A community-based volunteer selection committee came together to put forward artist names for a vote, and more than 400 neighbors voted to select artist Jared Bader. Throughout the spring of 2017, Bader held a series of community meetings to decide the design direction, and Germantown will come together for a paint day on June 17 so that everyone can get their hands into the process. In the design, a timeline and neighborhood map are overlaid by images that highlight Germantown’s unique histories: as a longtime diverse area, engaged in social movements toward racial and religious equality; a bustling shopping district once called “a second Center City”; and a cultural mecca, home base for the world-famous Sun Ra Arkestra. The new mural reflects a welcoming and geographically diverse Germantown, a place steered by democratic decision-making and joint ownership of public space.

Get involved with the next community paint day on June 17! Special thanks to the members of our volunteer selection committee in Germantown: Sharrieff Ali (Maplewood Neighbors), Carolyn Chavis (Germantown local), Emaleigh Doley (Germantown United CDC), Roya Taheri (local business owner), and Allison Weiss (SoLo/Germantown Civic Association and Wayne Avenue Merchants Association).