Water Street Studios kicks off mural project highlighting local nonprofits Oct. 17
Water Street Studios' "Activate the Alley pARTnership project" kicks off Thursday, Oct. 17. Mutual Ground will be the first organization to reveal their mural in a series of murals highlighting local nonprofit organizations at a Mural Reveal party from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
The Activate the Alley pARTnership project is in honor of Water Street Studios' 10th anniversary. Water Street Studios is pairing 10 local artists with 10 local nonprofit agencies to create outdoor, public art murals that illustrate the programs and services that the nonprofit offers to the community. These murals will be on display in the alley leading up to the entrance at 160 S. Water St. in Batavia.
Mutual Ground has served the community for more than 40 years with the mission of providing education, awareness, and life-changing services that empower individuals, families, and communities to end the cycle of domestic and sexual violence.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It is devoted to remembering those victims who have died, celebrating those who have survived, and connecting those who work to end violence.
"We are thrilled to partner with Water Street Studios to promote awareness of our mission and services, and add beauty to our community. We want to make sure that everyone that needs our services knows that we are here to help, everyday of the year, free of charge," said Kathy Melone, advancement director at Mutual Ground. "This mural will be a beautiful addition to Batavia and remind victims and survivors of domestic violence that they are not alone, and there is hope."
The mural design was created by Laura Lynne Art. Laura Lynne is a mixed media hand cut paper artist and muralist. She uses her photographs, metallic paper, and painted papers to create boldly colored, whimsical artworks. According to Laura Lynne, "A good design, or work of art, can help people to understand a subject more deeply. It has the power to make a strong emotional impact that stays in your memory longer than words alone. My goal was to achieve that with this art."
The mural creation for Mutual Ground was generously sponsored by the Batavia Woman's Club.
"We are honored to financially support this wonderful fusion of our nonprofit community. Water Street Studios is a shining example of innovation as it merges art with crucial nonprofits like Mutual Ground," said Batavia Woman's Club's Cynthia Kieckhefer. "This breathtaking mural is not just an art installation, it is a stunning symbol of what we can create together. All our efforts are magnified when we can work together to address the very real needs of human beings in our community, from our artists and Water Street Studios that supports them, to Mutual Ground addressing the needs of women and children who suffer from domestic violence."
Kieckhefer continued, "This blend of community stewardship makes us so proud. The ladies of the Batavia Woman's Club will find themselves turning down First and Water Streets much more frequently, as we slow down to look at this beautiful mural. We are happy to say we helped create it."
You are invited to the "Reveal Party" at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17. They will announce the reveal of the mural with a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Batavia, Geneva, and Aurora chambers of commerce at 4:30 p.m. followed by a cocktail party from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the Dempsey Family Gallery.
In addition to her contribution as the artist on the mural, Laura Lynne will be donating 40% of the proceeds of any of her artwork sales at the Mural Reveal party to Mutual Ground.
The event is free and open to the public.
"This project was created to elevate our nonprofit community in a way never done before," says Danielle Hollis, executive director at Water Street Studios. "At Water Street Studios we understand that our greatest asset is our artist community and we want to utilize our best resources to help lift up our fellow nonprofits."
Visit www.waterstreetstudios.org or www.facebook.com/waterststudios/.