Arts' Refuse: Art From the Everyday

Dean Millien completed his largest sculpture to date, a giant Bigfoot, that towers just shy of nine feet tall.

During the process, Dean, a former artist in residence at Summertime and Board Member, used over forty rolls of Reynolds Wrap foil (Grill Master Edition) and spent many an overnight blasting Erasure and Cher in Summertime’s 500 square foot studio. These late nights yielded other creations like a tinfoil cell phone holder and silver pelican.

This colossal big footed masterpiece was on view at Powerhouse Arts' Refuse: Art From the Everyday exhibition alongside pieces from artists: El Anatsui, Nancy Rubins, Jean Shin and Moses Tuki. Dean celebrated his success with eager fans on the opening night, high fiving and taking selfies with security guards, bartenders and fans alike.

“I’ve never actually made a standing sculpture. Most of the animals I make are crawling so this one was a new thing. It was challenging for me but I had the material and figured out ways to do it. I had to improvise the best I could and didn’t let it stop me. I wouldn’t change that one bit. It shows how far I can take my art.”