Creating Hope & Community Through Art
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Art and culture are at the heart of what makes communities sustainable, vital and vibrant. The arts can be a powerful voice in the community, healing us in times of struggle and providing an outlet for self-expression, cultural representation and creative imagination.
AVANGRID and the Avangrid Foundation work to amplify that voice as a vehicle for social good and community support through a challenging year. As a leading sustainable energy company, AVANGRID is dedicated to preserving and enriching our communities. The advancement of education and the arts, of heritage, and of culture is a critical pathway to accomplish this. A world without art is a world lacking color and expression.
For over 25 years, National Arts & Humanities Month (observed in October) has brought together communities from coast to coast to celebrate art in all forms. In recognition of NAHM, the Avangrid Foundation is highlighting partnerships that show how art powers our lives: shaping our identities, helping us explore racial equity and other social dialogue, engaging and elevating diverse voices, and more.
PUBLIC ART: WHERE ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE
Art of any kind connects and unites us. Particularly in a time of social distancing, breaking down barriers to access – barriers to connection – becomes essential. Public art stands out in this moment. It’s free to view, open to everyone, and can build a sense of identity and belonging within a community. It revitalizes our public spaces and even helps boost local economies.
Check out some of our partners using public art in inspiring ways!
WALL\THERAPY
Launched in 2011, WALL\THERAPY is an art and community intervention project, using public murals to inspire and build community in Rochester, NY. With the help of “community therapists,” dedicated volunteers, and co-curator and lead organizer Erich Lehman, WALL\THERAPY creates a 24/7, open-access art gallery.
WALL\THERAPY’s yearly curations embody Rochester’s spirit, from its deep, historic roots in the fight for equality and civil rights to its rich creative identity. With themes spanning from street art to surrealism to portraiture to the intersection between arts and activism, the output of WALL\THERAPY’s gathering of creative minds is as diverse as it is impressive, bringing swaths of color to a city known for long, snowy winters.
These impressive pieces caught the eye of Bob Rathbun, an AVANGRID employee based in Rochester, who nominated WALL\THERAPY for a grant through the #AVANgives program.
As the COVID-19 pandemic pushed us all to adapt to a new reality, WALL\THERAPY decided to switch gears.
The reimagined 2020 curation embraces all creative disciplines and showcases projects created by female, femme and non-binary artists through 10 mini-grants made possible by #AVANgives. Designed to honor the 19th Amendment centennial, the program has helped directly support local artists as they create pockets of impact citywide. It has shown firsthand how art can heal our cities, enhance representation and lend a voice to those unheard, and bring the community together into open dialogue.
Ranging from murals inspired by current conversations around racial injustice, a live performance honoring women’s suffrage, and a project to populate free libraries with hand-painted books authored by Black/Indigenous/Women of Color, the result is a testament to the power of art as a vehicle for social good.
Demonstrating how good things come from unexpected places, WALL\THERAPY plans to regularly offer these mini-grants to support dozens of local artists for years to come.
Check out the 10 artists recognized in WALL\THERAPY’s inaugural mini-grant program here, and listen to Bob and Erich talk about the WALL\THERAPY project here!
MAKE IT YOUR OWN MURAL FEST
Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership’s Mural Fest shows public art can offer a new way to experience a city. Across 11 days in September, artists used Northeast Indiana’s 11 counties as their canvas, installing a collection of bold and vibrant murals for all to enjoy.
The murals were designed with the individual spirit and history of each county in mind, celebrating what makes them unique and visually linking the community’s past, present and (bright) future.
The festival drew artists from near and far – from communities with strong ties to AVANGRID, like Portland, OR and Rochester, to overseas in Belarus – showing how art builds community beyond borders. In fact, two Mural Fest artists – Justin Suarez and Shawn Dunwoody – have previously collaborated with WALL\THERAPY!
Not only does Mural Fest beautify underutilized spaces, it puts an innovative spin on economic development. The festival represents a real investment in the local economy, quality of life, and the region’s collective ability to attract and retain talent.
Today’s workforce is diversifying and evolving, and what we seek from our communities is changing too. Yet, we are also more interconnected than ever. Community investments to make our cities and towns more vibrant and engaging brings shared economic growth and bright minds to an entire region, and in turn keeps businesses – like ours – thriving. Avangrid Renewables’ Blue Creek Wind Farm is located just over the border in Ohio’s Paulding and Van Wert Counties. Our people call these communities home, and we are here to stay.
