2016 ARTISTS
2017 ARTISTS

Meet Sarah Opperman

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"I've known since 3rd grade that I wanted to be an art teacher, and have been blessed to teach art for the past 5 years at Marlette Community Schools. I love painting because it allows art to exhibit all of the 5 senses, I also enjoy ceramics and drawing. My future plans include continuing to instill a love for art in all my students,  and helping them to own that art is anything you can get away with." Sarah Opperman

Commissioned

Mondri-Ollock

Mondri-Ollock

For this piece I wanted to use pure abstraction from two of my favorite artists. Piet Mondrian, and Jackson Pollock were two artists that broke all the rules of conventional art-making in order to make art that made themselves happy before anyone else. Love it, or hate it it makes you think.

335 East Third Street
Sarah Opperman, artist

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

For my last piece I wanted to create a landscape in the style of Fauvism, which is characterized by bright, vivid colors, and bold outlines. I wanted to chose a picture I had taken myself, and this is based on a photograph I took with my husband on our honeymoon. Fauvist believed that that bold color could give the viewers more feelings and emotions than any amount of finely drawn realist emotion. I have always been drawn to the bold use of color and I have to agree that it makes my heart happy to be in the presence of vivid color.

335 East Third Street
Sarah Opperman, artist

Break ’em Like an Artist

Break'em Like an Artist

When I teach I often tell my students that you have to embrace what makes you unique and use that in your own artwork. In the background of this piece are quotes from different artists that are meaningful to me. "Creativity takes courage" "A work of art is a scream of freedom" "Curves are so emotional" "Color possesses me." "Art is anything you can get away with" and "Learn the rules like a pro so you can break 'em like an artist." To me, if you can embrace these things in your own artwork and about yourself you can find a freedom in all that you do.

211 North Almont Avenue (inside)
Sarah Opperman, artist

I Miss The Rain

I Miss the Rain

I have always loved giraffes. I have always found it amazing that such awkward looking creatures were so graceful and elegant. When I was 16 I took all of I teach my 2nd grade students about giraffes every year, and we talk about all of the giraffe facts they know, and when we've covered everything the students know I get to tell them my favorite giraffe fact. I wonder if you can guess what it is?

130 North Almont Avenue
Sarah Opperman, artist

Monarch

Monarch

When given the idea of wings as a photo op for the community, my initial thought was monarch butterfly wings. They migrate through the area and are a butterfly that young and old can identify with. I wanted to push the idea of community engagement even further by giving the monarch's wings more depth and dimension by using fabric soaked in plaster to build up the edges of the wings. The splatters help to bring movement to the wings as well to create a interactive experience.

150 Bancroft Street
Sarah Opperman, artist

The Escape

The Escape

The idea was to recreate the idea from many years ago when I painted the fence as a sign for the pool when I was in high school. I painted an octopus, a very cartoon octopus. With this octopus I wanted to give it more action and purpose. I varied the types of paint that I used to have texture and shine to the piece. I want the viewer to feel like they need to reach out and touch the suction cups and ink.

387 East Third Street
Sarah Opperman, artist

Some Pig

Some Pig

When first presented with opportunity to create permanent works for downtown, I immediately was drawn to creating for the Mulefoot (now Hiram's Tavern). Having lived down the road from the Romines, and gone to school during the same time creating a work for them seemed like the ultimate awesome idea. I chose a pig to go along with their pig logo, but knowing that they enjoy outsider art and art that doesn't always follow the norms, I wanted to make the pig bold and command attention- which is what I feel like they have accomplished with their restaurant and dining experience as a whole.

244 East Third Street
Sarah Opperman, artist