"Portals" by Lauren Celini

Lauren Celini, the creative behind Blur

Utility Art

Title: “Portals”

Lauren Celini is a disabled multimedia artist from Philadelphia who strives to create unifying artwork that addresses our basic need to be seen and heard. Her career as a public artist began in 2015 following a serious health issue, it was then that she began to open her work to the public.

As a long time admirer of public art, she loved how walking down the street became like walking through a museum – ever inspiring, ever-changing, ever accessible. Though the inspiration of her work stems from a very personal space, her motivation to keep creating is to have a positive impact on the communities in which she works.

Theme:

I was inspired by one of Springfield's most cherished creative mind - Dr. Seuss. As a huge fan of his work growing up, I was excited to apply to this project to incorporate his in influence on society. I thought putting murals on manhole covers in the park could be an amazing way to tap into that Dr. Seuss imagination and have it feel like you're peering into another world, and that world is his - specifically the Lorax. Art can already transport us but what if it looked like we had portals into other worlds?

Lauren Celini is the creative behind Blur. an anonymous street artist and poet based on the East Coast. Starting as a public artist in 2015, Lauren became known for iconic ‘mouth’ designs and empowering prose around Philadelphia, NYC, and Northampton Mass. "I have admired public art for as long as I remember. How walking down the street became like walking through a museum - ever inspiring, ever-changing, ever accessible. After a lifetime of creating art that stayed in my room or hung in galleries, I dove into street art and murals in the Fall of 2015".

"Though the inspiration of my work stems from very deep and personal space, my motivation to keep creating is to have a positive impact on my community. To have those who live in the community to be representing in the communities they live in. Representation matters. I want to challenge anyone who sees my work to be vulnerable, empathetic, to say what they need to say in their own lives. Most importantly, I hope to have a connection with every single passerby. I want my work to feel like home, in the cities I call home".