Piano Information:
"Clara" — by designer: Zach Yarrington
Photography by: Benji Vuong
LOCATION:
Northwest Children's Theater and School
DESIGNER:
Zach Yarrington
MUSICIAN:
Clara Shumann
SPONSOR:
Tidbit Food Farm & Garden
We rescue pianos and put them on the street for everybody to enjoy. We want to give pianists more opportunities to play for the public.
ARTIST STATEMENT:
I find that the creative process can sometimes be stifling. The blank canvas never fails to intimidate. When I first saw my piano, I’ll admit I was hesitant to even alter its appearance at all. I thought it was beautiful. With whatever new form it would take, I wanted to keep it’s integrity intact.
My objective for the piano is that it would really inspire people to play it. I hope that its luminescent appearance draws a stranger close on a dark night. I hope that a young child is curious enough to interact with it. I want a novice pianist to share their first song with the world! Because such an important part of creating is beginning. Even though it can seem daunting, you’ve got to put pen to paper and just start something to get it out there.
So, play. Make noise. Play your favorite song. Play the greatest song anyones ever heard. Have fun. Play gibberish.
Whatever you do, PLAY.
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY:
Originally from the Detroit area, Zach Yarrington moved west to receive his BFA in Digital Arts from the University of Oregon in 2011. He now hails home in Portland as graphic artist whose typographic catch-phrases can be seen illustrated on walls across the Pacific Northwest.
Influenced by traditional American sign writing culture, contemporary design and the infiniteness of space, his bold captions engage passersby in uplifting visual conversations.
Namesake Musician:
Clara Schumann
"In an era when women, apart from singers, almost never performed in public or composed, Clara Schumann did both. She distinguished herself as the foremost interpreter of her husband Robert’s work, but she was also a primary force in reintroducing eighteenth-century keyboard music to the public. Unfortunately, her own compositions remained unknown until the second half of the twentieth century. Many are still unpublished and owned by private collectors, so we still cannot appreciate the full extent of her compositional achievements."
Location:
Northwest Children's Theater and School
Note: If you want to visit this piano, please contact the location. Many of our forever homes are not open to the public.
Sponsor:
Tidbit Food Farm & Garden
ABOUT PIANO! PUSH PLAY!
We rescue pianos, put them on the street for everyone to enjoy, and then give them to schools, community centers, artists, and others who will love them as much as we do.
