We GIVE EACH OTHER THE WORLD
June 2020
National Endowment for the Arts & City of Hapeville
Location: 845 N Central Ave, Atlanta, GA 30354
Artist Statement:
We Give Each Other the World is a community-responsive mural, a public space inspired by the stories and experiences of people who live in Hapeville and informed by the city’s historical context. We Give Each Other the World is centered on the five portraits of children that represent a part of the great diversity of this community. Reaching for the sky and looking up, all with hopeful looks on their faces, the children are being elevated by the hands of adults that are working to give them a world that is worthy of them, encouraging them to be limitless in their hopes and dreams for the future.
In a city that has an intimate history with the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest airport, I wanted to learn more about how the people who live here view their access to the world. Through conversations with residents of Hapeville, I learned that this is a community that resourcefully gives each other access to the world in whatever way they can: by opening their doors to each other and coming together to have tough but necessary conversations about equity, diversity, and inclusivity, by working to create spaces that center the voices of those who are disproportionately forced to endure discrimination, by coordinating turkey and toy giveaways during the holidays and school supply drives during back-to-school season, by actively seeking opportunities for their children to grow, by sharing and documenting stories of the historical context of transportation and integration, of present day pains and joys, and of hope for the future.
We Give Each Other the World depicts Hapeville’s history of transportation through the imagery of airplanes and railroad track arches behind the children—all anchored by the backdrop of a sunrise gradient that warmly welcomes the viewer and evokes hope. The lines that come out of the hands and connect both sides of the mural are inspired by flight maps you might find tucked away in the back seats of airplanes when you travel. While I know traveling/flying is not an accessible experience for everyone, I am using the imagery of flight maps in a way that replaces bodies of land with the hands of Hapeville residents. The Monarch butterfly in the mural symbolizes migration and resilience and it is included so prominently because most of the children in the mural have an immigrant background through their parents. I included a variety of butterflies soaring alongside the children in the mural not only to capture the diversity of the Hapeville community, but also because of the many colorful butterfly sculptures you can find in Hapeville’s downtown area. This butterfly art initiative was created to introduce public art into the city as a way to demonstrate the City’s commitment to revitalizing downtown Hapeville. Since 2008, butterflies in Hapeville have symbolized renewal, prosperity and growth.
I painted We Give Each Other the World during a time in our country when symbols of hate, slavery, colonization and racism were been taken down around by the people. I hope this mural continues to inspire uncomfortable and necessary conversations and gives the community in Hapeville and beyond hope for the future. In this mural and all my work, I am committed to unapologetically centering the stories and faces of those who are historically and systematically discriminated against, to paint them in their joy and power on a monumental scale.
Watch me paint “we give each other the world”
Music: Surrounded ft. Veronica Maldonado by CLM Music
