Building Community Through Art
I believe that the human heart longs for connection with other human beings. For years I have been concerned with how divided our nation has become. We seem to be losing the ability, or perhaps even the will, to dialogue and interact respectfully with those who may hold differing views from our own.
It was in this climate that I conceived of the idea of putting on a huge community art event that would involve hundreds of people coming together to create a monumental, unified statement. How satisfying it would be to produce a creative event, free of charge, in which people of all ages and abilities could participate.
Loveland’s annual Valentine’s Day street festival seemed like the perfect place to do this. Each year in “the Sweetheart City,” hundreds of people gather downtown on 4th Street to enjoy live music, food, and maybe a fun activity or two.
I ran the idea past the congregation here at Beggars’ Gate and they enthusiastically jumped on board and helped to make it happen. The community mural project has become something that many residents look forward to and enjoy throughout the year. The murals themselves are a metaphor for community: each tile bears the personal expression of the individual who painted it, yet each tile also has its place in contributing to a much bigger picture.
Now, five murals later, America’s divisions seem to be as deep as ever. A community art project is not going to heal our broken relationships. But maybe it can at least serve as a reminder that every person bears the image of God, and should be welcomed into community. Beggars’ Gate seeks to embrace the belief that all human beings were made for loving relationship, both with God and with one another. Loving our neighbor may not be easy, but it’s worth the effort.
Scott Freeman, creator and artist behind the community mural on 4th and Lincoln in downtown Loveland