimed results are 26 bright and beautiful murals enhancing neighborhoods along the Busway from downtown through Pittsburghs East End. Beyond the Busway, associations and friendships were forged between artists and children from across the city and county--relationships that will endure, perhaps outlasting the murals. In 2008 the Project expanded to include additional sections of the Busway and various communities. In October 2008 the MLK Mural Project held their culminating event Outside the Lines at the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Arts. Youth participants modeled wearable art that they created, performed songs that they wrote, and not only displayed their art but offered some for sale. A silent auction was held and tours were provided of the mural sites completed in and around the City. During the summer of 2008, KH Design established the MLK Arts Center (Moving the Lives of Kids Community Mural Project). Over 130 children were employed to work with paintbrushes, pairing them with over 50 established artists. The youth were dispatched to 10 different neighborhoods to produce over 20 murals total, in the name of one community with zero borders and zero boundaries. This project united kids, brought harmony to rival neighborhoods, and gave recognition to the boundless talents and skills of Pittsburgh youth. Additional modules were added to this project including music, fitness, web/video, and fashion, all with the result of getting young people involved in their community and fostering pride in their accomplishments. This project was a natural progression for Holbrook, combining his skills as an artist, educator, entrepreneur, and community activist to give artists and children positive, creative outlets for self-expression while making communities more livable for all.Holbrook and KH Design have become local fixtures as entertainment artists in festivities surrounding such events as the Steelers 2005 Super Bowl pep rally, the U.S. Open Golf Tournament, and the Penguins 2008 run for the Stanley Cup. Numerous youth and artists have been employed to provide high quality entertainment art, where they can earn up to $100 per hour producing balloon art, sidewalk chalk art, caricatures, and seasonal arts such as egg and pumpkin designs. In 2008, Holbrook and the versatile artists associated with KH Design were invited to assist with set design and stage backdrops for the Pittsburgh Civic Light Operas production of The Color Purple.Holbrook won awards from the Flux Foundation as well as Artist of the Year from the Champions Association, and was selected as a caricature artist for the Three Rivers Arts Festival. His work has been funded by the Pittsburgh Foundation, Multicultural Arts Initiative, Flux Organization, The Heinz Endowments, Pittsburgh Public Schools, Propel Charter School, the Monroeville Mall Association, and Tobacco Free Allegheny, National City Bank, Highmrak, Port Authority, GetGo, Pittsburgh Center For The Arts, Whole Foods, Hemingways, Vitamin Water, Epic Limousine, Jenesis, The Soul Pitt, Style & Steel, Maurice Falk Fund, Pittsburgh Cares, Comcast, Coca Cola, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh Pirates, Strength Incorporated, Golden Artist Colors, among many others. Major mural locations include the Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway, schools in East Hills and Northview Heights, Propel Charter School, Monroeville Mall, and locations in the Bloomfield-Garfield neighborhoods in the Pittsburgh area. He has also directed mural projects in Atlanta, GA and Brooklyn, NY. At the 2009 G-20 Summit, MLK Art Center created a mural welcoming the 22 countries involved. The MLK mural process has also been implemented in Brazil. Holbrook and associates recently traveled to Haiti to create a large mural in partnership with Albert Switzer Hospital at the entrance to the hospital. The Haiti mural project employed six artists and ten youth from Haiti. This effort was inspirational along several measures and an excellent testament to the MLK mural process. Collaborative art is rarely undertaken in Haiti due to competition among artists to earn a living and females are rarely engaged in this type of work. The Haiti project overcame these constraints by bonding artists in a common goal and employing young females to work on the murals proving that the MLK process stretches the barriers of culture and language to inspire.
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