Tricia Stiller, Executive Director
Downtown Bloomington Association
As seen in this preliminary design conception, the downtown mural will be based on NIOTBN's "quilt" design created in November 2014.
It's been a challenge for me to find just the right words for this essay. I've started and re-started more times than I'm willing to admit. I think the stumbling block lies in the fact that I'm genuinely excited about this collaboration, and to articulate emotion into plain text is not always an easy task. That's the beauty of this planned mural project - Art speaks for us when words can't.
The evolution of this idea, in my mind, is a wonderful illustration of what makes ours a great community. We are a city that actively seeks opportunities to expand our understanding of one another. We passionately stand against all discrimination, through the efforts of NOT IN OUR TOWN (NOIT), and we ignite the spark of compassion in our future leaders by providing students with opportunities to meet and interact with those who live differently through the McLEAN COUNTY DIVERSITY PROJECT. And those are just two examples.
Bloomington/Normal is full of extraordinary people doing amazing things.
When I was first approached about the idea of creating something lasting that would speak to this community's heart, I didn't hesitate. Though my previous explorations with the Diversity Project have been theatrical, I was especially pleased that I was asked about a mural, for that is something the Downtown Bloomington Association is quite passionate about. Through our Public Art Committee, we have added 4 murals to the downtown landscape in the last five years. We envision a city with art on every corner!
With this mural collaboration, scholars from the Diversity Project will be depicting the mission statement of NOT IN OUR TOWN on a prominent wall in our community. I am still awaiting confirmation on the exact location, but if things go as I hope, it will be stellar!
The scholars will participate in a series of workshops that will incorporate conversation and creation, and I may even throw some theatre scenes at them, to help solidify our understanding of what our efforts mean - to us, to this community, and to the generations that follow.
In addition to the mural, original music, inspired by the message, will be composed by a couple of scholars, and those recordings will be added to the NOIT website.
Great things really do happen when we all work together.
I am honored to be working on this project, and look forward to taking every step with these wonderful students.