The American Mural Project Amps Up Music Events
The American Mural Project (AMP) in the Whiting Mills complex in Winsted, Connecticut has created a space like no other. Housed in a restored and renovated old mill, the five-story, 120-foot-long mixed media mural dedicated to the American worker is a massive statement on creative endurance. The wide-open gallery has also turned out to have fabulous acoustics. AMP is taking advantage of that happy accident with the upcoming Live@AMP music series kicking off April 1, with Theresa Thomason and the KC Sisters.
AMP founder and artistic director Ellen Griesediek says Thomason’s mix of soul, Motown and gospel, and the KC Sisters' folksy five-part harmonies are perfect for highlighting what AMP offers as a music venue. She hopes it will show off the unique versatility of the space to longtime supporters and entice a new younger audience to discover the mural project.
“We’re learning every day. This project is outrageously different than other organizations,” said Griesediek. “We are always looking at who’s coming in and who are we missing. When we opened last June it’s become clear we need younger folks.”
The restored and renovated mill now houses the American Mural Project.
On May 13 Live@AMP will feature Ed Fast and Conga Bop — a night of Afro-Cuban inspired jazz, dance and drums. More music events are planned through the year and Griesediek says AMP looks to collaborate with local musicians to bring live music into the room on a regular, casual basis as well.
“We are inventing this as we go," says Griesediek. "I get so much energy from young people who are thinking about what is happening in this world in a different way." She's hoping to show millennial and GenZ locals that AMP is a pace they can stop by whenever or come to listen to a concert and have a drink on a night out.
“To come out on a Saturday night, listen to music, have a beer, meet people. I think it’s going to be so fun.”
Griesediek says the mural’s scale and universally relatable subject allows visitors to each have a unique personal experience. That character makes the work, with its angled giant paintings and sculptural element a powerful backdrop for any performance as well as a sonic…amp.
“This should be a place for anything and everything,” she says. “There are endless possibilities. Theresa and the KC Sisters are amazing and they have people excited to see them wherever they play, so we’re excited to have them come and see what we are doing.”
Griesediek began planning AMP in 1999 and over the next two decades her canvas got bigger and bigger until it filled the historic mill building in Winsted. AMP is now the largest indoor collaborative artwork in the world. Restored and renovated to support the huge mural, the old mill building has two balonies along the wall opposite the mural that make for great viewing of the different sections of the piece. The mural is made up of Griesediek’s creations as well as from artists, fabricators and contributions from thousands of children across the country, who have added artwork through schools and institutions.
The theme of labor connects with everyone who enters AMP, from contractors to musicians, Griesediek said, “Musicians are workers and they are represented here.”
For ticket information and a full listing of upcoming events, visit AMP's website.
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