Changes Reveal Flexibility and Creativity

It was the beginning of a new week for Mentoring Peace Through Art and their STEP-UP interns. The mural of the American flag was nearly complete, and all that was left to be done was detail work. However, as per the owner’s request, the 100+ foot wall was only partially painted. I could feel the interns as well as the leaders itching to continue their beautiful brushwork onto the remainder of the wall. Luckily, they got their wish. After being granted permission to paint the entire wall, the flexible and talented art team was able to design a continuation of the mural. The rest of the wall featured a lake surrounded by a Minnesotan forest, complete with a large moose. As the painting moved to the right, it gradually transformed from day to night, revealing a large North Star, to represent our state’s nickname, the North Star state.

Throughout our time at 3209 Snelling Avenue South, the team has been blessed with incredible generosity from neighboring businesses. Peace Coffee, located just around the corner, was kind enough to donate much-needed iced coffees to our team leaders. We were lucky enough to be working right across from the Big Bell Ice Cream Company, who kept us well fed with cool treats on hot and sweaty days.

As long as I’m on the topic of food, I’ve watched the lunches of the interns transform throughout our time on site. It’s easy to just pack processed, sugary food. It’s pre-packaged, and it is simply easier than preparing your own meal. During the first few days, many interns chose to travel down this road, bringing mini doughnuts or chips. But they soon learned that this would only fuel them for a short time, leaving them exhausted for the remainder of the afternoon. However, this week was different. Many were bragging about the time they took to prepare their rice and beans, or brought their unique recipes to Jimmy to sample. It was incredible to see the lessons they had been taught in the kitchen translating into real actions.

Although our time at our first mural site is coming to a close, we are excited for the new possibilities this summer will bring!

Check out more photos on our Flickr!