Artist: Mary Arnett-Delaney

Project Title: REST – RUST – DUST

Location: Downtown at Mulberry & Adams

Project Statement: As an artist that works a full-time job, I am in a continuous struggle of feeling as though I am not working enough on my art practices and feeling as though I am not relaxing during my free time. Much of the time it is the former, but not doing anything to change that habit. The phrase I have written for this Box! Box! project (“too much REST turns to RUST then to DUST”) is a memento mori phrase of sorts that is mostly directed towards myself, but hopefully it reminds other people of the pitfalls of too much rest. I hope that the public display of this phrase will be an interruption of the daily lives of the people of Muncie. My hope is that it will serve as a reminder for people to do what they are passionate about rather than rest, rust, and turn to dust.

Artist Bio: As an artist I am inspired by poetry and the visual impact of words. I write phrases that stand alone, but express a much larger idea. I do this by thinking about a big idea and boiling it down to key words. I think, write, and rewrite the key words to create a “turn of phrase.” I try to make the phrases impactful, memorable, or even humorous. I start a thinking process with the viewer as they think about the larger idea of the phrase, even if just for a moment. This moment of thought creates a pocket of time in which poetry and thoughtfulness have Interrupted the viewer’s daily flow. My hope is that this interruption combined with a striking visual representation of the phrases makes them worth remembering.
Mary Annett-Delaney lives and works in Muncie, IN.