Our Town Everywhere
Organized in collaboration with Bryce McCloud
September 2022 - February 2022
Our Town Everywhere: A Self-Portrait of Madison is a continuation of the Our Town Nashville project, which ran from 2014 to 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Bubbler at Madison Public Library worked closely with letterpress printmaker and Our Town Nashville creator Bryce McCloud to migrate the project to a new city and explore how it may evolve and expand, all while keeping the initial spirit intact.
A little history of Our Town Nashville… For two years, McCloud traveled around Davidson County, TN, inviting people from all walks of life to participate in the public art project and actively engaging folks in a conversation about community. The project created a space where people unlikely to otherwise participate in art-making could use handmade stamps to create their own self portrait. With funding and support from the Public Art Fund managed by the Metro Nashville Arts Commission, the Our Town Nashville project appeared in 50 locations across town including shelters, concert halls, police stations, community events, coffee shops, and everywhere in between—inviting Nashvillians to step out of their comfort zone and join in a community-wide art experience.
Collecting more than 1,000 portraits, Our Town provided a platform for Nashville to create a more inclusive picture of itself. Our Town gave people a chance to share a human experience that linked them together beyond the confines of class, race, gender, age, culture of origin, or neighborhood.
The self portraits currently on display in the Diane Endres-Ballweg Gallery were created by Madison Public Library employees throughout the city, who participated in the project during the annual Staff Day. While these portraits are just a small snapshot of our vibrant Madison community, the project will continue to grow. With the help of Bubbler artists and various community partnerships, Our Town Everywhere: A Self-Portrait of Madison plans to branch out across Madison - into our neighborhood libraries and the community spaces in between.
We believe libraries create endless opportunities for belonging, connection, and resource sharing. We are excited to explore Our Town Everywhere: A Self-Portrait of Madison as a new and inventive way to connect and engage with our community!
Our Town Everywhere is a combined exhibition featuring work made in Nashville, TN, between 2014 and 2015 along with new work being made in Madison, WI in 2022. The exhibition is organized by Bubbler Staff and Bryce McCloud of Isle of Printing. Support for this exhibition is provided by the City of Madison and the Madison Public Library Foundation. For more information, visit ourtownnashville.org or isleofprinting.com.
Return to the exhibition archive.
