Tale of Two Mural Projects: Kansas and Gaza

Visual art has the potential to capture the imagination of both the artist and viewer. Public art, especially painted murals, occupy a special place that not only captures the imagination, but also the history and struggles of people wherever you see this art form. Mural projects that document popular history and culture, plus involve people in creating the work hold a special place in the hearts of the participants. Two mural projects in different parts of the world -- Gaza and Topeka -- fit this mold.

At a reception for Harvesters food assistance agencies held in Topeka on July 12, 2011, I spoke with Delores with Turnaround Topeka and first learned about a mural painted on a 900-foot wall in Topeka. Delores joined the reception after coordinating a mass distribution of donated food to 1000 Topeka area residents at the Expo Center.

"The Road From Brown V. Board" Lead Artist - Dave Loewenstein. Assisted by KT Walsh and students from Marty Moreno's Advanced Art class at Topeka High School. (photo: http://greatwalloftopeka.blogspot.com; 2009)
An article in the Topeka Capital-Journal explains the mural wall project, noting such seminal events as the Brown v. Board of Education decision. The Turnaround Topeka organization feels strongly enough about mural art that they have invested time to fundraise for the project.

The Great Mural Wall of Topeka started as an effort by members of the Chesney Park Neighborhood Association to clean up their area of graffiti and give something beautiful back to the community. 

“People's history envisioned” has become the overall goal for the program. Each painting is used to symbolize events, places or people that are important to Topekans, both past and future.

Already, the 900-foot wall has been adorned with six 60-foot long murals, about such topics as the environment, Brown vs. Board of Education, Central Park Neighborhood and others. When the wall is finished, it will have 15 sections of murals. The seventh installment's title is "Contagious Beauty and Local Flavor." The topic is to exemplify the sources of inspiration in Topeka for the townspeople that cause them to create their own art, in any way, shape or form.

From Kansas to Gaza, Palestine
Native American and Lawrence, Kansas resident Melissa Franklin is participating in a US delegation of artists in support of the Maia Project, which brings clean, safe drinking water. The Maia Mural Project will design and paint murals on water purification buildings in Gaza in July 2011.

Melissa Franklin participating in the Maia Mural Project at the
Ghassan Kanafani Kindergarten in Gaza. (photo: Maia Mural Project)
The project is coordinated by the Middle East Children's Alliance and involves youth in refugee camps and schools located in Gaza. The spirit of protest and empowerment is at the core of this project as project members from the US work with the youth to design and paint the mural.

The Maia Mural Project will develop a series of collaborative murals focusing on environmental justice, specifically water or ‘maia’ in Arabic.  The delegation will work with youth and artists in Gaza to paint murals at sites of water purification units that the Middle East Children’s Alliance is installing at UN Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) schools and kindergartens.
Maia Mural Brigade participants at the Ghassan
Kanafani Kindergarten in Gaza. (photo: Maia Mural Project)
Melissa Franklin (center) with Maia Mural Project participants at the
Ghassan Kanafani Kindergarten in Gaza. (photo: Maia Mural Project)

Follow these mural projects' reports and photos at these places:


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