The Painting Collective: Community Mural

The Painting Collective: Community Mural was created and led during April and May of 2022. It was an eight week long workshop series open to survivors of interpersonal violence to explore art as a healing modality, build community with one another, and create the design for a public mural in Isla Vista. The goal of the program was to create a healing space where survivors could create a mural concept that is reflective of their authentic state of being. The workshop prioritized community building and authentic artistic expression.

 

Community murals are public artworks created and designed by those who live in a particular area. Murals are a great way to showcase the values, creativity and passions of a community. 

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Participants were lead through a series of eight workshops where they explored different forms of art and collage making as a means to brainstorm themes and images. They then decided on a final design by combining elements of their works. 

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The mural explores themes of magic realism and non-linear time——portraying the grief, joy and limitlessness of the healing journey. The goal of the project is to empower survivors to explore the multiplicity of their experience while creating meaningful relationships with each other.

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The final mural was painted with the help of 40+ community members over the course of four days in May, 2022. The painting was open to public as a way to practice solidarity and build systems of support within our community. 

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The mural can be seen on the walls of the Isla Vista Community Center. 

 

 

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