PITTSFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A mural was painted on the back of Dunham Mall in Pittsfield by an Argentine American artist.
Ramiro Davaro-Comas, an Argentine American artist, painted “Let the Autumn Shine” on the back of Dunham Mall, facing City Hall. It’s one of Pittsfield’s new murals!
Davaro-Comas was given this opportunity through The Let It Shine! Public Art Partnership. Painting, storytelling, and community work have driven him to travel throughout his career, collaborating with artists all over.
Following his studies at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Davaro-Comas served a year as an Americorps member in Holyoke, all while continuing to paint and illustrate. During 2012, Ramiro participated in a collection of international and U.S. residency programs, going to Berlin, Amsterdam, and Barcelona for six months, then back to the states for another six months in Upstate New York and Providence, RI. As a result of this pivotal year, he moved from the non-profit world to working full-time as an artist.
After moving to Brooklyn in 2013, he had two sold-out solo shows at the Cotton Candy Machine Gallery, which paved the way for his career as an illustrator and fine artist. In tandem with his exhibitions, he started publishing limited edition art books. Ramiro’s illustration work has been centered on a passion that precedes his love of art, working primarily with independent skateboard companies for board and merchandise graphics. Through his work as a muralist, he’s traveled to small towns and giant cities, always telling whimsical characters-based stories.
Dripped on the Road is the only traveling residency program for muralists in the US. Throughout the East Coast, over 150 murals were painted by over 30 artists from 2016-2022.
With his partner Grace Lang, Davaro-Comas runs Super-Stories, a non-profit arts education organization in Upstate New York. In addition to consulting on public art projects, collaborating with skate shops, and painting murals, he also creates work for gallery shows. Apart from making art, Ramiro likes building things, gardening, skating, and playing music.
The mural “Let the Autumn Shine” is part of a series of plant murals Ramiro has been painting since October 2022. The plant design is bright, bold, and adds a vibrant touch of nature to the city.
It’s Ramiro’s goal to paint plants with surrealistic colors on places and walls that might not see flora, with words that reflect positive community projects, quotes, or ideas. Ramiro hopes that these murals add pride to the community and activate forgotten or underutilized spaces, all while bringing the importance of plants and nature into the subconscious.
Scarafoni Associates and MassDevelopment Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) funded the mural, which was finished on September 28.
Kayleigh Thomas is a digital reporter who has been a part of the 22News team since 2022. Follow Kayleigh on X @kayleighcthomas and view her bio to see more of her work.
