The artists engaged in conversations with community members who shared their ideas and from that they created the vision you see today. All of the elements of the wall were elements mentioned in the conversation and that the artists felt drawn to represent.
TRANSCENDING WALLS
Mending Walls and Richmond Hill spent the spring and summer of 2022 planning, engaging, and executing a vision for the approximately 500 ft wall that surrounds the southside side of the property. The land adjacent to the wall is a Richmond City Public Park known as Taylor’s Hill Park. This work involved collaboration with community members, organizations, and Richmond Parks and Recreation.
The project focused on a central theme of “Transcending Walls.” This central theme will served as a north star in the process, as we worked together to build empathy and connection to transcend walls both physical and metaphorical throughout the entire collaboration process.
There were three key areas we identified as important parameters: history, community, and art.
History
The history of the site was significant to informing the community about what sits adjacent to them, and at the same time will be used to inform the concept of the artwork.
Community
We worked with the Richmond Hill community and partners that have historical attachment and/or knowledge of the space, and even those that may not, but who want to understand more, to come to a place of shared understanding and agreement around how the institution can meet the needs of the surrounding community.
Art
Mending Walls will use the artistic process and community process to support Richmond Hill's goal of telling their story to the community and including the community's story, to achieve an outcome that tells the shared history and goals of Richmond Hill and the community.
ARTIST STATEMENTS
EXTENDED HANDS
Hands are one of the most expressive parts of the body. Each position or posture of the hand communicates a different message to the viewer: an exchange, embrace, mutual acceptance, openness and trust, bonding, etc., and often initiates the need for a response. There are three sets of hands throughout the Richmond Hill mural. The position of each hand functions and communicates in a different way. The center or anchor portion of the mural is a pair of open hands reaching out to the viewer and the community. Richmond Hill has a “come as you are” motto. These extended hands represent the open and welcoming nature of the residents of Richmond Hill and reach out over the city acting as an olive branch or peace offering to the community. The hands reaching out also initiates an opportunity for response from the viewer to reach back and take the hands with acceptance, paralleling the hope for the same response from the community. The hands are illuminated by yellow and orange rays. These rays represent Richmond Hill as a beacon of light, faith, hope, acceptance, and love as it is positioned on the highest of the seven hills of Richmond. The rays also have spiritual references and acknowledge Richmond Hill as a place of Christian faith. As the rays go out they begin to form multiple stained glass fractals illustrating hope and how light draws others in. The stained glass portals are symbolic of breaking through not only the physical wall, but the personal, social, systemic barriers and coming out continuing the work needed to move forward. The residents of Richmond Hill want the community to know they see and hear them and want an exchange of communication, empathy, and connection.
BAOBAB
My section of the wall is a remembrance of the people who were brought down the James River and were essential in the construction and culture of Richmond, including Richmond Hill. I used baobab trees, found throughout many countries in Africa, as inspiration to symbolize the African roots of Richmond's majority-minority population. The fist is a classic symbol of power and pride. The fireflies are used to represent freedom, enlightenment and illumination; the light within is the power of life.
THE GARDEN
We wanted to portray the garden inside of the hill, and I found a bunch of native plant and animal species to put up on the wall. Some of them are buttonbush, trumpet vine, virginia bluebells, virginia creeper, dogwood, Atamasco lily, paw paw & pokeweed. The critters are cicadas, dragonflies, blue heron, butterflies, snail, snake.
“The path through the center of them is representative of their garden path at the hill, an element to flow into the river, and more metaphorically, the winding path that we walk in life.” The path is a backdrop for the garden scene and creates a place for serenity and contemplation.
Geometrical shapes emerge from the surrounding organic imagery to create a pattern that figuratively represents the coming and going of people, time, and ideology and nods to the idea of transcending walls.
THE RIVER AND THE RAINBOW
We wanted to make the James River a focal point that flows throughout the scene, symbolizing a historical timeline of Richmond. The James can be viewed as the veins and lifeline of our city, while water is also a representation of healing.
