Home Posts tagged Common Wealth Murals

Common Wealth Murals to Host Paint the Town Fundraiser June 26

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Common Wealth Murals will host its second annual Paint the Town fundraiser on Thursday, June 26 from 6 to 9 p.m. at White Lion Brewing in Tower Square, 1500 Main St., Springfield. All proceeds from this event will support the painting of murals in Springfield this summer.

This year’s event follows the success of the inaugural Paint the Town event in 2024, the first major fundraiser for Common Wealth Murals, which saw more than 200 attendees and raised more than $11,000 to help fund the painting of last year’s Springfield murals.

This year’s Paint the Town fundraiser will feature food, drinks, a DJ, and the opportunity for attendees to help paint a mural under the guidance of professional muralists.

The event is free to attend, and those planning to attend are encouraged to RSVP at commonwealthmurals.org/events. Donations can be made when reserving a ticket, at the event, or through the Common Wealth Murals website. Sponsorships are also encouraged at the following levels: $500, Friend of Mural Art; $1,000, Bronze Brush Sponsor; $2,500, Silver Spray Sponsor; and $5,000, Golden Palette Sponsor.

Common Wealth Murals will also award the organization’s Nelson Stevens Award at the event to Karen Finn, executive director of the Springfield Cultural Partnership. She is a champion of public art who has nurtured, mentored, and supported emerging muralists and public artists and provided outstanding service to public art in Springfield. The Nelson Stevens Award is named in honor of the late AfriCOBRA member who directed the painting of more than 30 murals in Springfield in the 1970s.

Common Wealth Murals will add murals to three Springfield neighborhoods this summer: Mason Square, Indian Orchard, and the South End. The organization will also install five murals in Springfield high schools that were designed and painted by students during the school year.

To date, Common Wealth Murals has created 80 murals in Springfield and more in other Massachusetts cities and towns. The organization has also trained more than 70 local artists and teachers in community-engaged mural making and directly engaged thousands of people of all ages in participatory mural design and painting. Common Wealth Murals began mural making in Springfield in 2019 with the Fresh Paint festival, and has also produced Springfield’s graffiti jams; window, bike kiosk, and sidewalk chalk installations; and other temporary public art installations.

Common Wealth Murals, Live Well Springfield to Hold Mural Ribbon Cutting Today

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Common Wealth Murals will hold a ribbon cutting for its most recently completed mural, a collaboration with the Live Well Springfield Climate Justice Coalition, today, July 12, at 5:30 p.m. at 470 Chestnut St., Springfield.

The mural was painted by Betsy Casañas, a visual and public artist, educator, community activist, and organizer. Live Well Springfield has worked with Common Wealth Murals on this climate-justice mural that brings together activism and art. Communications funding from Trinity Health Of New England and Blues to Green supported the development and creation of this mural.

Casañas held several meetings with stakeholders and members of the community for the design of the mural, and was impacted by Springfield having the highest cases of asthma in the country. The mural is a reflection of Puerto Rican culture and depicts purifying the air and “empowering folks with small, attainable goals that can transform the environment for generations to come,” she explained.

Live Well Springfield comprises more than 30 community partners convened by the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts. The coalition’s primary initiatives are Climate Change Health and Equity, the Transforming Communities Initiative, Age and Dementia Friendly Cities, and the built environment.

Bomba de Aqui, a local dance group, will give a short performance at the start of the ribbon-cutting event. Bomba de Aqui is directed by Brendalíz Cepeda, also the lead dancer. Cepeda is the granddaughter of bomba performer Rafael Cepeda and learned the art and its history in her family.

Since 2019, Common Wealth Murals (CWM) has facilitated the creation of 39 murals in Springfield and six in other Massachusetts towns. Of the 45 murals already created, 25 were done using a community-engaged process that involved several thousand people in the design and painting of the murals. CWM has also produced Springfield’s graffiti jams; window, bike-kiosk, and sidewalk-chalk installations; and other temporary public art installations.

Pride Crosswalk Installation Scheduled for Downtown Springfield

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Cultural Partnership, Springfield Pride Parade, and Common Wealth Murals are teaming up to install Pride crosswalks in downtown Springfield on Sunday, July 9, with a rain date of Sunday, Aug. 6.

The crosswalk will be installed at the four-way intersection at Main Street, Court Square, and Bruce Landon Way by the entrance to the MassMutual Center and the William C. Sullivan Regional Visitors Center. Roadways being painted will be closed to vehicular traffic that day. Road closures include Main Street between Pynchon Street and State Street and Court Street between Market Street and City Hall Place.

“I truly believe the city has this really new energy, and the city of Springfield is actually becoming very innovative,” said Taurean Bethea, founder and CEO of Springfield PRIDE Parade. “It’s just going to make the city look good, and it’s going to make people of the LGBTQ+ community just feel supported and feel as if they are seen. And that is one of our greatest missions as an organization.”

The final rendering was created by designer and illustrator Chris Seabrooks with input from the partner organizations, and will be professionally installed by Common Wealth Murals muralists, Springfield Pride Parade members, and the Springfield Cultural Partnership (SCP). The Springfield Business Improvement District has supported both the crosswalk design and logistical aspects of preparing for the installation. SCP is the project’s planning partner and sponsor.

“We are grateful to the Springfield City Council for their unanimous decision made on June 13, 2022 to approve our plans to install permanent Pride crosswalks on Main Street,” said Karen Finn, SCP executive director. “Springfield Cultural Partnership partners, city leadership, and civic-minded organizations are working together with incredibly talented and enthusiastic local creatives and culture bearers, allowing for more community-centered art to make its way into this great city.”