Making a Scene in Grand Rapids with Paintable SEG Fabric
CAT Footwear invited the public to “Make a Scene” by expressing their creative side with a giant paint by number SEG fabric graphic for their Spring/Summer 2017 fashion show at Calder Plaza in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The local footwear company, based in Rockford, MI, puts on a runway fashion show twice a year to announce their new collections to distributors. This is the first time the fashion event was open to the public in downtown Grand Rapids.
Grand Rapids and the Calder Plaza are know for hosting artistic events. To bring the arts into the event CAT Footwear contacted 40 VISUALS to create a giant interactive art piece. The requirements of the project were that it had to be enormous and hold up to being painted on at the outdoor event. CAT also wanted a more upscale finished appearance that could be displayed at their semi-annual global sales conference as DeVos Place following the launch party. They had done a paint by number at a previous event on a much smaller scale produced on vinyl banner material hung with grommets. This project needed to be an impressive stylish piece fit for the high fashion event.
Behind the Scenes
Our team immediately thought Silicone Edge Graphic (SEG) Fabric fit all the needs of the project. Never having used SEG fabric as a canvas for painting we tested our different fabric media options for the best material. We painted on scrap pieces of our Frontlit Fabric, Backlit Fabric, and Banner Fabric to see how each accepted the paint. Frontlit Fabric was the winner as the paint soaked in easily without pooling, dripping or bleeding out.
Pairing the Frontlit SEG Fabric with a Wall Mounted Aluminum Framing System allowed the fabric to be stretched taut, giving it a smooth finished appearance. The tension fabric gave the graphic enough rigidity to withstand people painting on it. The silicone edge sewn around the perimeter of the fabric is inserted into a channel and hides the frame and support bars. The frame structure was then able to be mounted to scaffold without any visible hardware for a clean polished appearance. SEG Fabric frames are also available as freestanding units, however with the amount of interaction painting involved on top of being used outside in the elements additional stability precautions were recommend.
SEG Fabric and Framing Systems were also a clear choice as its the perfect solution for large graphic displays. We were able to meet CAT’s vision of a giant paint by number by creating this at 40ft wide by 8ft tall. For ease of transportation and assembly the graphic was printed and framed in three sections. The thin frame extrusions allowed for the graphic to be hung with a virtually seamless appearance.
People of all ages enjoyed putting their mark on finished SEG Fabric paint by number graphic. The huge graphic added the artistic interactive element CAT Footwear was looking for. It also served as a great photo backdrop for attendees at the event. In addition to the paint by number art piece the event included local DJ AB, pop artist Tunde Olaniran , Perin brewery, a virtual reality photo booth, and of course models hitting the catwalk.
For more information and photos from the event visit WOOD TV8, MLIVE or CAT Footwear on Facebook.
This is by far the most unique SEG Fabric projects we’ve created! If you’re looking for a fun feature like this for your next event or to spark some ideas give us a call at 800-962-3119.
