Dorian Sylvain
Dorian Sylvain is a painter, an interpreter of color; exploring color as it influences her feelings, enhances texture and pattern and how it can be used to exploit imagery. Ms. Sylvain’s painting has crossed many disciplines; studio painting, scenic design, mural painting, decorative arts, education, curation and community planning. For the past three decades she has been committed to the creation of public art projects that expose children and communities to art making, providing a group experience that elevates the neighborhoods aesthetic understanding. Recently awarded “Arts & Culture: Connecting Communities to the Arts” (2013) from the University of Chicago and the South East Commission, recognizing her outstanding work and committed service. In addition, her Decorative Arts Studio has been creating largescale custom painted walls and canvas’ for private clients for over twenty years.
Portrait by Devina Yoestong
Stories from Dorian Sylvain
Dorian Sylvain & John L. Marsh Elementary
Project Overview
“Fresh fruits and Vegetables are works of Art”
This project was designed to highlight the importance of food in all cultures. Marsh has a predominantly Latin X student body and I wanted to use materials and techniques that reflect the arts and crafts found in their cultural practices. The piñata was my inspiration!
Four plywood panels were installed in the hallway for this project (3’ x 6’ each). The first layer of the project was to create a colorful background. Small blue, green and pink tissue paper squares were collaged with Mod Podge by the students. Next students worked on individual fruits and vegetables, using a technique of shaping a square piece of tissue paper around a pencil tip and gluing it onto the cardboard. The pieces of tissue paper then stand up, creating a “fluffy” look. Many of the pieces contained two or three colors. My personal favorite piece is the watermelon slice, the student began with a layer of dark green, then a thin layer of light green and finally beautiful pinks and reds, which included black seeds for detail.
The completed pieces were then mounted onto the wood panels to create a composition of natural foods and celebrate the rainbow of colors found in fruits and vegetables. The final layer was the vinyl words… “Fresh Fruits and Vegetables are works of Art.” This final message to the students was meant to identify fresh produce as a superior food (vs fast or processed foods) and the value cooking and eating bring to our cultural expression.
Jeff Phillips & Dorian Sylvain: The BMO Harris x CPS Lives Mural, Summer 2020
Project Overview
“Art can tell stories and change narratives,” says Suzette Bross, Executive Director of CPS Lives. “This mural is an expression of giving back to the community and showing the good in humanity.”
In June 2020, a group of Chicago students transformed the temporary plywood used to cover BMO Harris Bank’s main branch during protests into a work of art that expresses messages of hope and unity, representing the opportunity we all have to create a more inclusive community together.
As protests erupted across Chicago – and the country – and thousands of Chicagoans demonstrated peacefully, CPS Lives and BMO Harris Bank were eager to find ways to support our communities and stand against racial inequality and injustice. BMO – a longstanding supporter of both Chicago’s public schools and the city’s arts community – reached out to CPS Lives and asked if they wanted to create artwork on the plywood around the branch.
“BMO’s values of fairness, equality and inclusion perfectly align with ours,” says Suzette, who founded CPS Lives, a non-profit organization that creates artist residencies in Chicago Public Schools to share honest and positive stories about public schools. Local artists partner with a Chicago Public School during the academic year to collaborate on a project. The art they create gives young people in Chicago a platform to speak about their hopes, dreams, and ideas.
“There are 400,000 students in the CPS system, and many people in the city don’t know anything about them,” says Jeff Phillips, a local artist who works with CPS Lives. “This was an opportunity to give the students their own voice – in a really public way.”
Amplifying voices
Like protest, art can give a louder voice to people who aren’t being heard. The recent protests have given voice to people from all walks of life, joining together to demand change to make society more just and inclusive. Similarly, this group of Chicago Public School students and artists created a powerful public art project to send a message of their own.
“Protest and public art are similar expressions. They’re both a personal statement of values,” says Dorian Sylvain, a Chicago artist and CPS Lives collaborator. “Displaying art in the public spaces goes beyond aesthetics. It creates dialogue – and it’s human nature to want to be heard.”
Suzette reached out to Jeff and Dorian to collaborate, and they quickly got to work on a proposal and a design. Together, they came up with the idea of a mural made up of images and photos from CPS Lives artists and CPS schools, highlighting the proud academic achievements of graduating students – and surrounded by images of life at public schools across the city.
“Highlighting all these beautiful young faces that are usually somewhat anonymous – it not only empowers the kids who see themselves on that mural, but also other people who are like them. That can be very validating,” says Dorian.
Jeff agrees. “We wanted to evoke something positive and emotional, and to do what art is supposed to do – reflect the everyday in a new light.”
A creative collective
Titled “If I Could Show the World,” the mural was named and assembled by students from more than 20 Chicago public schools participating in the CPS Lives program. Hyde Park Art Center donated its space, and more than 75 people came together to create the murals, including students who chose to spend their first day of summer vacation there.
“The experience was festive. We had music playing, it was a beautiful day, the students came in and they brought their friends. We just had a good time,” says Dorian. “The spirit of collective work, and the gratification of producing something together that one person couldn’t have done on their own – it’s so empowering. Sharing, listening, learning from each other – all those principles come out when we work together.”
“It was one of the best experiences of my life,” says Jeff. “To see these kids creating together, and hearing them say things like ‘I feel like an artist’ – it was incredible.”
Inclusion and equality
CPS Lives is the first of several non-profits that will create art for BMO’s main branch windows over the coming months, serving as a visual reminder to continue our progress toward a more inclusive society. The art will be displayed in neighborhoods across Chicago as it rotates out of the bank’s windows.
BMO believes this is not a time to be silent. We will always stand up for a more just society where all people are valued equally. These murals are part of our pledge to speak up for what’s right, and to create space for other voices to be heard.
“Art is such a powerful and direct way to express hope and optimism,” says Jeff. “Public art speaks to the community. The message spreads. If you create something interesting and beautiful, you invite people in to learn more about your world – and that can make all the difference.”
BMO is committed to zero barriers to inclusion, and we strive for that vision by supporting real financial progress for our customers and communities.
Read about BMO’s recent $10 million donation through the United Way of Metro Chicago as part of Chicago’s Invest South/West initiative, our recent donation to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the Equal Justice Initiative, the Canadian Anti-Hate Network and Greater Twin Cities United Way, to support social and racial justice, and inclusion.
Learn more about community giving at BMO.
And please, consider donating to CPS Lives as we take on our next endeavors.
Dorian Sylvain & Dolittle Elementary School
Project Overview
Many of the corridors at this school are plain and uninspired. As I toured the school with Ms. Macbeth, we identified a 150’ corridor that we would re-design with colors and images of the current student population. During this process my intention is to expand students visual literacy and development of art language. Through design sessions, students will be engaged in thoughtful skill building activities and create an art expression for their school that they can be proud of.
On January 24 I meet with my team of students. We talked about themes, design ideas and and how art can change the feeling of a space. The students took rough measurements of the hallway, using the 12” tiles on the floor.
We will meet again on Thursday, February 21, to create a design board, filled with pictures, color swatches, a ground plan, images of students and other ideas from the internet. From this discussion I will create a more specific plan of action. The base painting will begin the second week of March.
