“ I also love collaborating and figuring out how multiple factors can connect . rainbow bubbles throughout , that added this surreal quality that tied it all together . It is a fun challenge , collaborating !”
Photo by Megan Kennedy
“ I also love collaborating and figuring out how multiple factors can connect . rainbow bubbles throughout , that added this surreal quality that tied it all together . It is a fun challenge , collaborating !”
Mallory also serves as president of the Columbia Fire and Iron Blacksmithing Club , and much of her work bringing art to the community has been through the club . She ’ s been instrumental to the club ’ s outreach efforts . She secured a SAGA grant for the club in 2018 to buy new anvils and a trailer , enabling the club to put on demos and workshops , and ultimately creating a functional public art piece . Designed by David Kailey and Mallory Battista , “ Local Fruit ” is a bike rack dedicated to the Emerson-Garfield Farmers ’ Market and forged by Columbia Fire and Iron members .
The club created “ lucky unicorn horseshoe ” party favors for the Spokane Art Awards Event in 2019 , and Battista designed and forged all of the awards herself that year . This year , Mallory is thrilled to announce that she , along with Lisa Soranaka , is nominated for their collaboration on “ Sun Shines Through .”
Battista ’ s next project is rebooting a free zine , rich with local comics and art . She will be working with Michael Stearns and
Dorian Karahalios to bring printed copies to Spokane in October . Mallory is thrilled be involved with this zine again , titled the Spokane Sequential , as it was very influential to helping lift off her career as an artist . “ I had a comic in every issue of Spokane Sequential from its start in 2017 , through its last issue in 2019 , and it really was a gateway into the local art scene for me ; I met so many other artists and writers and it opened a lot of doors .” On October 1st , visit www . spokanesequential . neocities . org / or their social media to find out where to pick up a copy .
Mallory Battista ’ s journey through the world of public art is one marked by creativity , collaboration , and a steadfast dedication to weaving visual narratives that resonate with the hearts of communities . From the humble corners of her basement studio to the grandeur of public spaces , Battista ’ s work stands as a testament to the transformative power of art , inviting viewers to embrace the whimsy , celebrate diversity , and find solace in the stories that surround us .
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“ Sun Shine Through ” Mosaic sculpture | Mallory Battista and Lisa
Soranaka | 2023
76 ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE