Black Lives Matter Street Mural

The summer of 2020 was a complex and transformative period marked by community self-reflection, discussion, and expression. The unjustifiable death of Breonna Taylor was devastating. It became one of the reasons for the Black Lives Matter protests that swept the United States and the world, leading to art activism and Black Lives Matter street murals across the country. As a community artist, I am inspired by Mending Walls, a public art project that brings together artists from different life experiences to collaborate on a mural.

As an artist, I have had many challenging conversations that led me to take action as a BIPOC ally, participating in this conversation by using art as a catalyst. Everyone deserves to feel welcome and comfortable in their hometown. Challenging discussions were necessary. I needed to be sure I was painting from the right place in my heart, not from ego or accidentally stepping over experiences and voices outside of my own

After being approached by Timothy Bennett, I decided to paint the intersection at the heart of our community, located on Main Street and Court Street in Downtown Cortland. On June 28th, Molly Reagan and I gathered volunteers and the community to paint overnight. This temporary mural served its purpose of spurring conversation. The intention is for the artwork to lead to deeper, more constructive conversations in our community and unify public and community arts initiatives.

Press:

SUNY Cortland Bulletin: Alumni team up for antiracist mural in Cortand

Cortland Voice: 'Black Lives Mural' Painted in Downtown Cortland