"Emergence" with Mending Walls
St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Richmond, VA
2021

Mending Walls’ mission is to gather artists from different cultural backgrounds in an effort to create collaborative art which sparks conversation about racism and social justice.

Myself and a group of 9 other artists worked to create a series of pieces to be hung around St. Paul's Episcopal Church. 

 

My statement for my piece, "Emergence":

"There is spirituality in the desire to grow. This became evident while working among the people of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, as they spoke about their hope to make amends for the racist history of the church. The butterfly symbolizes the beauty in wanting to acknowledge the past and move forward from hate...emerging from a place of darkness and embracing a metamorphosis towards love and acceptance. 

Upon exploring the inside of the church, the image of the baptismal bowl inspired me. I thought about how being baptized represents a welcoming into the church. What if all institutions could embrace this same change...this same path to accountability...in an effort to be a welcoming and safe space for all? This piece is about using grief as fuel for growth, the goodness of change, and creating safety where safety might be lost."

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To learn more about Mending Walls, please visit https://www.mendingwallsrva.com