Middletown Artist Greening up the Downtown

Thanks to local artist Pierre Sylvain, Middletown will soon get a lot brighter, and more environmentally friendly.

Backed by a grant from the Middletown Commission on the Arts, Sylvain devoted two months — and as much as 10 hours a day — to painting oil drums which are to be used as recycling canisters along Main Street.

“Every one I did, I put so much of myself in,” said Sylvain, 41. “When people see them, you will understand exactly what I mean. I worked on them so hard.”

Each oil drum painting depicts a unique, vividly colored scene. Some feature local landmarks such as the Arrigoni Bridge and O’Rourke’s Diner. There are island scenes. Others are hip-hop inspired.

“I wanted to have the cans appeal to everyone,” Sylvain said.

The recycling canisters will be unveiled Oct. 15 at 10 a.m., during a small ceremony on the South Green.

It is anticipated that Sylvain’s work will become a fixture on Main Street, something the artist is very proud of.

“I just want to represent the art scene. Art is a huge part of Middletown,” he said. “I feel very privileged to be a part of it. I’m very happy.”

Originally, Sylvain had planned to team with young artists from Moody School on the oil drum project. The timing didn’t work out, however.

“I was going to do eight (cans) by myself, and two with the kids,” Sylvain said. “But by the time I got the grant, it was the middle of June. School was almost done … I wanted the kids to be involved in that so badly.”

A native of Haiti, Sylvain has been an artist for as a far back as he can remember. Caribbean landscape painting is his specialty.

“I think what makes me want to do art is that, when you do a piece, it means different things to so many people,” said Sylvain, who has lived in Middletown for some 20 years. “The finished product, when you create something, I wish that for everyone. When you start seeing something take shape, you say ‘wow.’ You’re seeing something that was inside. It’s just amazing.”

Sylvain’s first solo art exhibit was at Liberty Bank on Main Street. He has been in group shows as well.

Some of Sylvain’s work is on permanent display at Fiore II Restaurant in Middletown and at the Imperial Caribbean restaurant in Cromwell.

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