Offering of the Wolfbat

artist Dennis McNett

Offering of the Wolfbat Viking Ship by Dennis McNett. The ship was on display at our Annual Art Education Exhibition. Photo by Steve Weinik.

  • location

    Mobile Project

  • Neighborhood

    Fishtown / Kensington

  • completion date

    May 08, 2014

There’s no filter on their thinking yet. No one’s told them that those colors don’t go together or you can’t cross those two animals together.

- Dennis McNett on working with young people.

Detail of viking ship. Photo by Steve Weinik.

About the Project 

Visiting artist Dennis McNett recently completed a month-long residency with youth in Mural Arts’ Art Education program, resulting in our first ever Viking ship. His work derives influence from 80s skateboard and punk culture, Greek and Norse mythology, and the animal kingdom.

Dennis McNett wheatpaste on North American Street. Photo by Steve Weinik.

Through synthesizing these collective themes, McNett creates a body of work that is both enticing and haunting. To create the Viking ship he used a variety of techniques including woodcut printing, screen printing, papier mâché, wheat paste, costuming, and carpentry, and simultaneously taught students these skills as well. Dennis worked with students at Centro Nueva Creacion, El Centro de Estudiantes, and NorthEast Treatment Centers. Students created their own mythological masks, shields, and t-shirts while collaborating with McNett to create the fantastic Viking ship. The ship was  unveiled at Mural Arts’ Annual Student Exhibition at the Crane Arts Building, and also made an appearance at the Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby in 2014.

During his stay, McNett also worked with Mural Arts to install a small wheatpaste mural near the Crane Arts Building.

 

City of Philadelphia Department of Human Services

Project Photos 

  • Ship in production. Photo by Steve Weinik.

  • McNett worked with Mural Arts students to create helmets and to decorate the ship. Photo by Steve Weinik.

  • Ship in production. Photo by Steve Weinik.

  • McNett worked with Mural Arts students to create helmets and to decorate the ship. Photo by Steve Weinik.

  • Ship in production. Photo by Steve Weinik.

  • McNett worked with Mural Arts students to create helmets and to decorate the ship. Photo by Steve Weinik.

  • McNett worked with Mural Arts students to create helmets and to decorate the ship. Photo by Steve Weinik.

  • Ship in production. Photo by Steve Weinik.

  • McNett worked with Mural Arts students to create helmets and to decorate the ship. Photo by Steve Weinik.

  • Ship in production. Photo by Steve Weinik.

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