Work Opportunity Center Executive Director Mary Akers dances in front of the mural created by clients and Common Wealth Murals.
Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen
SPRINGFIELD — The fall foliage is not the only thing bringing color to downtown Springfield.
What was a tan concrete wall only a month ago now features images of people with developmental disabilities taking the bus, selling produce at a farmers’ market and sharing a meal.
Rising above the daily activities are streets signs indicating the people are at the intersection of Independence Street and Dignity Way.
The mural, titled “The Dignity of Work,” was created by about 100 of the clients at Work Opportunity Center for the wall of its home at 73 Market St. The organization pairs people with disabilities with day programs designed to build life skills and employment through about 30 business partners in the community. In July, volunteers and artists from Common Wealth Murals joined the clients for a painting party. Common Wealth Murals is a nonprofit that collaborates with communities to create public art that has painted more than 80 artworks on buildings and parking garages throughout Springfield.
Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen
Mayor Domenic Sarno said naysayers were skeptical when murals began going up around the city. However, he said none have been defaced and credited the community involvement. Addressing the clients who were gathered for the ribbon cutting, Sarno said, “You have stories to share. You have talents to share… You’re a proud example of what the city of Springfield is about.” He added, “Believe in yourself because we believe in you.”
Referring to Common Wealth Murals, Work Opportunity Center Executive Director Mary Akers said, “They helped us tell nearly six decades of WOC stories in a way that our entire community can experience.” She later told Reminder Publishing, “You can see Work Opportunity Center’s journey. It’s about people. We’ve grown, we’ve learned. But what never changes is that it’s about the people.”
The fact that the clients created the mural adds another layer of meaning, Akers said. At the painting party, organizers laid out sheets of thin paper with outlines on makeshift tables.. Clients were given paint and shown where to lay down each color. When finished, workers adhered the papers to panels and affixed them to the wall in September. Artists training with Common Wealth Murals then added the details to the mural, bringing it to life.
One of those artists was Katie Morales. She said there were challenges to working on a piece of art so large she could not see the entire thing at once. Despite being given the sketch by the designer, a lot of collaboration went into creating the mural. “I’ve never painted a face that big,” Morales said, gesturing to a panel on the wall. It was also the first time Morales had worked on a mural while it was vertical. She and other artists worked on the mural several times each week for about a month. “I think it’s fantastic how it came out,” she said.
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