Meet Mike Gamble

Today I returned to the Norris Street site to talk with Mike Gibbon. He is currently interning with the Citywide Mural Project. Three artists, Eric Okdeh, Kein Nguyn, and Michelle Ortiz share this young talent for the six week program so he will be covering many projects on a day to day basis. Today he is working with two Mural Corps students at the Norris Street project. He had a drawing of the mural in one hand and a paintbrush in the other. Looking between the wall and the paper he quickly adjusted a few of the lines on the mural before putting the brush down to talk to me in the limited shade of the day.

Name: Mike Gamble

Age: 20

Birthplace: Northeast Philadelphia

Current Location (excluding internship): Germantown

Education: Senior at Tyler School of Art

Preferred medium: Printing

Site: Norris Street, the Flag Mural on 8th and Carpenter and the City Wide Project

Artist: Michelle Ortiz, Kein Nguyn, and Eric Okdeh

Jobs on Site: Restoration, assistant for the artists, tracing, painting anything they need me to do.

Job Questions:

Why did you apply for this internship? I have always loved murals and to be a part of Mural Arts is an amazing opportunity. I also wanted to learn how to work on large scale projects and it really is a great opportunity.

What do you plan on gaining from your experience? Knowledge of large scale projects and how to best manage them.

Future Plans? Hopefully to continue painting and printmaking. Something that has to do with art.

Favorite Mural? The City Wide project mural designs are great.

Personal Questions:

What are you listening to? Lately? Classic rock. I'm really into King Crimson.

Favorite Color? Um, red's a good color.

Favorite Food? Sushi, that's the only thing I can think of right now.

Favorite Emotion? Stress, I figured since I'm such a stressed out person I might as well work with it.

If you could be an animal....? I'd be a sloth, they have very relaxed lives.

Favorite Place on Earth? Wissahickon Park.

Did you remember sunscreen? Yes.

How do you think art can change the world? If more people appreaciated art they'd be happier, they'd appreaciate the beauty around them more.