The Path Through Connection | El Paseo por Conexión
The artist described the mural in an artist statement:
“This design culminated from ideas, theory and concepts documented during 4 months of workshops with COMHAR members, ranging from 2-18 attendees per session. To combine my experience and traditional training in Chicanx muralism and many participants holding nature and unity to a high importance in their recovery, the four elements separated by expressive hands, represent the journey to recovery with participant poetry, tiles to depict the bad with the good. Smaller narratives and intentions of the mural design include de-stigmatization, connection, amplifying voices, and the importance of collectivity. With many participants’ experience centering gratitude to community presences as well, the mural design pays homage to key community landmarks like McPherson Square / Needle Park, where librarians have trained themselves in administering Naloxone; St Francis Inn, where food, clothing, and other resources re distributed; My Neighborhood Project, providing access to community gardens; and COMHAR, where outpatient programming is held in a dayhab format. With a community feedback meeting held with the participants, many advocated for color, more hands, agreed that animals were valid representations of healthy community, and contributed their landmarks of choice. Symbolism within the animals includes Carp, a native Schuylkill River fish that swim upstream in brackish water; doves to represent the faith of many member; and flames and a feeling of underwater/drowning were participant contributions as well.”
The mural also includes an organic composition of script written in the participants’ handwriting.