On June 10, 2010, at 3 p.m., the City of Newburgh held a dedication ceremony for the art project completed by Bryan Guglielmi in the new courthouse. Above is the complete video of the ceremony. The ceremony video may also be downloaded here.

The invitation to the ceremony invoked Thurgood Marshall with his quote:

“…Certain people have a way of saying things that shake us at the core. Even when the words do not seem harsh or offensive, the impact is shattering. What we could be experiencing is the intent behind the words. When we intend to do good, we do. When we intend to do harm, it happens. What each of us must come to realize is that our intent always comes through. We cannot sugarcoat the feelings in our heart of hearts. The emotion is the energy that motivates. We cannot ignore what we really want to create. We should be honest and do it the way we feel it. What we owe to ourselves and everyone around is to examine the reasons of our true intent. My intent will be evident in the results.”

Full press release from the City of Newburgh:

City of Newburgh Celebrates Completion of
Newburgh Courthouse Mural,
“Newburgh-The Evolution of an American City”
Artist & Designer Bryan Guglielmi

On Thursday, June 10, almost a year to the day after the dedication of the City of Newburgh Courthouse, City and Court officials, area dignitaries, and local artists gathered to celebrate artist and designer Bryan Guglielmi’s completion of the mural project which graces its lobby.  The mural, entitled “Newburgh- the Evolution of an American City” is comprised of 10 individual panels that span the walls at the top of the stairs. Over 40 feet long combined and 9 feet tall, each panel represents a different captivating era in the evolution of the City of Newburgh, including but not limited to panel #10, the multi-cultural Lady Liberty figure which is an allegorical reference to the concept of justice. Blind? Or just looking the other way? The work has received breathtaking reviews by courthouse staff and visitors.

The artwork and design was commissioned under the City’s “Percent for Art” program. Percent for Art refers to a process by which a small portion of a municipal construction project is separated from the larger project and completed by an artist contractor instead of the general contractor.  The artist completes work that would have been a part of the project in any case, and thus enhances the building with the touch of an artist without adding to the cost of construction.  The City’s Percent for Art ordinance was developed by the City of Newburgh Arts and Culture Commission (NACC) and the Department of Planning & Development, and enacted by the City Council.

NACC chair Stuart Sachs, stated, “Percent for Art brings municipal construction back to the individual. It transforms a functional building through the touch of an artist and reintroduces it to the public as a vibrant part of the social fabric. Bryan has successfully knitted Newburgh’s history into its new hall of justice. It is especially gratifying that our first Percent for Art commission was won by a hometown boy.”

Guglielmi’s concept was chosen from 36 submissions in a structured jury process conducted by NACC. An eleven-member panel, composed of artists, educators, historians, representatives from City government, the Court, and the community, chose the winning entry in a “blind” selection process, where the identity of the artists was not revealed. Jurors also considered the input of more than 100 visitors to a public showing at the Ritz Theater lobby, where submissions were displayed anonymously and viewers were encouraged to provide feedback.

“We wanted to ensure that the process reflected the perspectives of a broad constituency and desires of local Newburgh residents,” said Martha Zola, former Director of Economic and Cultural Development, “because public art should incorporate the opinions of the general public.”

In the end, the jurors and the public were in sync:  the jurors’ choice corresponded to the public’s top rated selection. 24 yr old Bryan Guglielmi, a Newburgh native, was chosen for his disciplined and thoughtful depiction of the City’s history in panoramic form.

Guglielmi attended Newburgh Free Academy and graduated from Storm King School.  In 2008, he graduated from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia.  While there, he also worked as a paid apprentice, painting with professional artists on several mural projects, including New Windsor’s Carriage House Art Studio, in New York and Washington, D.C.  In 2008, Guglielmi started working with the Mural Arts Program of Philadelphia on solo and collaborative murals and mural designs. He has sold work to private collectors and has shown nationally.  At age 19, his painting, Self Portrait,” received an award of excellence and was shown as part of a collection at the Smithsonian Institute, S. Dillon Ripley Center, in Washington D.C.

Today Guglielmi’s work can be seen in multiple shows in the Philadelphia area. He is currently the curator for art shows at Chris Jazz Club, a well-known hot spot for emerging artist in Philadelphia, and he is negotiating new projects with Philadelphia Mural Arts. In the fall he plans to return to school to complete his Masters in Fine Art. For more information, visit http://www.guglielmiart.com.

“This truly amazing young artist, who grew up here, and attended local schools, is a wonderful role model and a shining example of the good things about the City of Newburgh, and its tremendous potential,” Mayor Nicholas Valentine commented.

Hon. Alan D. Scheinkman, Presiding Judge for the 9th Judicial District commented, “On behalf of Chief Judge Lippman, we in the Unified Court System congratulate the City of Newburgh and Bryan Guglielmi on the completion of this important and vital work of art, which pulls together important elements from the history of the City and ties it in a unique and challenging way to its setting which, like the mural itself, is both historic and new.”

Hon. B. Harold Ramsey, Newburgh City Judge  added, “Newburgh-The Evolution of an American City” depicted in the mural, represents Newburgh past, present and future; active, lively people going about making Newburgh a beautiful city. This mural will remind all of us that Newburgh is a city whose roots of the present are deep in the past.”