We’re thrilled to share something that’s been years in the making: a powerful new mural project from two beloved Mending Walls artists, Alfonso Pérez Acosta and Noah Scalin. You may remember their impactful 2020 mural Together We Rise, created in response to the racial justice movement after the murder of George Floyd. That mural sparked vital conversations—and now, they’re back to continue that dialogue with a bold new collaboration called Trust Building/s.

Earlier this month, Gallery 5 was transformed into a vibrant space for creativity, community, and conversation with the exhibit Good Fences Make Good Neighbors: A Community Art Build. Presented in partnership with Mending Walls, this unique exhibition invited Richmonders to rethink the walls we build—not as barriers, but as bridges.

Inspired by Robert Frost’s poem Mending Wall, the exhibit flipped the script on the famous line, “Good fences make good neighbors,” and asked:
What if a wall wasn’t about division, but about connection and change?

Contrary to what you might think you know, Mending Walls isn't about the murals! The eye-catching art is simply to pull people into the tough but necessary conversations about healing communities lacking access to healthy food and equity in mental healthcare that shape the work we do in Richmond.

And now, with our 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, we're ready to take these conversations even further. Let’s get into the stories behind the art and learn how Mending Walls is using murals as a platform for real change!