Mural Project at Madonna University
During the months January-September 2018 I was privileged to work with a dynamic group of Madonna University faculty and students on a mural project at St. Peter Episcopal Church in the Corktown area of Detroit.
Working with social worker and church coordinator Janet Ray, our students visited the St. Peter's soup kitchen and experienced the dedication to social justice which is a core value of the St Peter's community, including the social justice groups that meet in the "Bee Hive" building adjacent to the church. The term "Bee Hive" led us to adopt a bee motif in the mural.
Director of Service Learning Djennin Casab organized the students and facilitated a grant from Ford Community Corps to fund the project. Robin Ward, MU graphic designer, led students to conceive a design for the space and bring the project to its eventual fruition.
We were blessed to have the artistic mentorship of muralist Dr. Hubert Massey and artist Kevin Cartwright, who guided the students in the various stages of the mural painting process, including: creating the initial design, transferring the design to the wall, and the painting process.
Students came from all areas of study, including Social Work, Nursing, Business and Sports Management, with only a few in the Fine Arts program. Two students from the Broadcast and Cinema Arts program documented the process; the final video ended up winning a student Emmy award.
Check out this film that was created by Madonna University Broadcast Cinema Arts student, Cristina Rosa Puglia, about our mural project: