COMMUNITY MURALS
Today I chat with Jen Bloomer about how community artworks can bring us together.
Over the next few months, through a series of interviews, I am interested in exploring the many and varied ways creative practices can be used to forge connections and build robust communities. These creative activities might include facilitating workshops, creating art, collaborative crafts, murals, designing protest posters, musical performances, publishing zines, anything really; there are so many ways we can use creativity to unite us.
Through these collaborative artistic endeavors we can build friendships and support systems, reignite inter-generational connection within families, deepen our connection with nature and create a sense of belonging within a community. We can also use creative practices to combat and dismantle oppressive systems, support marginalised communities and protect our planet.
There are so many ways we can use art and creativity to build a better world; let's explore and share ideas together!
If you have a community project you would like to share, please reach out in the comments, I would love to hear from you.
COMMUNITY MURALS
Today I’m chatting with Jen Bloomer about creating community murals. Jen is an artist, a workshop facilitator, and mother that's work and life is focused on creativity, connection and community. She is based in Berkley, California, USA where she facilitates creative workshops, both in person and online. Jen is part of a team of multi-racial expressive arts therapists and educators who has developed Co-Create to Liberate which brings the spark of creativity to diversity, equity, and inclusion in schools, workplaces, and communities.
She also creates beautiful print based artworks which you can find on her website and my kitchen wall!
To begin our interview, I asked Jen about what lead to her current creative practice and community work:
Jen responded: I worked in a lot of non-profit jobs and for schools and kept feeling like I was trying to find the "most impactful" work in addressing systemic issues of inequity. I realized that the most impactful work I could do was to follow my passion for creativity and art, and work to share that with others.
Next, I asked Jen to share an occasion that she has used a creative practice to contribute to, strengthen or grow her local community:
Jen responded: The school my kids go to doesn't have a full time art teacher so the kids don't get much art. I worked with the principal, garden teacher and school staff to create a mural with all 400 kids on an old shipping container in the back of the school by the school garden.
The project took place in 2022 so many of the school events had been shut down due to COVID so it was a really powerful way for the whole school to come together and work on a something to make the school more beautiful for all.
What was your favourite part of the project?
Getting to know the kids and feeling connected to the school community.
If you’re feeling inspired and want to create a mural in your community, Jen shared some great tips:
You don't actually have to be an expert painter to create a community mural. A lot of the process is about coordinating people and supplies. I think it's most impactful when the community gets a lot of say in the design. I suggest priming the area you plan to paint with a primer and then using Acrylic paint (Nova paints are my favorites!) and finally varnishing with a UVA protecting varnish at the end.
I asked Jen about any future creative projects she has planned:
I have a whole series of designs I would love to paint at large scale as murals. The series about how we gather and how we come together across difference as humans- it's about our shared humanity.
Finally, we chatted about the future. When things seem bleak, what gives you hope?
Any time I go to listen to someone playing music, see a play, see a dance performance, see new art, and see someone putting their voice out into the world, my hope in humanity is re-instilled. The arts give me hope!
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT JEN BLOOMER
Head to her website Radici Studios to read more about Jen’s creative workshop offerings and shop her beautiful print artworks.
View more of Jen’s murals and large-scale artworks in her portfolio.
Follow Jen on Instagram @radicistudios
Subscribe to jen’s Substack, Creativly Rooted.
I want to say a huge thank you to Jen for sharing her creative ideas and experiences. I always feel so inspired after hearing stories of how creative practices can help build robust communities around the world.
Thank you all for taking the time to read.
Eleanor X
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What a fantastic initiative! 🤩