The Nelson ‘Carty’ Ford Memorial Gallery, dedicated on April 30th, 2024, is an integrated gallery in the gathering spaces and walkways of WPAA-TV and Community Media Center. Nelson served on the Board of Directors from 2015-17.
Nelson served as the arts ambassador. His fine art series Bricks Seeking Words graced our space until his passing in Dec 2023. He influenced the use of public art to solve problems. WPAA-TV and Community Media Center’s journey into #MoreThanTV began as a #PowerfulWildFree4Arts.
Artistic Director, Josiah Houston
In 2015, ARCY was engaged to resolve a blight problem on the north side of our renovated 1924 cow barn. Spray painting Hercules, as the tiger was named through a community-wide naming contest, was a literal a 2-story stretch. At this time Hercules was the largest mural Ryan Christenson #ARCY had completed alone. He is now internationally known for his large-scale murals.
ARTivists join our ACTORvists: The Gallery
Our collection seeks to engage visitors in a fuller understanding of our collective humanity and the earth we share. Gatherings are opportunities for conversation that may lead to compassionate change within us or around us. Often protest signs and posters claim this ARTivists space. We offer our brave, safe creative space to visual artists in Nelson’s honor because Democracy is a Creative Practice.
Ann P Lehman ~ Conversation, Conversation Earth
C B King ~ A Pawnee Brave Lithograph
Charles Buzinsky ~ StreetshotZ (Featured)
Christine Webster ~ Naval Base at Sunrise
David Sepulveda ~ Upcycled Mobiles (Sunflowers at the time of war)
George Nathan ~ Village Scene (Folk Art)
Heather Art Starr ~ Mirrored Unicorn Farts
Helen Hoelck ~ Doodle
Iyabo Ibo Mandingo ~ We Are Not Like U (Featured), Gathering, Stop & Frisk, Scored Words
Josiah Houston ~ Masks
Loiuse Gorsline ~ Dragonfly Spirit
Michael Schleif ~ Space Bears (Video Poster)
Mosaic Magic Team ~ Mission in Mosaic
Ned Farrell ~ World in Gold
Nelson Carty Ford ~ Bricks Seeking Words, No Race, Sistine as I See It and more (Featured)
Padro Luis Raota ~ Wind From The South (Print)
Rashmi ~ Cockfight
Robert Sims ~ Marvin Gaye Reverberations
Sal DelGreco ~ The Sparrow Falling (Illustration, Poster, Photos)
Stefania Munzi ~ Finger Talk & Check Minus (Book Illustrations)
Steve Bowden & UCONN Graphic Design Students (2018) ~ Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Susan Clinard ~ Boats, Words to Live By Portrait Collages, and more
Susan Haag ~ Sunflower Bag (Upcycle)
Tim Sway New Perspective Music ~ Dedication Sign, Shag Guitar, Diffusion in Wood
Tony Baker ~ Reassembled, Youth Silenced
1999 Refugee Annual Report Cover
Peace Cranes