Aside from his street- inspired gallery art and commercial murals, Shane Grammer designs and builds installations for churches and retailers around the country.
From his days as a youth pastor to his work with homeless youth in San Francisco, the Chico native and Roseville resident continues to be inspired by the children he meets and the artists he's been exposed to on city streets.
He's now working on the "Dream Big" urban art mural project, helping teens paint "Dream Big" 20 feet across the 8-foot-high perimeter fence at the North Roseville Recreation, Education and Creativity Center, 313 High St., in Roseville.
The mural fits the REC center's mission of encouraging neighborhood youths to reach for their dreams in the future. We talked with Grammer last week:
How does the "Dream Big" mural project fit in with your art, aspirations?
I am a big dreamer. I always have been. You have to dream big to own your own business, especially as an artist. You can ask my wife. … My company, we do work all over the country. It's mostly churches right now, but one of my dreams is to break into theme parks and break into movies. I want to make documentaries, movies, children's books. I will have no problem relating to them about dreaming big.
Why do you think teaching these teens how to tag is valuable?
I'm not teaching them how to tag. I'm teaching them how to paint a mural. … I mean, here I am, a middle-age white guy. I'm not going to teach them to paint vineyards. There's just something about this art that inspires them – it's like a magnet. I'm using graffiti as a tool to encourage them.
What's the biggest challenge you've had to overcome as an urban artist?
There's two worlds: I do it legally, but there are guys that are hardcore, that believe it needs to be (illegal) – that it's a political statement. … So, you get some really hard critiques (for doing commercial work).
How did you get involved with the North Roseville REC Center?
I got involved through (Roseville Arts) Blue Line Gallery. … I've always had a heart for youth, so it works perfect.
How will the center, neighborhood and teens benefit from the mural?
It will give them a sense of pride … It's there on their wall to prove to their families that, "Look, I did something positive, and it wasn't illegal and we did it together."
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