How it grew
What makes this project beat like a heart are two:
O N E
This project is rooted in personal narratives of two neighborhoods that have been systematically segregated. The mural is secondary, our testimonios are what gives life and heart to this trabajo as a way to promote self-empowerment, autonomy for our neighborhoods, and taking pride of our stories and bodies of knowledge. The conversations were guided in one of the indigenous methods used around Turtle Island, which was the process of a talking circle. The talking circle exposed things such as the need for vulnerability, active listening, and wondering in order to build community amongst all 12 community members. The stories and the community building that happened amongst the group is what guided the process for people's narratives to manifest into the mural design and the painting of it. The narratives is what is at the core of the work. It is not about the mural itself existing in a public space, but about the process that the group lived with one another, and the commitment to make the stories accessible to the community at large. Each half of the finished mural is installed at two locations purposefully for the piece to co-exist simultaneously. We creatively found a way to engage community members to visit another area of the city they might not visit otherwise.
T W O
As a means to reclaim public space as well as share our stories, we decided to use a mural as the form that could do both of these things. We recognize the power that murals hold, its historical context during the Mexican Revolution and how this has manifested in various cities around the U.S. We believe in beautifying our city through public arts that are created by the people and speak to the communities in which they exist. Our grassroots STITCH Milwaukee Community Mural Project is a testament to this. Art For the People, by the People.
O N E
This project is rooted in personal narratives of two neighborhoods that have been systematically segregated. The mural is secondary, our testimonios are what gives life and heart to this trabajo as a way to promote self-empowerment, autonomy for our neighborhoods, and taking pride of our stories and bodies of knowledge. The conversations were guided in one of the indigenous methods used around Turtle Island, which was the process of a talking circle. The talking circle exposed things such as the need for vulnerability, active listening, and wondering in order to build community amongst all 12 community members. The stories and the community building that happened amongst the group is what guided the process for people's narratives to manifest into the mural design and the painting of it. The narratives is what is at the core of the work. It is not about the mural itself existing in a public space, but about the process that the group lived with one another, and the commitment to make the stories accessible to the community at large. Each half of the finished mural is installed at two locations purposefully for the piece to co-exist simultaneously. We creatively found a way to engage community members to visit another area of the city they might not visit otherwise.
T W O
As a means to reclaim public space as well as share our stories, we decided to use a mural as the form that could do both of these things. We recognize the power that murals hold, its historical context during the Mexican Revolution and how this has manifested in various cities around the U.S. We believe in beautifying our city through public arts that are created by the people and speak to the communities in which they exist. Our grassroots STITCH Milwaukee Community Mural Project is a testament to this. Art For the People, by the People.
This project was organized collectively and funded though grassroots methods of fundraising. We took it upon ourselves to create a promotional video to help fundraise for materials as well as distributed fundraising letters to small businesses around the city.
