members of the Bread of Life community propped a large white canvas up against the wall. Though for the moment it was blank, it would soon be covered with the beginnings of a beautiful mural. After six weeks of painting, the completed
mural will be hung in City Hall this fall. The project is being led by Houston based artists, Abbie Preston.
The first session started with a brainstorming
session. The BoL members huddled around an inspiration board filled with ideas people have written down for what they want the mural to communicate. Each phrase and thought written down centers around the main message of the mural:
the experiences of the homeless community.
The inspiration board contained words like “pain” and “help,” but it also had phrases like “new start” and “peace in
my heart.” After deliberating, the men and women picked up their paintbrushes and completed the background of the mural: a dark gray on the bottom that gets lighter towards the top. As the grays they painted got lighter and lighter, so did the mood of the room, and hopefully so will the hearts of everyone who sees
the final product.
Photos and Reflection by Josh Hundl (St. John's Downtown Summer Intern)