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Amid a Crowd of Stars Public Art Installation Project (In Need of Support)
Every year I have public art installation projects that I design and try to get funded and then install. The source for the funding of these projects is usually through: 1) community support and 2) grants. In 2021 I have a new project which involves three main works: two, neon light designs and a series of neon rope sculptures. This project is called Amid a Crowd of Stars. The installations will take place in downtown Battle Creek, Michigan. It is possible they could become permanent installations, at least the two neon light works. Now I've already designed the sketches for them and I will be working with neon light maker Mike Lacroix of Grand Rapids.
In order to complete this project I need to raise about $8,500. These costs go towards materials, the work hours that I do to create, install and deinstall them, for the independent contractor work for the neon light construction, marketing, travel and any permits. I have already received $3,900 in grant fIn order to complete this project I need to raise about $8500. I have already received $3,900 from the MCACA financial support from the MCACA (Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs) Project Grant. This MCACA grant is a matching grant, which means means I have to come up with another $3,900 in order to fulfill grant requirements. But I need to come up with $8500 anyway to complete the project. So, I have also been promised support of $1,500 from the Color of the Creek organization in Battle Creek, thanks to Justin Andert. That puts the total amount raised at $5400. So I am $3100 short of this project being completed. I need your help!
I’m attaching three pictures of the proto-types or sketches of what these works will look like once completed. The two neon light works are sketches I created, and the neon rope picture is a prototype that I actually put together in the woods at Riverside Park in Battle Creek.
Any donation you can make would be great. You can make it through this site by clicking Donate or Support. You can also send me an email (tramo75@gmail.com) and we can talk about any method that you're comfortable with. Thank you so much for your support and, if you can't financial support, I hope that you will follow this project and maybe share this post with anyone that you think might be interested in supporting.
New Painting Giveaway!
First ever GIVEAWAY! To enter, subscribe now with your email (below). I’ll then draw a winner of this new work on HALLOWEEN NIGHT! I dress up and do a live drawing that night! Subscribing by email then gives you first look access at some of my new works.
It’s Never What You Think It’s Going to Be (2021)
Troy Ramos
Acrylic on Paper
11 X 17
ARTIST'S "ROADKILL PROJECT" CREATES NEW WORKS DURING PANDEMIC
“The majestic mountaintop, brilliant with snow, is you yourself when you contemplate it,” says artist Troy Ramos, directly quoting one of his favorite writings by the buddhist guru Thich That Hanh. He continues, “Its existence depends on your awareness. When you close your eyes, as long as you’re mind is present, the mountain is there. Sitting in meditation, with several sense-windows closed, you feel the presence of the whole universe. Why? Because the mind is there. If your eyes are closed, it is so that you can see better. The sights and sounds of the world are not your enemies. Your enemy is forgetfulness, the absence of mindfulness.”
On the eve of his new project titled the “Roadkill Project”, artist Troy Ramos offers this profound quote of Thich Nha Hanh as he reflects on the current Covid pandemic and how it relates not just to his artistic undertaking on the road, but to how we all might find a path back or forward to a world we can feel comfortable with and happy in. “One of the reasons I like to think about this particular Hanh quote is that, when he talks about how the mountain is still there whether we’re aware of it or not, it applies in the current pandemic situation because it makes me realize that whichever way of life we desire, whichever way of life we think we need, that life is always there, too. Yes there might be adjustments that have to be made now. But it’s there. It’s always there. And so I think doing this Roadkill Project, at least in significant part, has to do with that idea; it’s an attempt to remind people that, using my life, which consists of a devotion to artistic projects and platforms, podcasting, connecting with the earth and with people and with traveling and exploration, all that stuff is still there. It never went away. You just have to decide what you want to do.”
Ramos is an artist based in Michigan and has spent many years living around the US and abroad. He said traveling was an important part of this project because putting yourself in different situations creates different results for projects and podcast ideas. The basic idea of his project is to travel to familiar and unfamiliar cities over a period of time in order to produce art, music and podcast episodes which emanate from those experiences and states of mind.
Artist and Podcaster Troy Ramos
“Where are you physically place yourself has a huge impact on the things you create. To take another Hanh quote: It is of no use to sit in a peaceful forest when your mind is lost in the city,’” says Ramos. “Inserting yourself into different physical spaces creates the opportunity for different types of inspiration, different perspectives and different connections which all go into creating the work and affecting it at the same time.”
For Ramos there are three essential pillars to his work and, therefore, this project: creating art works, creating music and doing live podcasts. He’s an award-winning artist who has received numerous grants and commissions over the last several years. Some of his most notable awards include grants from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and a large ArtPrize award which was essentially a commission for a new sound and light installation at ArtPrize 2018 titled Sound Space.
“Those two particular awards have been pretty significant in terms of being able to have the support needed to create works and move further down this creative path,” says Ramos. “The ArtPrize award is really sort of put me on the map in terms of being connected to different artistic institutions and future financial support. And the MCACA award, which happened just this year, ended up being significant in terms of artistic content because it allowed me the chance to fuse together a lot of different elements I have been working on over the years. So this new direction that I’m taking, particularly the combination of paintings and light design together on canvas, has really pushed my work forward.”
Work #199 by artist Troy Ramos (2020)
What most people don’t know about Ramos’s work is that the artistic world actually came after a very formal training in sound design and music composition.He studied music composition at Western Michigan University and then went on to earn an MA in Music Composition from the University of York and England in 2008. “ Even though my musical studies were invaluable and I thoroughly enjoyed the years I spent absorbed and sound, sometimes we do things that end up not being the actual path we’re supposed to be on. It was quite an easy transition comfortable transition to the art world. Once I had moved into artistic spaces it actually starting to dawn on me that I had been doing artistic things my whole life. It brought back memories of shooting countless hours of video when I was young. There was no direction there. But the interest in creating VisualWorks was clearly there. So, in a way, all of my work is connected and related. After all, we’re each of us really just an aggregate of all our days anyway, aren’t we?,” Ramos said.”
While studying music his main instrument was piano. So a lot of the sound works, even if approached from a very artistic and conceptual manner, are heavy with piano sounds. “The piano is still very close to me. I feel the most confident with that instrument, for sure. And so on this Roadkill Project I thought it was a good idea to reconnect with the idea of possibly creating another all piano work. This will be the first one since 2017.” His last or panel album was titled 12 cab stars and, according to Ramos, was his most successful sound project he’s had to date. “It’s hard to define the word success for an artistic project, it’s also subjective. But I really found that I connected with something on that project. And for what it’s worth, I feel like a lot of people who support my work connected with it, as well.”
When Ramos returned to Michigan in 2015 one of the first things he did was start a podcast. His podcast ArtHouse Radio has been on the air for about five years, a show based in the arts but open to discussions or ideas moving in any direction. It’s a weekly show which features Ramos talking about art, music, film, philosophy, or can feature a discussion with other prominent artists or colleagues. He’s had ArtPrize director Kevin Buist on his program, former executive directors of MOCAD in Detroit, nationally recognized comedians and many others. Sometimes, however, it might even be simply a sound art experience. “If you listen to the different areas of ArtHouse radio you’ll hear different attempts at different things. In the beginning I was having interviews and doing strange skits. There were areas where I was recording myself laying in a hammock and listening to the sound of traffic and the wind and wildlife. And other times I’m doing very serious reviews of movies or films that have affected me. In a way it’s almost like a diary of my inner voice, maybe sometimes a discussion with other inner voices,” says Ramos.
“I just crossed the 200 episode mark of ArtHouse Radio and I couldn’t be happier to have experienced that while doing this particular project. One thing that I’ve added to AHR recently is the addition of video. I used to have a segment on ArtHouse Radio called Pop Culture Fridays. Before this pandemic kicked off, I started a video version of that podcast, almost like a spin off. The views were so good for that show that I decided to replicate that idea with ArtHouse Radio. So now people can watch our YouTube channel or listen to the show on any podcasting platform. And all of this is free of course.”
One thing that Ramos is quick to point out, besides his podcast being available to watch or listen for free, is how important it is to support the arts and artists. “If you enjoyed music, movies, podcasts and books during the pandemic, or even if you needed them to get through those tough times, you understand how important the arts are in peoples lives. And I don’t think as a society we’ve valued them, socially, culturally and financially, as much as we should have in the past. If there’s one thing we should take away from this pandemic in regard to the arts, I think it’s that we need to support artists more.”
For the ArtHouse Radio podcast, Ramos set up a Patreon page so that fans could support that podcast, and, essentially, the Roadkill Project, for only $3 a month. Patreon is a platform where creators can set up a page (like Facebook or Instagram) and patrons or supporters can go to that site and join the monthly membership for an amount set up by the creators. “I wanted to set the monthly membership low and I think three dollars is about as low as you can get. So for only $3 a month people can not only know that they’re supporting an artist in his work, but there are also special perks that we attached to that membership. Some of them include discounts off of merchandise we sell, exclusive content like live question and answer session‘s are perhaps even voting rights on podcast topics.”
Under the blanket of what he’s calling the Roadkill Project, Ramos hopes that people will follow his work while it’s happening and after it’s completed. “Marcel Proust once said that we can’t fully understand situations until they’re over. That’s gonna apply to me in regard to this project, as well. But one of the great things that we’re doing by putting things online as we do them is that they’re up there forever. So this is something that people will be able to enjoy for as long as the internet exists.”
To join and support this project you can visit www.patreon.com/arthouseradio, or you can make direct donations at his artist site www.ThisIsWhereYouAre.com or at the arts organization site he founded in 2015 www.ArtHouse43.com
The Roadkill Project lasted from October 20, 2020 until November 25, 2020.
![City Art Connections (2nd Annual Exhibition)](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e59f34a2e298c72256641b2/1595086080815-QOEALRK3392XNS9GU4PB/IMG_7620.jpg)
City Art Connections (2nd Annual Exhibition)
City Art Connections (2nd Annual Exhibition)
New Works by Pete LaRouech, Nancy Trowbridge, Kayce, Troy Ramos & more
Opening night: Thursday, September 17 2020 at 5PM in Downtown Battle Creek (site TBD).
The new art exhibition series City Art Connections returns for its second annual exhibition in Battle Creek, welcoming new artists from different cities in an impressive display of high quality artwork and a diversity of artistic mediums. City Art Connections is an annual art exhibition series which features artworks by multiple artists from different cities in Michigan, all exhibiting their work together on one show. This year the participating cities are Battle Creek, Detroit and Grand Rapids. Like the first year of the program, the exhibition will again take place in Battle Creek, and the show will be on exhibit in the main gallery at the Art Center of BC. Two artists from each city will be selected to be part of this unique exhibition series. This sets the stage for a sharing of artistic ideas, experiences and networks between artists and supporters from their respective cities. A big focus of the works at this exhibit will be showing large-scale paintings. This kind of exhibit will attract a lot of creative minds, garner community interest and be an excellent opportunity for local students to experience art works from a diversity of prominent artists working in Battle Creek and across the state.
The artists already committed to this second City Art Connections series are Pete LaRousch, Sue Trowbridge, Kayce and Troy Ramos. The remaining two artists will be announced in Summer 2020. We will collaborate with other experts in Detroit and Grand Rapids to select the remaining artists for the exhibition. The exhibit will likely emphasize timed entries (for low-numbered gatherings) and streamed virtually so anyone can experience the work from a distance.
This exhibit is supported by the Battle Creek Community Foundation and ArtHouse 43.
*This event and its details are obviously subject to developments with COVID-19 and the current pandemic guidelines we are following. Things are tentative at the moment, and we will keep you updated accordingly. This show will AT LEAST be streamed live online. This show will happen, we just don’t know in what form yet! Keep safe! *
![Where We Are Now (Exhibit): New Works by Troy Ramos](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e59f34a2e298c72256641b2/1587938321497-N12CU02KAFI2RNL78PFV/Where%2BWe%2BAre%2BNow%2BArt%2BShow%2BRecord%2BBox%2B2020%2BLogo.jpg)
Where We Are Now (Exhibit): New Works by Troy Ramos
Where We Are Now
New Works by Troy Ratmos
Opening night: Thursday Sept 3, 2020 at 5PM
The Record Box, 15 Carlyle St, Third Floor, Battle Creek, MI
ArtHouse 43 is excited to announce that artist Troy Ramos will unveil a new, solo art
exhibition, titled Where We Are Now to be displayed for a month at The Record Box in downtown Battle Creek! Where We Are Now will feature large-scale paintings with vivid colors and expressive abstract designs. The exhibit will likely emphasize timed entries (for low-numbered gatherings) and streamed virtually so anyone can experience the work from a distance.
This exhibit is supported by the MCACA (Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs) and ArtHouse 43.
*This event and its details are obviously subject to developments with COVID-19 and the current pandemic guidelines we are following. Things are tentative at the moment, and we will keep you updated accordingly. This show will AT LEAST be streamed live online. So it will happen, we just don’t know in what form yet! Keep safe! *
![Art City Now Podcast: Live Artist Interviews at Color the Creek 2020](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e59f34a2e298c72256641b2/1595086030541-COP2DIRNF4TTW94995HK/Art+City+Now+Logo.jpg)
Art City Now Podcast: Live Artist Interviews at Color the Creek 2020
Art City Now Podcast: Live Artist Interviews at Color the Creek 2020
Hosted by Troy Ramos
Saturday, August 15, 2020 at 7PM (TBD whether this will simply be live-streamed due to pandemic)
The Record Box, 15 Carlyle St, Third Floor, Battle Creek, MI
ArtHouse 43 Is excited to announce a brand new program: The Art City Now Podcast covering the 2020 Color the Creek Street Art Festival with Live Artist Interviews at Color the Creek 2020! This podcast is hosted by artist Troy Ramos and is a new concept and partnership with Justin Andert and Color of Creek. It is now the OFFICIAL podcast of Color the Creek! All week the Art City Now podcast will talk with Color the Creek artists and supporters to produce five total episodes. We will also upload and stream the event live on YouTube and other platforms.
Each episode will feature artists, their work and we’ll talk in depth with them about their life as an artist and their connection to BC. We’ll also feature conversations with supporters about their experience with the festival and how they connect with it, as well as how they think it’s changing the arts scene in the city. We will also take questions from people watching Live via social media.
The Art City Now Podcast is a podcast covering art events and topics in the arts world with conversations, stories and live panel shows. This podcast will be hosted by artist Troy Ramos, who has over five years of experience hosting popular podcasts on major providers, including ArtHouse Radio and Pop Culture Fridays. This podcast will always be free and available online. We really think it’s important to have a diverse range of sound recordings, of guests and a broad listenership which Is inclusive of all communities.
This exhibit is supported by the Battle Creek Community Foundation and ArtHouse 43.
*This event and its details are obviously subject to developments with COVID-19 and the current pandemic guidelines we are following. Things are tentative at the moment, and we will keep you updated accordingly. Keep safe! *