Bryce Mccloud Wants All Of Nashville To Be Neighbors

I have long admired the work of Bryce McCloud and his print studio Isle of Printing - the ongoing Can Wall Project never ceases to impress me. This recent interview with him contains a few insights into the methods behind his madness that I find myself inspired by. His concious decision to move back to Nashville after school in an attempt to garner a tighter community was, obviously, a wise decision. It may have taken him 17 years to make the impact he was hoping for but it's tough to meet someone around town that isn't aware of the self-portrait Our Town project or his McCloudWall. Maybe you remember him from this Mystery Twins 7" he designed and I released. It's a long list of great work.

His philosophy to bring art to a wider community through public art projects seems like the kind of undertaking that might evoke some eye-rolling but his approach isn't cheesy (or producing art that isn't worthwhile). The article ends with this quote that I think I'll keep tumbling around in my head for awhile:

McCloud's goal, he says, is to make fine art as popular as NFL football.

"It has a place in everyone's lives and it doesn't need to be for just one small group of people. It's a huge part of what makes a city livable and interesting and a place that people want to be. Art and music, those are things that bring people together from all walks of life to become friends and community members together, and can be used as a common language for folks that don't really have one otherwise."

Read the whole thing, please.