Bringing together volunteers, incarcerated women, mentors, staff, English language learners and community partners, all describing what hope is to them through their art or words, this mural project is a celebration of what we can achieve when we create together. With 100 community members and 16 languages represented, the project wove a tapestry of different voices and cultures into a single, cohesive work of art.

Each participant, regardless of their background, brought their own piece of the story, resulting in a masterpiece that truly reflects our shared life. One participant, an incarcerated woman at Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility, shared, “This group has showed true community effort. It shows how the facilitators pull people of all walks of life together and create a whole.”

I ran this workshop over five weeks, meeting once a week for two hours. We began with creating a mural from the word hope to spark motivation and inspiration. From there, we moved on to planning the tree mural. Each class (three inside the prison and one at Mercy Connections) worked on pieces they were responsible for and collaborated with others to complete squares. Two murals were created, one is hanging at Mercy Connections and one is at Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility for Women. Each mural is 4ft by 7ft.

Over the five weeks I did this workshop I witnessed a group of people become closer as a community, supporting each other and finding common ground for a united message of hope. The joy of connection was a central part of this project, and it is our hope that this art inspires the same feeling in you.

Photos courtesy of Mercy Connections