Awakening Minds Art is presenting a community mural project as a way to bring the community together through the visual arts.

In cooperation with local government, building owners and artists, 10 murals will be painted on buildings throughout the Findlay area.

Five murals will be open to community artists and five will be designed by Awakening Minds Art and painted by Awakening Minds Art students and friends.

The murals will focus specifically on helping residents with special needs and the youth feel a deep-rooted connection with the community.

For more information, contact Tamera Rooney, art@tamerarooney.com, or 419-722-7810.

The full news release about the project is below.

As a way to further bring the community together through the visual arts, Awakening Minds Art is presenting a community mural project to celebrate inclusivity and connection. In cooperation with local government, local building owners, and local artists, 10 murals will be painted on buildings throughout the Findlay area. Five murals will be open to community artists and five will be designed by Awakening Minds Art and painted by Awakening Minds Art students and friends. These Awakening Minds Art murals will focus specifically on helping residents with special needs and the youth feel a deep-rooted connection with the community. The project will take place through September of this year and will conclude, with an October event featuring a self-guided tour of all murals in Findlay and a celebration gathering (date and time to be determined).

The Community Mural Project will include an application process for local artists to submit mural ideas to Awakening Minds Art. Local building owners will also be able to submit their interest in having a mural painted on their building. Building owners will then select a mural best suited for their location.

Awakening Minds Art will hold an educational seminar on the necessary materials and process for selected artists to achieve sustainable, high-quality murals. Awakening Minds Art will also facilitate a volunteer signup for community members, AMA students, and “local celebrities” to help paint, but ultimately, it is the selected artist’s contractual responsibility to complete the work of art.

Emily Sullivan, instructor and development director of Awakening Minds Art said, “each interactive mural is meant to bring people up to the building to pose with the artwork. Some cities, like Nashville, have had success painting butterfly wing murals for people to stand in front of to be photographed. We know that we have amazingly creative artists in our community and are excited to see their ideas.”

The goal of this project is to educate and unify the community through the practice and observation of the visual arts. Our goal for educating the community is three-fold, including educating the artist, the business owner, and the community as a whole.

Each mural will include a QR code that will automatically take visitors to a website page dedicated to the inspiration of each mural, the processes of the mural-making, photos, and the people involved in making each mural happen. All of these pages will be stored permanently on the AMA website and shared on social media and through emailed newsletters.

Awakening Minds Art is also working with the Hancock County Convention & Visitors Bureau to create a brochure with a map of all murals in Findlay, including previously completed murals, and information about them.

With such a heavy emphasis on collaboration, social media will play a huge part in sharing the outcomes of this project. From city officials to volunteer painters to business owners, tagging and sharing on social media will bring a lot of regional attention to the project. Awakening Minds will encourage the use of the hashtag #ArtMakesMeStronger to better track the conversation.

Artists and building owners who are interested in being involved with the project must visit awakeningmindsart.org and complete the online applications. The project is being funded by the Marianna Hofer Endowment Fund. Additional murals may be available if more sponsors come on board. Each mural provides a $500 stipend to the artist for supplies and time.

For more information, contact Tamera Rooney, art@tamerarooney.com, or 419-722-7810.