New $350,000 Citizens partnership to build up The Warhol’s Pop District

The Andy Warhol Museum unveiled a new public art installation in the new Pop District on the North Shore Tuesday afternoon to celebrate a new partnership with the Citizens Financial Group, which has committed $350,000 to support artists in the museum’s Warhol Academy and The Pop District initiatives.

Local artist Mikael Owunna created the installation, which is titled “The Anatomy of a Human” and is sponsored through the Citizens partnership. Through the image, he portrays West African Igbo spiritual science, which says that four different elements — the Chi, Eke, Mmuo and Onyeuwa — interact in a complex cosmology to form the complete human soul. 

“ ‘The Anatomy of the Human’ creates vibrant effects that represent the multiple spirit bodies that make up the human itself. Just as we stand gathered together today, we are all simultaneously interacting and vibrating with one another on many planes of existence,” Owunna said. 

This announcement makes Citizens the largest corporate supporter of The Pop District’s art campaign. Last year, The Warhol announced the launch of The Pop District, an initiative aiming to transform the area on the eastern North Shore, across from the Andy Warhol Bridge. 

When the initiative was announced, The Warhol predicted it would ultimately bring $100 million in economic activity to the area, adding new life to the region. The expansion will continue to be rolled out over about a decade and aims to turn the area into a cultural hub, featuring live music events, galleries and art installations such as “The Anatomy of a Human,” which will remain in the rotating “Pop Park” display space for a year. 

Brendan Coughlin, vice chairman and head of the Citizens Consumer Banking division, said that he’s proud the bank can play a role in revitalizing the area and growing the community. 

“This is just absolutely tremendous,” he said, “to see what was once a rundown Italian restaurant that had been torn down, come to life as such a destination to bring out the best in the community.”

To create the art installation, Owunna painted the body of Joy-Marie Thompson, a local dance artist, with fluorescent paint, and used long-exposure photography and ultraviolet camera flashes to combine many of the dancer’s movements into one image. 

His methods delve into the intersection between technology and art, and take inspiration from Warhol’s silk screen techniques, which “create holographic ephemeral effects that dramatically introduce movement into two-dimensional media and add a dynamism and filmic effect to the works,” Owunna added.

The Warhol Academy is a piece of The Pop District initiative, as well — specifically focusing on workforce development in modern art and technology for young local artists near the beginning of their careers.

The Citizens partnership will expand the existing fellowship opportunities available in The Warhol Academy by adding 28 new fellowships related to digital content, filmmaking and postproduction. The program, which aims to provide a platform for artists in underrepresented communities, teaches members skills in digital media and is structured around self-directed projects. 

Coughlin hopes that by “paying it forward,” with the fellows program, the sponsorship will help the “next Mikael” to emerge. “Part of our mission is to help our communities and customers reach their full potential, and art and culture plays such a big role in doing that,” he added.