Meet Local Artist, Writer, & Illustrator, Bren Bataclan

1400 MASSACHUSETTS AVE,CAMBRIDGE MA 02138

17 November, 2021

Description

A visual presentation, discussion & signing with a vibrant Cambridge based artist. Hilarious, sensitive and brilliant all at once! The Harvard / MIT Coop happily announces the return of our IN-STORE Event Series. Based upon the generous and positive feedback we have received from our favorite authors, new friends, and from our loyal customers, its time to bring back what we have missed so much......connectivity and discovery, in real life! All attendees are required to wear masks indoors. Attendance is limited and based on a first come, first served basis unless otherwise noted. Some content in this presentation might not be appropriate for young children. ABOUT THE BOOK:When people ask Bren Bataclan to describe the tumultuous life with his mom Fe, they often ask, “How did you turn out so nice?” Bataclan’s graphic memoir illustrates many volatile, often hilarious experiences with a tantrum-prone, narcissistic, hoarder mom. Yet Fe is fundamentally a loving and gay-supportive, though often challenging, Filipina mother. Bataclan shares a journey tracing his family’s immigration from the Philippines to the United States. You will remember his bittersweet story forever, as he moves from coping to thriving, with frustration, trauma, compassion, and eventual acceptance. ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Bren Bataclan is a Boston-based artist. He was born in the Philippines and grew up in Daly City/Bay Area, CA. Prior to becoming a full-time artist, Bren taught design and computer animation at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the Boston Museum School. In the early 2000s, Bren began giving away paintings in public spaces with a note saying, "This painting is yours if you promise to smile at random people more often." Since then, he has given away over 3,000 paintings in close to 80 different countries and to all 50 states in the U.S. As anti-bullying programs gained popularity, schools began to ask Bren to give presentations about his kindness-related street art project. His "Pay-It-Forward" themed presentations led to mural projects. Bren has now painted over 250 murals for schools, hospitals and businesses. The cartoon-like characters Bren draws are inspired by his days watching "Giant Robot" anime shows when he was a kid in Manila. The color scheme he uses for his acrylic-based paintings is what he used to see growing up in a tropical, festive and vibrant country. Bren now goes beyond his painting giveaways. He currently delves deeper into his Filipino culture, both personally and politically. Since a recent spate of "super storms" in his homeland, Bren has created series of typhoon-related artwork to heighten Global Warming awareness and to raise funds for storm victims. His newer works deal with his immigration experience. Bren has exhibited his work across the country. Heinemann Press also published an elementary school textbook entitled, "The Smile Artist," about his artwork. In 2017, he gave a TedX Talk about his street art project . And in 2021, Bren's book, Fe: A Traumatized Son's Graphic Memoir, was published by PAWA (Philippine American Writers and Artists, Inc.). ARTIST STATEMENT:I like to make people smile—that's why I give away acrylic paintings with whimsical characters. My kindness-related street art project led me to work with schools, where I feel so fortunate to be able to collaborate with students, incorporating their work in large scale murals. I didn't expect to become a muralist but I am loving it. Lastly, I explore Filipino-related subjects in my more personal work. Expressing my cultural background through my artwork is one of my passions. Smile Boston Project Community Connections Guidelines: We're thrilled to finally be hosting author events again! BUT, the success of our series depends upon community cooperation. Please review our guidelines for indoor events: You must be masked to attend.Our Event capacity during COVID is 20 to 40 people, depending on the event format (discussion, lecture or signing only).Seating will be socially distanced, please do not move or rearrange the seating.All presenters, attendees and staff must always wear a face mask while in the store. No food or drink consumption on the premises.For FREE events, attendance is first come, first served. We do reserve the right to deny admittance to late arrivals.PAID / TICKETED events will require a valid ticket to attend.As a reminder: If you are not feeling well, please do not come to the event.By attending any event at The Coop, you agree to be respectful towards authors, other attendees, and staff and to refrain from inappropriate or disruptive behavior and/or harassment of any kind including, but not limited to, hate speech, spam comments, slurs, obscenities, etc. Anyone who violates these community guidelines will be removed from the event and may be barred from the store and/or attending future events. If you have any questions regarding these guidelines or to request accessibility accommodations, please contact us via this page. Welcome to The World Famous Harvard & MIT Coop! Serving the Harvard, MIT and Cambridge Communities since 1882. 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