A Mural with a Message: Hope

Model of the 3 Dimensional Mural for the House of Neighborly Services Lobby area.

What can a mural do for people that are on the verge of crisis?  Can it make a difference?  The House of Neighborly Service is counting on it and I am helping them bring their vision to reality with paint, plastic, and aluminum cans....one leaf at a time.  

About 2 years ago, I got a call from a dear friend of mine who was wondering if I wanted to chat about a project.  The House of Neighborly Services was thinking about a mural in their building’s lobby and my friend knew that I was interested in expanding my public arts and mural work.  She also knew I loved trees and that was going to be the theme of this project.   It seemed like a very cool idea and I waited to learn more and see what would happen.  

I got busy with all my other work I was doing and kept an ear to the ground.  I didn’t hear anything further about this project for another year and then my friend connected me with the Executive Director of HNS, Cherri Houle.  We went on a walk of the space and I had the privilege of learning about all the things that the House of Neighborly Service does for the Loveland community and how it was started by several churches in the area that found they could actually do better work for people if they joined forces.  

As we sat in Cherri’s office, she shared her vision for the mural and where this idea came from and how this mural would be used to help HNS. In a dream, she saw a giant, light infused tree that felt like safety and hope. It was clear to her that this image was tied to her work with HNS and that it was meant to have a place in their Life Center building.  She also got the sense that this was a project that was supposed to raise funds for HNS. She had a vision and an idea, but had no clue how to move it from concept to completion.  

To be honest, neither did I. I knew that what Cherri was seeking to accomplish was more than what I could do on my own. I can absolutely paint a tree! I do it all the time, but make it 18’ tall AND three-dimensional?   Nope.  I went through my mental rolodex of artists I knew and kept coming back to an artist friend of mine who worked in plastic and has done some very large installations.  Hmmm.  I wasn’t sure why, but I felt compelled to ask her to consider this project.  Often, when I feel God’s Spirit prompting me to pursue people or projects, I don’t really understand why, I’ve just come to trust that He’ll help me understand later. 

My friend, Heather Fortin Rubald, became my partner for this project.  We both fell in love with Cherri’s heart for this mural and what it could accomplish for HNS (more on that later).  Little did I know that Heather has years of experience in bringing ideas to life with multiple players and layers involved.  She has a theater background and has been involved in not only set design, but all the behind the scene logistics for bringing a production to the stage.  She also has a fantastic knack for taking plastics and metals and reusing them for art.  You can see her work here.  All the things I had no idea how to do, she did, and all the things she didn’t know how to handle, I had experience in. I’m glad I followed the prompt to get her involved.  

We spent about a year designing this mural, revising and redesigning to make sure that we got it right.  Because of the sheer size of the mural and its three-dimensional components, we needed to make sure that everything we planned from materials, hardware, and layout, were all safe.  That meant really considering things like stability, weight, and how the piece would affect visitor traffic.  We landed on using crocheted plastic bags, reused aluminum and fused plastic for the leaves. These common, everyday materials are not only very relatable, they are a story of restoration and renewal. By giving new life to discarded materials we are sharing a story of great hope.  With some care, creativity, and community, what was hopeless is now filled with possibility and new life.  As an artist, this was such an exciting use of materials and thrilled my heart. 

For the month of production, Heather and I will be working in my studio to solidify our tree trunk with stucco and make it vibrant with paint.   We will then move into working at the Life Center where the painted part of the mural will begin.  Our plan is to have Phase one of the mural completed by the end of May.  

Phase one, out of three. 

That’s right.  This is just the beginning because the purpose of this mural is not just to inspire hope, visually, it’s to inspire hope, financially.  The purpose of the Inspiring Hope mural is to help HNS fundraise 2.5 million dollars to pay off their debt for the Life Center and bolster current programming in the facility.  This campaign will set HNS up for continued growth without the overwhelming and often crippling burden of financial debt.  

The plan is for individuals, families and organizations to purchase a leaf, a bunch of leaves or a branch to help the tree “grow” from phase one all the way to phase three.  More and more leaves and branches will be added as they are sponsored by donors.  Cherri’s desire for this campaign is to make it accessible to the people she serves, which is why the cost of a single leaf is only $250.  This allows a much bigger pool of donors the ability to help in the campaign, which speaks to the inclusiveness and empowering vision of HNS.  

If you want to learn more about being part of this campaign and help the tree grow, please visit www.honservice.org