Artist Paints Hundreds Of Light Switch Covers

For the past several months artist Courtney Kenny Porto has been tediously painting hundreds of light switch covers for her upcoming exhibit, Switch It Up, at the little gallery in Benson. Porto originally decided to use light switch covers as her canvas as a less expensive way for viewers to buy an original piece of art. She was also interested in the idea that these pieces can be used functionally, as true light-switch covers, or displayed in groups as a multi-paneled painting. “As I began to dive deeper into this idea and its potential, I realized that I wanted to cover an entire wall in light switch covers.” Says Porto. For Switch It up, Porto has painted about 450 covers in order to cover a 19.5ft wall in the little gallery. Her intention is for the viewer to be completely engulfed in hundreds of small pieces of art. The majority of Porto’s covers are abstract pieces, utilizing design, texture and composition; some are realism, one group makes up a larger representational image, and a few depict small segments from other larger paintings. The paintings from which they are taken will also be on display. The wall of light switch covers, as well as the other related paintings, will be displayed at the little gallery in Benson with the opening reception on Friday, June 2nd from 6-9pm and it will be up through the end of the month.