Six artists, three weeks, three shipping containers, one Muralthon. Six new murals mark a step forward for Muralgarten, a unique destination that will combine public art and native plantings adjacent to The Shirt Factory in Glens Falls. The vision of Eric Unkauf (owner of The Shirt Factory) with the support of a board including Tom Myott, Hannah Williams, Kendra Farstad, and Matthew Martindale, Muralgarten seeks to give artists the creative freedom to paint what they want, in the style that they want.
We’re excited to introduce you to another one of the talented artists behind Muralthon’s six murals, Rachel Henrich, whose mural is meant to inspire the senses with a bold flow of color.
Tell us about yourself!
I am a Jane of many trades and working towards mastering a few. I feel that almost all aspects of life feed and inspire other areas, such as health, spirit, and energy — they are almost never mutually exclusive. Everything we do eventually reflects back as we create our stories; our masterpiece.
It has been a natural progression for me to study many fields of interest and learn to love and appreciate how they all flow into a brighter and more aligned life. I am an artist and healer by trade, and for me these two especially flow together because to learn art is a pathway for your own genius to shine, while to learn to work towards your own health is also a brave undertaking that often involves things like growing practices of visualization, connection, conscious consumption, movement, creativity and awareness. Practices that written on paper may sound easy but truly ask a lot of you. Advocating for yourself and living the life you want to live is not always easy but it is definitely worth it.
I am from South Glens Falls, and I am a 2002 graduate of South High. I studied art and photography in college and have been traveling the world since I was 21, studying art and medicine with teachers and travelers from different cultures — some certified and others internships just to learn. I have a great love for quantum energy and plant medicines and I feel the future of medicine lies in a mixture of these with western practices. It’s growing quite rapidly and I love the increasing acceptance and curiosity.
I just moved home a year ago from Costa Rica and have since enrolled myself in studies at UAlbany to continue my deep love for medicine and healing, with potential plans to study Osteopathic Medicine. We will see how it unfolds — life always has its plan next to mine.
On Becoming an Artist
Art has supported me as I’ve traveled around the world. Commissioned pieces are my most lucrative channel with art.
It just kind of happens, at events like dance parties on the beach or dinners in new homeowners homes where conversations start and then end with a plan for new art to be made. It's been a dream actually, and a seamless one at that. I have made incredible friends and connections through art and I am forever grateful for being able to continue to express my passion through paint and other mediums.
Currently, I am working on building business practices like a website and art studio here in Glens Falls where people can stop in and see my work. I will always love to travel but building a foundation has been feeling really good these days. It takes time after moving for so long.
On Inspiration
My work in Muralgarten was all about color play, color theory, and inspiring the senses with the bold flow of color. Color is medicine and we (our systems) are directly affected by it on deep levels whether we are aware of it or not.
On Adapting When Creating
For this piece I was drawing my lines out with a ruler and taping to get really nice crisp lines. It is easy in theory, but I didn’t factor in the variegated metal and was met with some challenges getting lines and paint down nice and clean. In the end the rippled metal made for an added dimensional effect on the piece and I wouldn't want it any other way. There are always surprises when creating — you learn to adapt while having fun as best as possible.
On Art and Life
I think that everything we do in this life is art.
How we treat each other, how we deal with situations, how we perceive the world, it’s all art.
I see everyone as an amazing artist painting their canvas of life. Everyone is at a different level of creating their magic.
Art is not always a pretty process. You learn techniques to help shade colors and add brightness to make certain parts shine that maybe sat dull for a while. A key component to making good art is always to step away and get some new perspective and let new energy inspire your life.
I hope that people know and believe that they have so much power to create their reality and it can be super fun while supporting your life. One of the best steps in this direction is to get out, explore your passions, and be ok with not being good at things. Part of the art is that step alone. Be open and enjoy creating and exploring — it will change your life.
Some Glens Falls Favorites
My favorite downtown place to eat has always been Mikado. From the old school days on South Street to their expansion on Glen, they always get my patronage and make a pretty solid Ramen. It's great to see Glens Falls growing and keeping its sweet small town essence along the way.
Rachel Henrich
Instagram
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Rachel is also a certified breathwork facilitator offering transformative breathwork classes in the area - follow @breathwork_journeyz for more info.
