About Sally
Sally Wern Comport founded Art at Large, Inc. in 2003. Combining her life-long career as an illustrator with an interest in exhibition design and large scale work, Comport’s firm applies visual problem solving skills to publishing, public and institutional artwork and environmental graphic design. A graduate of Columbus College of Art and Design, Comport went on to earn her masters degree from Syracuse University. She remains a frequent lecturer and instructor at Maryland Institute… more
"Tree of Life" at Brightview West End, Rockville Maryland
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"Tree of Life"Upshot of illuminated night view of "Tree of Life" Brightview West End, Rockville MD
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"Tree of Life" Brightview West End, Rockville MDIlluminated night view of final installation, "Tree of Life" at Brightview West End Senior Living in Rockville, Maryland
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VisArts GalleryAs part of the development of the "Tree of Life" artwork, Art at Large executed a call for entries with VisArts Rockville and all Brightview Senior Living facilities across the northeast to collect life-affirming imagery from artists of all backgrounds. Comport concurrently juried the entries for inclusion in the final art piece, as well as curating and producing a gallery exhibition at VisArts to showcase the diversity of voices to be included.
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"Tree of Life" (detail)The Tree of Life is made up of 173 24-inch by 24-inch art panels, incorporating art produced by 62 artists of diverse backgrounds. The "Tree" is bejeweled with various symbols reflecting positive life-affirming imagery. This detail shows one of the 173 art panels.
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"Tree of Life" (detail)The Tree of Life is made up of 173 24-inch by 24-inch art panels, incorporating art produced by 62 artists of diverse backgrounds. The "Tree" is bejeweled with various symbols reflecting positive life-affirming imagery. This detail shows one of the 173 art panels.
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"Tree of Life" (Detail)The Tree of Life is made up of 173 24-inch by 24-inch art panels, incorporating art produced by 62 artists of diverse backgrounds. The "Tree" is bejeweled with various symbols reflecting positive life-affirming imagery. This detail shows a collection of 5 of the 173 art panels.
NPS Harriet Tubman Visitor Center
Comport's illustrations for the exhibition have been recognized by the Society of Illustrators Annual and Communication Arts Illustration Annual.
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Harriet Tubman, SurvivalThis image illustrates Tubman's resourcefulness and ability to survive in the elements as she forages for food.
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Harriet Tubman, Singing at the GateHarriet Tubman singing at the gate as she makes her first escape of many from a life of enslavement. An illustrated mural for National Park Service Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Cambridge Maryland.
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Singing at the Gate Exhibit ViewExhibit View Detail. Harriet Tubman singing at the gate as she makes her first escape of many from a life of enslavement. An illustrated mural for National Park Service Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Cambridge Maryland.
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Tubman, Combahee River RaidIllustrated backdrop of a chaotic scene from the Combahee River Raid, the first U.S. military operation to be led by a woman, Tubman.
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Tubman, SeasonsThese back-lit stained-glass-esque images represented the seasons of Tubman's life and her oneness with nature as visitors exited the exhibition.
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Tubman, Seasons 2These back-lit stained-glass-esque images represented the seasons of Tubman's life and her oneness with nature as visitors exited the exhibition.
"Ada's Violin, The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay"
Ada Ríos grew up in Cateura, a small town in Paraguay built on a landfill. She dreamed of playing the violin, but with little money for anything but the bare essentials, it was never an option...until a music teacher named Favio Chávez arrived. He wanted to give the children of Cateura something special, so he made them instruments out of materials found in the trash. It was a crazy idea, but one that would leave Ada—and her town—forever changed. Now, the Recycled Orchestra plays venues around the world, spreading their message of hope and innovation.
Comport employed collage and drawing techniques to capture the resilience and hope of the student musicians despite their difficult environment.
Ada's Violin has received The Christopher Award, the Flora Stieglitz Straus Award by Bank Street College, the Américas Award, and has been included in the Society of Illustrators Original Art Show. For a full list of acknowlegements, visit sallycomport.com/press
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The Sounds of the Recycled OrchestraThe sounds of the Recycled Orchestra carry through the town as the gancheros head home from a hard days work.
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Ada DreamsAda of Cateura, a community built on a landfill, dreams of the treasures that could be hidden within the heap of trash.
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Cola's ShopCola, a ganchero and craftsman in town, tinkers in his shop to replicate the instruments with recycled materials.
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Ada PlaysAda transcends the bounds of her troubled environment when she experiences playing the violin
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The Recycled Orchestra Around the WorldThe Recycled Orchestra travels the world, performing for international audiences of massive scale.
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Ada's Violin
ArtWalk's Crosswalks: Tactical Urbanism
In collaboration with many entities throughout Annapolis, ArtWalk initiated the first in a series of artistically painted crosswalks to encourage walkability throughout the city. Starting at the gateway to the Arts District, this art installation brings motorists' attention to pedestrians crossing this busy intersection, while beautifying the neighborhood.
With creative input from the students of Studio 39, lead designer Sally Comport incorporated their concepts into a cohesive, vibrant piece while also spotlighting premier artists in the community. Patrice Drago of Maryland Hall, Charles Lawrance of FinArt, as well as Comport herself painted original designs within the entryway circles to the crossings.
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ArtWalk Crosswalk paintingA team of artists lead by ArtWalk curator and Principal of Art at Large, Inc. Sally Wern Comport work collaboratively to execute the crosswalk design representing Annapolis, the first capital city of the U.S.
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Crosswalk PaintingAn "action shot" of the ArtWalk team at work
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Sally Wern Comport Feature CircleThe crosswalk design incorporated three circular "canvasses" to designate the crosswalk points of entry, featuring works of local Arts District professionals. Sally Comport's abstracted map of the neighborhood is one of three designs.
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ArtWalk Crosswalk Flower PotsComport's design for the art installation included flower pots painted by art students of Studio 39 at each of the three crosswalk entrances.
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Crosswalk OverviewDesign plan virtual of proposed ArtWalk crosswalk
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ArtWalk Crosswalk
Zora & Me
“History ain’t in a book, especially when it comes to folks like us. History is in the lives we lived and the stories we tell each other about those lives.”
When Zora Neale Hurston and her best friend, Carrie Brown, discover that the town mute can speak after all, they think they’ve uncovered a big secret. But Mr. Polk’s silence is just one piece of a larger puzzle that stretches back half a century to the tragic story of an enslaved girl named Lucia. As Zora’s curiosity leads a reluctant Carrie deeper into the mystery, the story unfolds through alternating narratives. Lucia’s struggle for freedom resonates through the years, threatening the future of America’s first incorporated black township — the hometown of author Zora Neale Hurston (1891–1960). In a riveting coming-of-age tale, award-winning author T. R. Simon champions the strength of a people to stand up for justice.
Comport has received a gold medal from the Society of Illustrators for "Zora & Me: The Cursed Ground".
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Zora & Me: The Cursed GroundComport has received a gold medal from the Society of Illustrators for "Zora & Me: The Cursed Ground". About Zora & Me: A powerful fictionalized account of Zora Neale Hurston’s childhood adventures explores the idea of collective memory and the lingering effects of slavery. “History ain’t in a book, especially when it comes to folks like us. History is in the lives we lived and the stories we tell each other about those lives.” When Zora Neale Hurston and her best friend, Carrie Brown, discover that the town mute can speak after all, they think they’ve uncovered a big secret. But Mr. Polk’s silence is just one piece of a larger puzzle that stretches back half a century to the tragic story of an enslaved girl named Lucia. As Zora’s curiosity leads a reluctant Carrie deeper into the mystery, the story unfolds through alternating narratives. Lucia’s struggle for freedom resonates through the years, threatening the future of America’s first incorporated black township — the hometown of author Zora Neale Hurston (1891–1960). In a riveting coming-of-age tale, award-winning author T. R. Simon champions the strength of a people to stand up for justice.
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Zora & MeRacial duplicity threatens an idyllic African American community in the turn-of-the-century South in a dazzling debut inspired by the early life of Zora Neale Hurston. Whether she’s telling the truth or stretching it, Zora Neale Hurston is a riveting storyteller. Her latest creation is a shape-shifting gator man who lurks in the marshes, waiting to steal human souls. But when boastful Sonny Wrapped loses a wrestling match with an elusive alligator named Ghost — and a man is found murdered by the railroad tracks soon after — young Zora’s tales of a mythical evil creature take on an ominous and far more complicated complexion, jeopardizing the peace and security of an entire town and forcing three children to come to terms with the dual-edged power of pretending. Zora’s best friend, Carrie, narrates this coming-of-age story set in the Eden-like town of Eatonville, Florida, where justice isn’t merely an exercise in retribution, but a testimony to the power of community, love, and pride. A fictionalization of the early years of a literary giant, this astonishing novel is the first project ever to be endorsed by the Zora Neale Hurston Trust that was not authored by Hurston herself.