This winter weather has us reminiscing about summer days! Earlier this year, we worked with our Green Team friends over at Groundwork Lawrence learning about redlining and environmental pollution. Claiming our Future: Spatial Justice in Lawrence was made possible by New England Foundation for the Arts Public Art for Spatial Justice grant!
'Claiming our Future' is a community engagement and public art project that supports our community’s understanding of the history of race-based segregated housing policies, the impacts of climate change and how to collectively build a sustainable future. Through the history and narratives captured through a series of community discussions facilitated by both Groundwork Lawrence (GWL) and Elevated Thought (ET) youth, we produced two murals in the city that seek to educate, engage, and empower residents to contribute to spatial justice in Lawrence. This mural by Rixy was born out of these convos and encourages us to support and care for our current nature and growth while nurturing an ‘awakening’ mentality to be more attentive to our actions. The color palette, accents, and rain mirror our vibrancy and struggles while highlighting our beautiful ecosystem. The jungle greenery embraces Lawrence’s Latin American, Caribbean, and Asian roots and encourages new evolution. This mural, much like those workshops, led us to the understanding that especially after these past two years, we need each other more than we know.