Meet Jeanine Centuori

Today we’re excited to be connecting with Jeanine Centuori again. If you haven’t already, we suggest you check out our prior conversation with them here.

Jeanine, always such a pleasure connecting with you and thank you for sharing your stories, insights and inspiring messages with our community. We’re looking forward to getting the download and what you have been up to since our last interview, but first can you briefly introduce yourself to folks who might have missed the prior conversation.
I founded UrbanRock Design with my partner, Russell Rock when we moved to Los Angeles and set up a studio at the Brewery Arts Complex. We wanted to do “public” art – art that was intermixed with architecture, environments, and design. At the time of our founding in the year 2000, public art was something of a new frontier. It was just getting its footing as a legitimate art form. We found this both challenging and exciting.

At the founding of our practice, we did not have a lot of completed built work to show in our portfolio. So we decided to do pro-bono and low budget projects in order to develop some finished work and gain experience. Slowly, we were able to build up a body of work that now allows us to secure larger commissions with various arts agencies.

Our current public artwork is varied in media, scale, and scope. The unifying element is that it is extremely site-specific. Each project has a theme, form, and siting that is responsive to the situation. Our work seeks to make deep connections to people and places in an effort to strengthen common ground and provide uplifting aesthetic experiences.

Awesome, so we reached out because we wanted to hear all about what you have been up to since we last connected.
We are very excited about a few current projects that are in or studio and about to be completed. We recently installed a sculptural pavilion at Boulware Park in Palo Alto, CA. This project is a bit of a new direction for us in its form and material. It is an inhabitable space that invites people to sit within it. It is made of aluminum and plastic recycled lumber that is comfortable to the touch and durable. The piece is called “Settlement,” and is a reference to the act of settling into one’s neighborhood or home. The form, a gabled roof shape, is dynamic and shifting representing change and tolerance. The Ventura neighborhood adjacent to the park site, is characterized as an eclectic, open, and diverse place within Palo Alto. These qualities are represented in the form of the piece as well as through words that are inscribed into the surfaces. This layer of inscription is meant to add mystery and further reflection with viewers.

Another project in development is for the Western State Hospital in Lakewood, WA. We are commissioned to design and install artwork for one of seven courtyards in the facility. Each courtyard will have a unique artwork that is created by an artist. This unusual format will result in a kind of public art museum embedded wiithin the building. Each space will have an artist’s vision within the environment. This is exciting for us to be a part of this program that combines public art into the infrastructure along with the high-level architecture and landscape design. It is thrilling to be able to interact with this creative collection of professionals and artists.

A third interesting project is a collaboration with graphic designer Cate Roman. We designed integrated artwork and environmental graphics for the Arleta Senior Recuperative Care facility. This 140-bed residential project attempts to address the homeless crisis in Los Angeles with temporary housing and support services. Our role in the project involved collaborating with the architect to produce and install an integrated set of signage, and art pieces that bring nature into the building.

These two current projects are helping to forge a direction for future work. While these projects represent three different venues for artwork, they each play to the specifics of place and common ground among viewers. They involve a high degree of collaboration and teamwork for achieving a collection of values.

We also want to give folks a chance to get to know you a bit better so we’ve prepared a fun lightning round of questions. Ready?

Favorite Movie: Bridesmaids- I love to laugh

Favorite Book: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind- a fascinating tale

Favorite TV Show: The Sopranos- reminds me of my roots in New Jersey

Favorite Band or Artist: Olafur Eliasson- I love the vison and grandeur

Sweet or Savory: Sweet- it’s a weakness

Mountains or Beach: Beach- the sound of the ocean is soothing

Favorite Sport (to watch): Tennis- especially on clay

Favorite Sport (to play): Tennis- but not very well

Did you play sports growing up (if so which ones): Tennis

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up: an artist or architect

French Fries or Onion Rings: French Fries

Chuck Rhodes or Bobby Axelrod: ?

Favorite Cartoon growing up: Rocky and Bullwinkle

Favorite Childhood movie: The Wizard of Oz

Favorite Breakfast Food: Bagel with cream cheese

Life is often about tough choices – can you talk to us about your thought process, strategy or philosophy when it comes to making difficult choices or tradeoffs.
It’s hard to say no to opportunities. One of the things I have learned along the way is how to say “no.” If a project or participants do not have the right values, you should not do it. When you embark on a new venture with an organization, it’s always wise to make sure that your interests and outlook are in sync with one another. I have found that when this is the case, the project flows naturally. All are moving toward the same goal. Magic is created. And it’s perfectly OK to turn down an opportunity. It will leave room for the right situation to come along.

Website: https://urbanrockdesign.com/

Instagram: https://urbanrockdesign.com/