In June 2011, my coworkers and I facilitated a mural project with 17 refugee youth from 8 different countries. Over the course of five days, we taught students about the basics of mural painting (composition, color choice, paint mixing, symbolism, etc.) and held conversations about what their experiences as refugees has been. Out of these lessons, participants created a four-panel mural that tells the story of their common experience being uprooted from home, struggling with the challenges of integration, and the ultimately being successful in their new life.
The mural is on the Conkling Street side of the Baltimore Resettlement Center, which houses the Refugee Youth Project offices, as well as the International Rescue Committee and Lutheran Social Services. The building is a familiar, inviting, and safe space for all new refugees coming to Baltimore.
This project was funded by a MICA Community Engagement Grant.
Youth worked in teams to create a composition for each section of the mural. Afterwards, they presented their ideas to the whole group, and then cut apart their original to add elements to a collective final design.
After the designs were completed, we (the facilitators) uploaded them in photoshop to finalize color schemes, project them against the side of the building and trace the outlines.
