Editor’s note: For additional photos of the some of the murals that will be on display during the virtual gallery night, click here to view our photo gallery.
Among the many takeaways from the global COVID-19 pandemic so far is the importance of simple things like music or a picture to bring people together when the order of the day necessarily requires us to be socially apart.
Art in all its forms can be a unifying force, something Dane Arts Mural Arts (DAMA) is counting on as it hosts its first-ever virtual gallery night this Friday, April 24 beginning at 5 p.m.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented DAMA and the Lussier Family Heritage Center from serving communities in person, the two organizations are teaming up for the fundraising event that will see 5 percent of each DAMA donation go toward Lussier Family Heritage Center’s education programs.
DAMA got its start in 2014, when Sharon Kilfoy and Mark Fraire at Dane Arts, having spent some time creating murals in Madison with various community groups, collaborated to regularly offer mural arts programming to Dane County communities. Their goal was to ensure that marginalized youth had access to quality arts education and the power to contribute to the aesthetic of public spaces. Emida Roller and Alicia Rheal soon teamed up with Kilfoy to bring DAMA to life. In 2016, DAMA became an independent nonprofit, still collaborating with Dane Arts and bringing on new artists over the years. DAMA works with schools, community centers, and businesses to collaboratively design and paint interior and exterior murals that represent their visions, goals, challenges, and/or identity.
Since its inception, DAMA’s primary work has been to listen, notes Roller. “Right now, DAMA hears the community’s desperate need to connect and to process what is going on. The current global pandemic has separated us, but community art and mural making must not stop. DAMA knows firsthand that art-making creates a space for dealing with what is difficult to understand and nurturing positive practices for mental wellness. DAMA will adapt by finding ways to gather community members together through online collaborative design processes, guided art-making, and platforms to share personal and family artwork during this challenging time.”
While most of DAMA’s projects and funding are on hold, the community’s support will allow it to continue to bring these offerings to those who need it the most.
“This is our first virtual gallery event and more than anything we’re just happy to find a way to bring public art to people at home right now,” says Roller, DAMA’s executive director and lead artist. “We’re so proud of our community and we’re doing this to give back to them.”
According to Roller, in our society art is considered a luxury. This unfortunately means that right now projects are being canceled, contracts revoked, and new work is nearly impossible to come by for creatives. However, notes Roller, as people are coming out of their initial shock, they realize how traumatizing this pandemic has been and will continue to be into the foreseeable future. “The importance of art as a tool for mental wellness is undervalued or simply unknown to those who don’t think of themselves as artists. However, when given the right guidance, our communities can benefit greatly from art, especially at this time, both going out to see public art — while abiding by social distancing, of course — and creating their own artwork as a tool for processing what is going on around them.
“Besides that, art conveys messages in an unmatched impactful way,” Roller continues. “Businesses and individuals are realizing that the way to communicate everything from public health messaging to raising spirits and advertising is through art.”
On April 24 at 5 p.m., the community may visit DAMA’s website to participate in the virtual gallery fundraiser event. Artwork is available for viewing, and opportunities to support vary from $15 student artist kits to $200 small youth pieces to $5,000 mini-murals. Event attendees may also choose to sponsor specific murals in process or make a donation of any amount for DAMA’s general use. The virtual gallery will remain available for one month, with unique, engaging activities for those following along at home to participate and showcase art of their own.
Roller notes DAMA will be moving as much of its programming online as possible, so donors can expect that their support will go toward developing new virtual programming, as well as funding in-person work that will happen when DAMA is able to go back into the community.
Donations toward materials will allow DAMA to continue to work on pieces that are in progress as well as replace and restock materials for on-site programming that will continue in the future.
When visitors contribute toward murals or small art pieces, they will receive that artwork as a gift for their donation. All contributions are 100 percent tax deductible.
In addition, 5 percent of all donations will go toward Lussier Family Heritage Center’s education programs, which focus on equitable and inclusive access to environmental and outdoor education. The Lussier Family Heritage Center provides nature-based programming to youth who may not have access to our parks, natural areas, or environmental education.
“We are thrilled to partner with DAMA to ensure ongoing support for our youth programs at the Lussier Family Heritage Center, which is a Dane County Parks facility,” says Lael Pascual, manager for the Lussier Family Heritage Center. “It is of utmost importance that children of all backgrounds have equitable access to learn, play, and explore our parks and natural areas.”
Additionally, Roller says the DAMA Facebook page will be used to collect ideas for a COVID-19 mural. “We will ask folks what they would like to say to the community using images of encouragement. Then we can have folks vote for what they want.”
According to Roller, there will also be coloring pages to match the mini-murals that can be printed or used on a device, offering a great activity to enhance mental wellness during this time of isolation.
More opportunities may present themselves as DAMA continues to partner with other organizations, so the community is encouraged to follow DAMA’s Facebook page for new activity announcements.
“The current global pandemic has separated us, but community art and mural making must not stop,” says Roller. “Now, more than ever, we need to connect and co-create. While it is impossible to be together physically, the global family has taken community voices online in an unprecedented way. And we are inspired.
“Although we can’t lean over a common canvas, DAMA is still listening,” Roller continues. “We hear the community’s need to connect and we hear the desperate need to process what is going on. Art came about as a method for expression and connection — to self and others. DAMA knows that art-making creates space for processing what is difficult to understand, and nurtures positive practices for mental wellness.
“As we develop online tools to lead people back toward their creative selves, so are other artists. We ask that the community takes this time to connect with our local and global artists to see how their work can inspire you to rediscover your inner artist and create without judgment. We always encourage our youth to create without judging themselves, but adults don’t give themselves that same permission. Now is a time to be gentle with ourselves and embrace art as an invaluable path toward healing the soul and bringing us back together again.”
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