Congratulations to our first group of artists chosen for Hampton Roads, The Canvas!

Work by Elizabeth Cooke

This project is well on its way, and we hope you’re as excited as we are about it. We received many wonderful submissions and are thrilled so many people are on board. We thank everyone for their donations and their willingness to participate. We are still taking submissions and donations for other buildings, so keep them coming! This is only the beginning step of making Hampton Roads a more beautiful place.

This was a tough decision but we are pleased to announce the first four artists chosen to work on the old Zedd’s building on Granby Street. Note: These are not the works that will be on the building.

Elizabeth Cooke

Elizabeth, currently living in Hampton, will be bringing her talents to Norfolk. Her most recent works focus on on human relationships and how they are connected to the environment in which they occur. Complex factors like poverty, violence, security, love and community form a backdrop that ultimately influences these relationships. She often uses images of dogs, a common character in these neighborhoods, to make a connection between canines and human beings -  their longing for freedom and companionship. She captures the disarray of these neighborhoods and the random nature of the real scenarios by cutting and pasting disparate symbols and scenes together within the compositions. She uses these techniques to create and emphasize an awareness of the dynamic relationships of those who live there.

Sample of James's work.

We are thrilled to have Elizabeth. If you’d like to donate to her project on this building, you can email her directly at eliza_bethcooke@yahoo.com.

James Davis

James is an artist from Norfolk. When asked to describe his work he stated “‘Good artists borrow, great artists steal,’ and I stole that from Picasso.” James has done murals, prints and works with spray paint. His work is bold and sure to be great. His work often poses positive messages.

If you’d like to donate to his project on this building, you can email him directly at jdtheart4@gmail.com.

Chris Ranes

Chris is an artist from Virginia Beach. Chris doesn’t limit himself to one style. He does abstract paintings, graphic style paintings,
realism paintings, and abstract functional sculpture. Chris stated “I love to create. I love to create both what’s in front of my eyes, and what’s not in front of my eyes. I love learning how light spills over things. I love discovering how mediums react to each other. I love building weird installations out of random stuff. I love art.”

Well Chris, we love art too. We’re excited to have you on board. Like his work? Donate to his project on this building! You can contact him directly at thelefteye77@gmail.com

Sample of work by Chris Ranes.

True Face Movement

True Face Movement is a group under the artist Asa Jackson, who currently lives in Newport News. Asa discovered that in his natural talent and love for art there was a fountain of unlimited possibilities. He directed his energy into nurturing his natural abilities; in doing so, he found his own True Face. His goal is being able to allow other youth to find the same freedom. True Face focuses on the importance and enlistment of hard workers, creative thinkers, and socially conscious individuals.

Sounds inspiring, yes? It is. We welcome True Face Movement with open arms. If you’d like to donate to their project on this building you can contact them directly at asajackson18@gmail.com.

Art by Asa Jackson

We are still accepting submissions! There are many more buildings that need help. Here’s how you apply:
• Individual
1. Submit at least 3, no more than 5 jpeg images of your best work that embodies the style and nature of which you plan to work. Label each image with the format of  LastName_1, LastName_2, etc.
2. Artist’s Statement
3. Send information to elyse@altdaily.com with the subject line “Hampton Roads, The Canvas Artist Submission.” The maximum file size is 2 MB. Be sure to include your name and phone number in the email.
• Group
1. Same materials as above for individual artist
2. Exhibition Proposal

• Rules
1. No Profanity.
2. No Nudity.
All artwork will be seen by the community and should be designed accordingly.

Nominating a Building:

Soon, Zedd's will stop looking dead.

• Once we finish this first project we’re going to figure out a way to take on multiple buildings at a time. Start taking pictures and making notes about buildings in desperate need of some love.

Our mission has only begun! We welcome you to be a part of it.

Join us on facebook; Hampton Roads, The Canvas. Or email me directly at elyse@altdaily.com

Want to help but don’t have the time? Give us your old paint! We need lots of latex acrylic paint. Any painting supplies such as brushes, rollers, tarps, etc would be helpful too.  Email Rick Nickel to schedule a drop off arrangement at RNickel@odu.edu.