I’m thrilled to announce that I have been selected as a 2022 Grant Recipient for The Imagination Project; sponsored by Wacom with a strong network of local partners in Portland, OR.
The Clark County Juvenile Court recognizes the potential healing and restorative power of art.
My project envisions working with these court-involved youth to develop the underlying theme and imagery for the mural, teaching them about the details of the mural-making process, and then working with them side-by-side to paint the artwork together.
The resulting mural will be a lasting, tangible, positive accomplishment that they can be proud of, and the teamwork and artistic skills gleaned from the entire process will hopefully have a therapeutic impact on their lives moving forward.
A HUGE thank you to Blick Art Materials for generously donating a gift card to purchase the needed supplies for this project! As an artist, I have personally shopped at Blick (both online and in-store) for many years and they always have a fabulous selection of quality supplies at great prices. I encourage you to check them out for your next art supplies purchase!
Learn more about The Imagination Project here:
“We Are The Pieces” — A Collaborative Mural
Clark County Juvenile Courthouse Lobby : 8′ x 21′ : Vancouver
“Love is the whole thing. We are only pieces.”
–Rumi; 13th century poet & scholar
This famous quote, “stitched” above a patchwork quilt sewn by diverse hands working together in community, speaks toward the love and inclusion that this artwork represents. The tradition of quilting has a rich cultural history—quilts were often made in community by many different hands, they were used to tell stories or communicate messages, they were often given as cherished gifts to mark momentous occasions, and they were created with love and care out of whatever fabrics were readily available—including using scraps and mending with patches to restore wear and tear. In this mural, each of the different quilt block designs was developed collaboratively and based upon the themes of inclusion, community, diversity, equity, and restoration. Hands of different nationalities work together in unity to piece the diverse and colorful quilt blocks together; each one contributing with the best of their ability to unify and beautify the whole.
This mural was developed and painted in collaboration with youth involved in the Restorative Community Services program at Clark County Juvenile Court under the artistic direction of local artist and muralist, Sarah Lynne Hunter. The project was made possible when Ms. Hunter received an artistic grant through The Imagination Project and a strong network of local partners, including materials donated by Blick Art Materials.
Ms. Hunter spent three Planning Sessions with the court-involved youth discussing the purpose and impact of public art, brainstorming how to visually convey the themes they wanted the artwork to represent, and establishing some experience using acrylic paints while developing personal imagery for use in the mural. After getting input and feedback from the youth, Ms. Hunter developed three different mural concepts which were then discussed in further detail. The youth unanimously voted for the same one—the quilt concept you see on the wall today. The artwork was then painted on the wall by Ms. Hunter, with the youth helping to paint at least 30% of the final mural.
A Little Grey Bird 