Artful Reflections: PEAK's Community Mural Journey
In the Spring of 2021, PEAK completed building renovations for our new facility and celebrated with a grand reopening. While the new building created a youth friendly environment that was lively and fun, it left staff wondering, how do we match the energy and excitement of the inside to the outside of the building?
Last spring, PEAK decided the best way to make the outside of the building come alive was to commission our own public facing community mural. PEAK contracted Tia Richardson, a Community Mural Artist and owner of Cosmic Butterfly Design, to lead the process. To guide the project, Tia began by asking some important questions like what it meant to be PEAK and a part of the Midtown Community, and what does that look like?
PEAK consulted many people including participants, neighbors, and local historical experts. Tia hosted creative sessions for community members to contribute their thoughts and perspectives. From sketching designs to providing valuable input, those who attended truly led the efforts on how the building mural should be represented. It was critical that the multiple facets of our community were represented and given a voice.
Tia’s final design featured special elements like the handwriting from a Leader in Training, a replica of a participant’s drawing, and a microphone representing youth voices and their sPEAK On It podcast. The mural was a collective effort that invited people from all over Milwaukee to come lend a hand in the painting. Everyone who joined can say they were a part of the official PEAK mural. Much like the ideation and creation of the mural, PEAK commemorated the unveiling with a community event, bringing the project full circle.
In spirit, presentation, and practice, the mural represents what the PEAK community is. Finally, the PEAK Program Center looked how it felt. “Inside we have a really vibrant building. There’s tons of natural light, the labs are really unique, there’s color, and we have vibrant staff and participants that fill the space. Now the exterior reflects that as well,” said Erin Fischer.
