SpecialthankstotheArtsCommunityofEaston

fortheirsupportofthisproject.

IntersectionsProjectby:

KateBrandes

katebrandes.com

and

LaurenKindle

laurenkindle.com

Intersections:TheStreetPortraitSeries

Easton,Pennsylvania

Ajointprojectbyartists:

LaurenKindleandKateBrandes

Intersections:TheStreetPortraitSeries

Easton,Pennsylvania

Ajointprojectbyartists:

LaurenKindleandKateBrandes

1

ThestorybehindtheIntersectionsProject:

Intersectionsareformedwhenpathscross.Itcanbeastreetcornerorariverconfluence.Itcanbethelivesoftwostrangerswhopauseintheirdaily

journeytotalkandlistentooneanother.Sometimes,it’sanintersectionbetweentwoartists.

LaurenKindleandKateBrandesbeganworkontheirIntersectionsProjectwiththeStreetPortraitSeriesfromfallof2015throughearly2016.Forthisseries,theypaintedstrangersinEaston,Pennsylvania.Everyweek,Kateand

Laurenvisitedordinarystreets,oftenoverlooked,andmetpeoplethattheymightnothaveotherwise.LaurenandKatepaintedtheirportraitsandtalked

tothemabouttheirlives.

Duringthisproject,theyfoundthatartcanbreakdownthewallsthatkeepusseparate.

Theyalsopaintedsomestreetscenes,and,inadditiontothepersonalportraits,Katecreated"interviewportraits,"whichrepresentshervisualsenseofwhatpeoplehadtosayaboutthemselves.

ProceedsfromthisprojectweredonatedtotheEastonLibrary,acentralhubforcommunityintersectionsandstories.

2

KateBrandes

LaurenKindle

3

Nelson

Attheintersectionof10thandNorthamptonStreets,outsideofNoto'sDeli,wemetNoslen,who

preferstobecalledNelson.He'sanartistandshowedussomeofhisartworkonhisphone.HewasborninPuertoRico,but

attheageof14,leftbecausehisfamilyfelthewasindanger.HewasputonaplanetotheUnitedStates.Awomanwaspaidto

accompanyhimontheplane,butabandonedhimattheairportwhentheyarrived.NelsonhaslivedinEastoneversince,andhas

struggledonhisown,withoutanysupport."Nobodyhelpsme,"hesaidmorethanonce."Ihavetohelpmyself."

Lauren'sPortraitofNelson

Kate'sPortraitofNelson

4

Kate'sInterviewPortraitofNelson,anartist

tryingtofindhiswaythroughlife.

PaintingasceneinfrontofNoto'sDeli

5

Gena

OutsideoftheQuadrantBook

Storeon3rdSt.,Genatalkedtousaboutpartsofherlifewhichwere

filledwithsadnessandviolence.AndyetGenaradiatedgratitudeandjoyforbeingalive."Istillhavelove.”--Gena

Lauren'sPortraitofGena

Kate'sinterviewportraitofGena,who

"stillhaslove." Kate'sPortraitofGena

6

Ana

OnSouthSideattheCoinLaundry,neartheintersectionofBerwickandValleyStreets,wemetamanandawomanandtheirgranddaughter,Ana.

Ana’sgrandparentstoldusthattheirthreegrandchildren(Anaandhertwoschool-aged

siblings)liveintheirhousejustdowntheblockfromthelaundromat.Anaagreedtositforourportraitandhergrandparentsgavepermission.Shedidn'tsayawordthe

wholetime,butsatcalmly,gazingatus,andsmilingeveryonceinawhile.

"Abuela!"wastheonlythingweheardhersay,afterwefinishedpainting,assherushedtositonhergrandmother'slap.Theolder

womanspentalongtimefussingoverhergranddaughter,brushingandbraidingher

prettydarkhair.

Lauren'sPortraitofAna

Kate'sPortraitofAna

Kate'sinterviewportraitofagirl

emergingwithinthespiraloffamily.

7

Audy

IntheCenterSquare,nearthefountain,wemetAudy,whoseemedtoknoweveryonethatpassedby.HewasborninLebanonandcametoEastonin

hislatetwenties.He’sbeensingleallhislife,butneveralone,sincehe’ssurroundedbyfamilyand

friends.Hetakesspecialprideinhisfamilyandcommunity.Whenaskedifhehadanything

importanthewantedtoshare

withtheworld,hesaid,"Lifeisshort.Gambleineverysinglesecondofit!"

Kate'sPortraitofAudy

Kate'sinterviewportraitofAudy,whois

deeplyrootedintothecommunity.

8

Lauren,paintingAudy

Lauren'sPortraitofAudy

9

Albert

WemetAlbertatWawaonCollegeHillattheIntersectionof

HighandCattellStreets.

Albert,whoworksatWawaandholdsanotherjobasacook,

isalsoanartist."Ifyou'reacollegedrop-outlikeme,"hesaid,

"youusuallyendupinthefoodserviceindustry."Hewasborn

andraisedinEaston.Althoughhe’slivedacoupleotherplaces,

includingAustin,TX,hecamehometoEastontotrytofind

hisway.

Alberthasthephrase,"C'estLaVie"tattooedincursiveacross

hisneck."Itwasoneofthethingsmygrandfatheralwaysused

tosay,"heexplained."Afterhedied,meandmybrothergotit

tattooedonourselves."

“Tomorrowisanotherday.Ilivebythat.”

10

Lauren'sPortraitofAlbert Kate'sPortraitofAlbert

Lauren'spaintingofScully's

(acrossthestreetfromWawa.)

Kate'sinterviewportrait.Apaintedtopo

mapofEaston,sinceAlbertdescribed

cominghometoEaston,butstillfinding

hisway.

11

Marge

Onarainyday,atthelaundromatnearNorthamptonand

14thstreets,wemetMarge,anemployeeatthe

laundromat."I'llbe83nextmonth!"sheannounced."On

Christmasday!"

MargehaslivedherwholelifeinStockertown,andhas

workedfornearly60years:20atthelaundromat,34at

TatamySportswear,and4atDunkin'Donuts.

Shecomesfromalargefamily."Ihadsevenbrothersand

twosisters,butfourbrothershavepassed.Theyallhad

cancer."

Shelivesalonewithnochildrenorpets.Sheenjoys

makingpersonalconnectionswithpeoplewhocomeinto

thelaundromat.Herotherlifepleasuresincludethegame

showchannelontelevisionandlisteningtomusic.Her

smilelightstheroom.

12

Lauren'sPortraitofMarge

Kate'sPortraitofMarge

Kate'sinterviewportrait-Winter

Light.Forawoman,bornon

ChristmasDay,whodescribed

herselfasfiery.

13

Jason

InCenterSquare,wemetJasonfromAlabama,whohasbeautifuleyesthat

crinklewhenhesmiles.AlthoughJasonishomeless,he'splantedrosesoutsideofthetent,wherehelivesbytheriver.

PeopledrivingbywaveandcallouttoJason.HecomestotheCircleeveryday,rainorshine,andtellseveryonewhopassesby

to"haveablessedday."Hewantstomakepeoplehappyandbringthemoutofsadness."Godislove,"Jasonsaid."Godkeptmealive."

Kate'sinterviewportrait

oftheAngelofthe

Circle.

14

Lauren'sPortrait

ofJason

Kate'sPortraitofJason

15

Robin

WemetRobinatthePostOfficeonFerryStreet."Ienjoymylife.WhenIwake

upinthemorning,IappreciateeverymomentIhave.Everysecondofeverymoment.It'sagift."

Robinisdrawntomountainsandwaterandlovestrees.She’dliketoliveinatreehouse.She’spartiallyblindandcan’tseewellenoughtodrive,butmissesdrivingbecauseshe’dliketovisitthemountains.Shealsodoesn’tliketodependonpeople.

Sheseesherselfasthelisteningearsofpeopleonthestreet.Robinlikestoattend

churchandisstilllookingforonethatrepresentsallcultures.She’salwayslovedpearlsandshawls(chiffon).She’sbeenaveganfor3years,

forhealthandspiritualreasons.Morningishersacredtime.Shewakesupat3or

4."There’safreshnessatthattime.Inthequiet,Godcantalktoyou.”

“Don’trushthroughlife.You’llmisssomanythings.”

Robin’sInterviewPortrait–she

describedherselfasthePearlLady.She

worethemonherearsandaroundher

neck.Partofherbeautyformedfrom

adversity–justlikeapearl.

16

Kate'sPortraitofRobin

Lauren'sPortraitofRobin

17

Santos

WemetSantosatthelaundromatonCollegeHill,nearthe

intersectionofMonroeandCattellstreets.

Santosisafriendlyman,notafraidtostrikeupaconversation.

He’sanimmigrantfromCostaRica,whoprefersrollinghillsand

farmstodowntown.Perhapsbecausehegrewupinthejungle,

withsnakesandcoffeetrees.

"WhatwineistotheItalians,coffeeistousinCostaRica."

Hesaidhe’s,"homesickeveryday,everyyear.Foreverysingle

immigrantinthiscountry,it'strue.Weallleftsomethingbehind."

"Yourjobdoesn'tdefineyourperson,asahumanbeing.My

experience—beingHispanicandanimmigrant---youseehowthey

treatyou.Peopleshouldrespecteachother,ashumanbeings,no

matterwhatyoudoforaliving."

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Kate'sinterview

portraitofSantos.As

animmigrantfrom

CostaRica,hespoke

aboutisolation,

amalgamation,and

assimilation.

Lauren'sPortraitofSantos Kate'sPortraitofSantos

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Kathlene

WemetKathleneinthelibrary.Shehastwosons,ages16and19.She

andherhusbandarebothNewYorkCitynatives,butmovedto

Eastonmorethantenyearsago,attractedtoitsculture,affordability,

andproximitytoNewYork.Theybothusedtoworkinthefilm

industry,butaftermovingtoEaston,Kathlenestartedherown

businesstohelppeopledeveloptheirwellnessgoals.Shespeaks

passionatelyaboutflavor.Kathleenalsolovesbirdsandthecolorred.

“Livinginthemomentisthemostimportantthing.Lifeisfleeting

andchangesmomenttomoment.Havingsomethinglikethis(sitting

forourportrait)isonesideofthespectrum.Whoknowswhat

happenswhenIleavehere.”

Kathlene'sInterview

Portrait-anabstract

paintingofflavor.

20

Lauren'sPortraitofKathlene

Kate'sPortraitofKathlene

Lauren'sPaintingofacartinthe

library.

21

KateBrandesisawriterandwatercolorartistinterestedinthe

confluenceofstoriesandvisualart,oftenthroughthelensofthenaturalworld.She'sdrawntotheideaofhowplaceshapesa

person'sworldview.TheStreetPortraitSeriesoftheIntersectionsProjectallowedconnectionsbetweenartistsandstrangers,anexperiencethat,forKate,accentuatedoursharedhumanexperience.

LaurenKindleisanoilpainterdeeplyimmersedintheprocessof

learninghercraftandseekingtodevelopherownvoice.SheoftenpaintsinthechiaroscurostyleoftheOldMastersthatsheadmires,

butalsodabblesinothermethodsofpainting,astheinspirationstrikes.Sheisdrawntotheideaoftryingtograsptheintangibledesiresthatarisebetweentwopeople,orforcertainbelovedobjectsandplaces.ForLauren,“Intersections”hasbeenawaytoexperienceArtasCollaboration,asacatalystforconnectingwithotherpeople.

SpecialthankstotheArtsCommunityofEaston

fortheirsupportofthisproject.

IntersectionsProjectby:

KateBrandes

katebrandes.com

and

LaurenKindle

laurenkindle.com

Intersections:TheStreetPortraitSeries

Easton,Pennsylvania

Ajointprojectbyartists:

LaurenKindleandKateBrandes