Wanted: a brick wall in South Richmond to house a colorful mural celebrating multicultural unity.
The artwork was produced by ART 180's Intercultural Mural Project, which enlisted a diverse group from George Wythe and Huguenot high schools to produce a mural reflecting their realities.
As ART 180's mission is to create programs for young people living in challenging circumstances, this wasn't just about a mural.
The George Wythe group, with one exception, is black. Huguenot's group included students from Bolivia, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico and the Philippines.
The English as a Second Language students exist on an educational island at Huguenot, somewhat isolated from the larger student body. Kristina Hernandez of the Philippines says there are no other Filipino students at Huguenot besides her brother and sister.
Irvin Antonio Serrano Flores of El Salvador had not seen his father, who was already in the U.S., until Flores moved here two years ago.
This was a project in intercultural connection and conflict resolution -- a chance for the students to move beyond stereotypes to talk about their dreams, their goals and what art means.
"Basically, we just kind of drew from our own cultures . . . to give a sense of who we are," said Wythe senior MarKeith Bell.
Once the students moved beyond stereotypes, they got to know and like one another.
"You can be nice with another country. You can be nice with another color of people," Flores learned.
The students met weekly at Hickory Hill Community Center. When language became a barrier, the students drew through or sketched around it.
Local artist Curtis Gutierrez coached the students. Rachel Mehl, a bilingual educator, coordinated the project.
Also participating from Wythe were Isaih Bates, Gregory Ford, Brad Parrish, Andrew Seward, Devante Trent and Sebastian Wimbush. The other Huguenot students were Fredy Ortiz Ramirez, Roxana Membreno, Francis Membreno and Yanile Camacho, who recently transferred to James River High School.
By semester's end, the group had produced the fruit of its vision.
"Everyone came up with this grand idea of community," Bell said. "The tree's supposed to represent community. And the fruit under the tree is supposed to represent different aspects of community."
Manchester-based ART 180 teamed on this project with the city's Parks and Recreation Department, its Hispanic Liaison Office and the Richmond Public Library. But the partnership frayed a bit when it came to a location for the mural.
The ideal location for the mural would be a heavily traveled corner of South Richmond, and the Broad Rock library seemed a nice fit. But Betsy Kelly, program manager for ART 180, says the library developed insurmountable concerns.
"I don't think that would be real smart," Harriet Coalter, director of the Richmond Public Library, said yesterday. "What happens if it ages and looks bad? Then what are you going to do?"
Other locations, such as Southside Plaza, didn't pan out. Kelly views the mural's homelessness as symptomatic of a Richmond culture that views murals as a symbol of blight rather than a rich artistic tradition.
"We come at it from the perspective this is artwork, it will enhance the space," Kelly said.
The students -- black, white, Asian and Hispanic -- moved beyond barriers of color, culture and language to create a mural with an urgent and powerful message for Richmond. It needs a home.
Contact Michael Paul Williams at (804) 649-6815 or mwilliams@timesdispatch.com.
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