Mary Iverson, 1xRUN, Juxtapoz + American Express Team Up For Small Business Saturday

Alongside our friends at Juxtapoz and American Express we are excited to help celebrate Small Business Saturday. To help remind everybody to #ShopSmall we welcome in Juxtapoz cover artist Mary Iverson for her debut print release Tipsoo Lake.

Mary Iverson Mural For Small Business Saturday

Engaging the support of local small businesses that embody the vibrancy of the neighborhood, artists from around the country looked to inspire communities to Shop Small on Small Business Saturday with the creation of 22 new murals. Featured artists include 1xRUN alumni Dalek, Hueman, Claw Money, Hoxxox, Celeste Byers, Greg Gossel, Brian Lacey and over a dozen more from all over the US. Read on for more from this countrywide project and to read more about Mary Iverson’s very first print release.

“This painting features Tipsoo Lake, one of my favorite spots in Mount Rainier National Park. This particular view of the lake is iconic, and it has inspired many a postcard and wall calendar. When I spend time in places like this, I ask myself what would happen if this pristine landscape were invaded by shipping containers. Would anyone even notice? Would they stop to think about what we are doing to the planet, how we are changing the climate with our patterns of consumption? I choose to paint vistas like this not only for their beauty, but because we are blind to so many other parts of the world. If an industrial accident happens in some country we can’t find on the map, we can put it out of our mind. But when tragedy invades our precious postcard views, there is a better chance we will be consciousness of it…

My paintings express these ideas, but they are also beautiful in their own right, aside from the concepts behind them. I love the tangle of perspective lines that are scratched into the paint, the rhythm of the flat containers against the complex landscape, and the contrast of the saturated colors next to the earth tones. I also enjoy my research trips to these places, when I spend time hiking, sketching, and taking photographs. All of these aspects of the work keep me engaged in the process and loving what I do.” – Mary Iverson

Iverson’s painting of Tipsoo Lake was also part of Converse’s Lovejoy Art Program. Wanting to support artists individually, Converse took a step back and enlisted 22 artists to create original pieces. From paintings, to sculptures, to tapestries from street art, to fine art to established, to up-and-comers this diverse group artists had complete freedom to create whatever kind of piece they wanted for the building. The artwork will be displayed in Lovejoy for one year. At that time, the pieces will go up for auction to support arts in the Boston community. And then, the process refreshes. New art from 22 different artists will go up for one year before being auctioned off, and so on. The cycle succeeds in keeping Lovejoy’s walls fresh with new inspiration and contributing towards the growth of art in this Boston.

The full list of participating artists and neighborhoods with new #ShopSmall murals includes Dalek, Hueman, Claw Money, Hoxxox, Celeste Byers, Greg Gossel, Brian Lacey, as well as, Mikael B, JC Rivera, Aniekan Udofia, Brandan Odums, Shawn Bullen, Caleb Neelon, Carlos Donjuan and the Sour Grapes, Stefan Ways, PaperFrank, Thomas “Breeze” Marcus, Michael Sieben and Roger Whiting, check out the latest walls from 1xRUN alumni below.

Seattle’s SoDo: Mary Iverson