By Faith Morgan
WKTV Intern
Local artist Reb Roberts already planned to make his iconic chickens part of the newest mural at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport and as he began painting, he couldn’t help but notice how empty the airport was.
The Gerald R. Ford Airport had been reporting record numbers up until the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March and like many airports across the nation, the Ford Airport saw the number of visitors drop severely. Seven months later, and many people have opted for either other ways to travel or have reduced flight time.
The fact that most chickens do not fly and that the Ford Airport was somewhat empty, lead Roberts to name the mural “Chickens Don’t Fly Too Much.”
“When I was there at the airport, it was kind of amazing because there’s not that many people traveling,” Roberts said during a recent virtual interview. “I think it was just perfect timing.”
The 80-foot mural features chickens and other birds along with dogs, trucks and Roberts’ signature sun, making for an inviting welcome or fond farewell to airport travelers. Roberts said he personally hopes the mural will encourage people to fly and help the airport get back to the incredible amount of traffic it had post COVID-19.
“Chickens” is the second in a series of murals created by notable West Michigan artists as part of the Frey Foundation’s gift, which will also feature changing sculptures and exhibits. The mural joins “The Great Blue,” which was completed in March by Nick Nortier and Kyle DeGroff and features a blue heron on a Michigan waterway.
Colorful creations everywhere
A quick drive through Grand Rapids and you can see many of Roberts’ work in city parks and Grand Rapids Public Schools. From 1999 to 2017, Roberts and his wife Carmella owned and operated Sanctuary Folk Art on Division Street.
“That street is it’s own animal and some of the things that are being experienced right now in this country and in this world are things that have been happening on Division for years and years and years, but no one’s really addressed it as a whole,” he said.
The gallery featured work by many local outsider folk artists, artists who are self-taught or haven’t received professional training.
Roberts admitted he often found himself attracted to this form of art. “There could be 100 booths of artwork and I would always like that stuff, it shows what somebody has to say. It wasn’t too formal or you didn’t have to interpret it too much.”
In fact, 20 years before diving into his career as an artist, Roberts worked with children and families, often finding joy in children creating spontaneous, colorful works of art. “Before painting I didn’t know much,” he said, adding that after working with kids he found a calling towards art, especially through the creations of preschoolers. “If they can paint, then I can paint,” he said.
Just Pick Up a Brush
If you’re a creative person looking for motivation, Roberts shared his technique for how he starts his pieces.
“Wherever you are at the most, whatever space you frequent the most, it’s important to have those materials right there so they’re staring you in the face,” he said, adding it doesn’t matter whether you’re a painter or a musician, whatever medium of creativity you explore, have that medium somewhere in plan sight. Often creative individuals try to wait for ideas to inspire them, but as Roberts said, having your medium physically there is the best motivator for inspiration.
Roberts said that artists often get frustrated by the lack of traction their work receives. He encouraged that anyone who is creative to keep practicing. Even having hundreds of pieces of work could be beneficial to an audience and acts as a “savings account” for artists.
“Make more,” he said. “It’s a gift, if you’re an artist it’s a major gift. There’s a lot of good things about being a creative person, you can do it anywhere in the world.”
And sometimes you need to take a break
During the pandemic, Roberts took a short break from painting.
“I was just trying to figure out what was going on in the world like a lot of people were,” he said. “I kind of liked the quiet in the world for a little bit.”
Roberts said he knew he’d eventually return to his artistic strive. “When you’re ready, get back at it.”
And so he did. Along with the Ford Airport mural, Roberts recently added to his “outdoor” collection with colorful benches on the corner of Pearl Street and Ionia Avenue to colorful umbrellas outside cafes and restaurants stretched down Fulton Street featuring his stylized characters including those famous chickens.
