According to Maria Fernanda Bay, local photographer a group of artists volunteered their time and talent to paint an impressive two wall mural piece of art for the Bend, Oregon Boys & Girls Club. “It was not just an intricate and ambitious project, but it also was done solely by local volunteers that truly care about community and making a difference,” explained Bay.
Walk through the first floor doors of the Boys & Girls Club of Bend on Wall Street and what you will find is a feast for the eyes and soul. Art Director Brittaney Toles had a vision that incorporated ideals she hoped the young people coming to the Club would reach for. The mural brings that vision to colorful reality.
Throughout the process of the mural Toles orchestrated many talented artists from the community to join together to collaborate inspiring visual imagery to reach the minds of the children.
Toles says, “Two weeks prior to completion of the mural the wall was dark and sad. My goal behind the mural was to create something visually stimulating and inspiring for the children’s minds to grow from.”
Just one month prior this idea lead to the development of the mural. “With only two weeks to complete it, we didn’t know if we could pull it off. It was a pretty ambitious project and the artwork is incredibly complex and detailed.”
However with the help, kindness and generous efforts from six extraordinary artists and volunteers donating their time and talent the project became a reality. The talent and passion behind the mural clearly shows the love for the children is equaled by a love for the arts.
Toles’ end vision behind the mural was to influence the community that with heart and helping hands any child can accomplish anything.
Perusing the mural, one can identify fiction favorites as well as find inspiration from influential leaders. The concept for the mural came from a desire to capture a child’s creative mind as well as help them develop ideas for their future. The centerpiece of this idea is expressed through a learning tree where two children sit, reading books. Beneath the tree is a pathway of books with titles that leads to the great futures that start inside the Club everyday.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Bend seeks to enable and inspire all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. At two locations in Bend, they offer youth age 6-18 life-changing programs, focusing on academic success, healthy lifestyles and character and citizenship.
Brittaney Toles, Art Director
541-617-2877
btoles@bgcbend.org
{jcomments on}