Community News

The Art Scene @ CNY Arts Center is thrilled to announce the winner of its recent $5,000 mural contest!

Monique Harrison, a talented local artist, was chosen from a pool of impressive entries by a distinguished panel of judges.

Monique's winning design, titled “COLLABORATION OF THE ARTS," will be prominently displayed on the Cayuga Street side of the Art Scene @ CNY Arts Center. The mural will a 9’ by 9’ display painted on the brick. After selecting the piece, it was observed by one of the judges, that the objects in the art depicted images that will coordinate with the current signage being made for the building and that some of those images will be created out of the same material to make it become part of the wall of art.

"We were incredibly impressed by the creativity and talent displayed in all the contest entries," said Bonnie McClellan, Interim Executive Director at the CNY Arts Center. “Monique's design truly stood out for its use of vibrant colors and use of incorporation of all the arts in one design, it sends a message. We believe this mural will be a wonderful addition to our arts center and a source of pride for the entire Fulton community. This was a tough decision for the judges and their different views made it more challenging and being completely anonymous, they didn’t know who submitted which piece of art until the final one was selected.  We hope to be able to raise funding for Future Murals within and out of the building, and perhaps the community.  We have a few pieces of art work in the community and would love to make the city a place to come visit visual arts as well as everything else The Art Scene has to offer.”

Monique Harrison is a young inspiring artist that enjoys creating art that people will enjoy, she submitted several works of art, two of hers were selected as they narrowed it down, this particular one she painted with acrylic paint proportionate to the size given to contestants.  Her work was inspired by a well-known artist Kr8.   She has exhibited work at local art shows, and at the Art Scene. She is excited to see her vision come to life on the walls of the CNY Arts Center.

"I am honored to have been selected as the winner of this contest," said Ms. Harrison. "I am passionate about creating art that inspires and uplifts others, and I believe this mural will do just that. I am grateful to the CNY Arts Center for providing this opportunity to showcase my work and contribute to the cultural vibrancy of Fulton."

The Art Scene plans to unveil the completed mural to the public with a special ceremony in August, along with a new grand opening of the newly renovated Art Scene.   The ceremony will include remarks from the Board of Directors, Artist and Interim Executive Director and Special Guest Speakers as well as refreshments. The event will be free and open to the public.

"We encourage everyone to come out and celebrate the arts with us," said Bonnie McClellan. "This mural is a testament to the power of art to bring people together and beautify our community."