Photo by Jenny Kirk As David KelseyBassett, right, lifts the lid, Oak Bassett pulls the freshly-printed T-shirt off the screen printer inside a mobile trailer named the Screening Eagle. The two artists have prints, posters and pieces on display at Marshall Area Fine Arts Council and were honored at an artists’ reception on Saturday.

MARSHALL — The Marshall Area Fine Arts Council (MAFAC) has been presenting the “Solid Wall of Sound,” a creative collaboration between Oak Kelsey and David KelseyBassett, since the end of May. On Saturday, the organization hosted an artists’ reception.

“The show is about music,” said Jim Swartz, who is on the exhibit committee for MAFAC. “It’s the concepts and images they’ve pulled from cultural things, like samplings of music. They’ve tied in visual aspects and music samplings. Images, record jackets and concert posters are an important aspect of our culture — just as much as art and paintings in our own museums.”

Both featured artists are graduates of Southwest Minnesota State University — Kelsey, who lives in Marshall, is a theater major, while KelseyBassett, who is from Lamberton, is a graphic design major. Both men are also musicians.

“They do a lot of jamming and a lot of other events,” Swartz said. “They often connect the music with the art and performance. The show is about sampling music and producing images about music. It’s a great tie-in.”

A number of people gathered to view the many prints, posters and pieces created by the local artists and hung on the walls at MAFAC.

“The name of the show is ‘Solid Wall of Sound’ and it’s inspired by A Tribe Called Quest song that features Elton John’s hip-hop song,” KelseyBassett said on a YouTube video made in connection to the show. “And since our work is inspired by music that’s on the walls, we thought “(Solid) Wall of Sound would be appropriate for the show.”

Oak Kelsey pointed out that the large display on one wall was created using flyers from the shows he and KelseyBassett, his brother-in-law, did.

“In bigger cities, there are flyers on top of flyers,” Kelsey said. “They stack them up on top of each other. Most of the flyers are from around 1993. We pulled them out and made a wall of posters, using those old posters.”

One of the highlights of the afternoon included a collaboration of Kelsey’s chalk drawings and KelseyBassett’s screen printing expertise.

“Oak made a chalk drawing of Batman playing the piano, and it made it into the show,” KelseyBassett said. “I thought it would make a good print.”

As part of a grant through Southwest Minnesota Arts Council (SMAC), a 1959 Shasta camper was remodeled into a mobile screen printing shop. It’s called the Screening Eagle. On Saturday, people who brought a T-shirt or sweatshirt were able to get the Batman image printed on it.

“I got the first one,” MAFAC exhibit committee chair Alma Hale said. “It’s very cool. I love it. I’m going to be the envy of all my nieces and nephews.”

Hale teaches graphic design at SMSU. Swartz is a former teacher there as well.

“Both of the artists are former students of mine,” Swartz said. “Dave got a grant through SMAC to build this trailer to do a mobile screen printing shop for workshops at schools and other places.”

Today at the Varsity Pub Extra Innings, there is a “Solid Wall of Sound” printing party for anyone who wants to attend. Children need to be accompanied by an adult. The event takes place from 7-9 p.m.

“It’s bring a shirt, print a shirt and it’s in connection with this show,” KelseyBassett said. “It will be in the patio at the Varsity Pub. There will be a few different designs for people to choose from.”

The very first printing party that was done was after Prince died.

“We’re now taking it on the road,” KelseyBassett said. “It’s kind of shrouded in mystery how you do screen printing. It’s also a way to make screen printing more accessible to people.”

A second printing party will be held the following Friday (July 7) at the Varsity Pub, also from 7-9 p.m.

While “Solid Wall of Sound” will be on display at MAFAC through July 7, there is also a YouTube video that allows people to view most of the displays. It can be found at: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8lgAp_c5ewU&feature=youtu.be

Grants from SMAC and fund appropriated by the State Legislature and/or by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota in 2008, City and County Appropriations, Corporate, Business and Individual memberships fund MAFAC and its Arts Center.