In March, I got the opportunity through VIBEarts to assist with an indoor mural project in partnership with the Children’s Aid Foundation for one of their drop-in centers. I assisted the lead artists, Frannie Potts, with the overall design and ideas for the mural, along with input from those who attend the center. The donors of course, had final say. So the design was changed upon their whims and requests. Once all parties could agree on the final piece, we spent a week executing the mural in an upstairs room on large wooden planks. The planks were then installed in the main room on the ground level of the residential-style building.
The inspiration stemmed from the idea of the climb. This life some of us experience is like climbing a great mountain, passing through and enduring all the trials and tribulations the mountain’s path contains. All in hopes of reaching the top, bearing witness to the majesty of the view. ANd possibly the opportunity that awaits on the other side. To the hidden dismay of some, I always feel these types of projects, that are meant to give volume to the voices of those who are forced to live these experiences, should do just that. For better, or worse. We always want to keep the spotlight on all the positive but that does nothing for the suffering created by what remains left in the shadows. It is a hard, beautiful, painful & magnificent existence. Most hope to remain ignorant to the ugly bits, but we are not those. We are the ones who faced it, started the climb, and are probably still climbing. They can only dictate our path so far, then when we gain our strength again, we can look back over our shoulder, right into their eyes and say “Nah.”.
We worked hard to create a cohesive piece that represented everyone’s ideas. We incorporated local lore from the center, like the neighborhood raccoon, “George Coony”, and a graffiti wall that everyone took the chance to sign with their own tag. And the pathway up the mountain is full of people, making their climb. It is important to remind the youth they do have control, and power of input and opinion within their own lives and the environments they hope to grow in. I hope this stands within that building as a symbol of that. We can reach beyond the power we are allowed, to that in which we hope to attain for our own lives and evolution.
This was a really cool experience. I was chosen for the project because of my own history with the system, combined with my consistent output of creative works. So it felt right being there as a representative of the lived experience, and what it means to go further. And I remain steadfast in my hard-spoken truth. I can only hope those who hear it can understand it as constructively as possible. But it is often mistook and overlooked, for the sanctity of a faux smile and forgotten desire. I am hoping to continue growing my practice and do more mural work in the future. Helping to expand the spectrum of a space’s potential, and offer dope beauty for a weird world.
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Nicholas Ridiculous 