Have you ever looked at that giant blank wall of ours on Highland Ave and thought, "Gee, wouldn't that wall look better with a mural?" Yep, us too! In fact, we've been planning out a mural for that space since 2018. And, finally, finally... our plans are ready to be launched! Local artist, Natalie Hinahara, has started on the mural that explores Native and Indigenous plants that have been a part of this landscape since before White settlement.

The art installation will engage the community and neighborhood in conversation and action, beyond land acknowledgement, to explore what education and reparation might look like. Our mural will focus on native and Indigenous plants that have a history of relationship with local Indigenous communities... plants you will also see represented in the perennial garden we added last summer with the help of Allen Centennial Gardens!

And, we need your help! The full budget for the mural is $10,750. We have a grant from the Regent Neighborhood Association for the first $2,500, which we are matching, and have raised an additional $2,200 from business and individual donors so far, we are hoping to raise $3,550 more during the work to fully fund this project! The funds raised will go towards design, supplies, and the labor to install, including stipends for the West High Art students involved in the work!

Any additional money raised beyond that goal will go towards having more community-building events that connect the neighborhood and greater Madison community with Indigenous food, culture and history.