EVERYONE DESERVES TO GO HOME

Not long after the first year of Flowermart, Jay called and asked if I would like to try my hand in mural painting. Of course I didn't. I wasn't a painter. Hated the painting coursework I had to complete as an art major. And knew nothing about the expression. Then I realized that just like the ceramic piece to the community art class, it wasn't about executing everything correctly. It was about putting feeling into your work and keeping in mind the reason why you're doing it. The reason: Healthcare for the Homeless- Jay had a commission to put a mural up on the side of their Downtown Baltimore building that was an all- encompassing piece. Though I wasn't a painter- Jay quickly explained that there "are no mistakes in art." Something I think back to everytime I drive on I-83 and see something I thought was horribly wrong at the time- a wrong color- a frail outline, a blend that seemed less than fluid. There are no mistakes in art- especially not in community art. It is ever changing- constantly coming from ourselves and mixing with the ideas of others. Though I wasn't a part of the actual workshops that produced the ideas and topics the final product would touch on, I was asked to take part in the community workshops that would actually paint the 120+ panels needed and then later, fix them to the side of the building via lift. Hundreds of volunteers from both Bank of America and Chase showed up to take part in the community days. Connecting with the different people of all ages and colors over art was a feeling that only comes when you know you're working in your passion with others of the same mind. Both volunteers from the community and patrons of the facility were on hand to help execute the project- but putting up the mural was another story. ____________________________________________________________ Installing the mural was a challenge on every level. For starters, the mural began 30 feet off the ground, which meant a lift had to be used to reach the top of the building. Every day for 6 days Jay, Edwin Calderon, another Morgan art student, Liza- an intern from MICA, and I met at 6 am. We worked from sun-up to sun-down completing the same process over and over. We layed out a section of the mural. Put a sturdy binding glue on the back, passed the panel to the duo in the lift and got the next panel ready as they took the lift up and affixed it to the wall. Though monotonous at time, again, the goal in mind was to bring attention to the issues of homelessness through art- and it was enough to keep everyone going. Each panel had it's own memories and meaning. Who were we to get tired and sloppily apply it or cut corners? It was truly an experience I'll never forget, as I not only learned how to work in paint and organize several hectic sessions of volunteers- but I also learned how to use a mechical lift just like the workmen I see putting building together or revamping the front of an edifice. It made the next project- the bottom level of Lockerman-Bundy elementary a walk in the park.