It is Above that you and I shall Go
Within this mural you see figures carrying shapes of homes and windows, working together to reorganize and re arrange how we see and build our neighborhood. Pieces of houses are interspersed with images of their diverse occupants. Windows are being carried as each person steps outside existing structures to break free from their isolation. The carrying of homes on the men’s backs at the top of the painting express laborers in motion, with a sense of social purpose striding forward. The figures in the lower half of the painting are all carrying windows with other people’s family members inside of them, in various positions of movement, engaged in change and redesign. While fair housing laws have had a tremendous impact in desegregating neighborhoods, equally valuable is the work of neighbors taking time to reach out to fellow neighbors to learn more about each other—their customs, their values, their hopes—in order to catch a glimpse and a better understanding of another person’s unique life experience. Several of the windows and the residents are in rotating positions, depicting the change in perspective gained from breaking down misconceptions and stereotypes that divide people and are often the root cause of discrimination. It is our shared responsibility as community members to overcome the barriers keeping us apart from one another and create welcoming neighborhoods that embrace diversity and allow people of all backgrounds to have equal access to housing. The architectural forms makes reference to the forms and colors of Pompeii’s Roman Frescoes. The upside down figures are like heads on a coin, reminding us of our neighborhood’s need to pass the peace. Elements of architectural beauty are drawn from the Six Chimney’s building in bright reds and oranges against purple shadows. The colors and forms of the sunset are borrowed from a sky Van Gogh painted in Arles, France in 1888 titled Landscape under a Stormy Sky. It is above that you and I shall go arose out of a visioning workshop between members of Six Chimneys residences, staff of The Housing Center, local neighbors and youth of Building Bridges who joined together to envision a unified more equitable neighborhood. Building Bridges strives to provide creative development to Cleveland’s youth, engaging youth in the opportunity to revitalize and transform inner city environment through creative expression of mural making.
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Location3907 Prospect Ave
Cleveland Ohio 44113 This mural site is a wonderful housing center for adults with disabilities. As we explored the subject of housing rights in our community while making this mural, it was most appropriate for the work to be gifted to the Six Chimneys apartment building. |
Gallery
April 21st, 2014Please join us for the Housing Center’s 2014 Fair Housing Celebration, Brush Strokes for Equality, on Tuesday, April 29, 2014. The event kicks off at 5pm with a Dedication Ceremony to celebrate the installation of the Housing Center’s public mural at Six Chimneys Apartments (3907 Prospect Avenue). The ceremony will be followed by a reception with the mural artists and a community conversation at Trinity Commons (2230 Euclid Avenue) starting at 6pm. We have a dynamic line-up of panelists for the conversation including Katherine Chilcote (Building Bridges), Shani Meeks (Friend of the Housing Center), Mike Pistorino (C&M Consulting), Daniel J. Rice (HELP Foundation, Inc.), and Julia Shearson (CAIR Ohio, Cleveland Chapter). The discussion will be moderated by The Honorable Peter Lawson Jones. Please visit www.thehousingcenter.org for more details and to purchase tickets.
Special thanks to the many friends, partnering organizations, and supporters for making this event possible!
Presenting Sponsor
Cuyahoga Arts & Culture
Activist Sponsor
Kondik Advertising
Friend Sponsors
Dollar Bank
National Fair Housing Alliance
Ohio Savings Bank
Thacker Martinsek LPA
AND the backers of our Kickstarter Campaign
Special thanks to the many friends, partnering organizations, and supporters for making this event possible!
Presenting Sponsor
Cuyahoga Arts & Culture
Activist Sponsor
Kondik Advertising
Friend Sponsors
Dollar Bank
National Fair Housing Alliance
Ohio Savings Bank
Thacker Martinsek LPA
AND the backers of our Kickstarter Campaign