In the wake of the unrest in Ferguson, sections of the city and neighboring municipalities resembled war zones. Pockets were still smoldering following that fateful night on November 24 when St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch announced that former Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson would not be indicted for the August 9, 2014 shooting death of unarmed teen Michael Brown Jr. Boarded buildings and dilapidation marked the collateral damage of righteous anger that made its way into the protest space.
But almost immediately, out of the ashes came beauty. The plywood that covered businesses that had been vandalized and set afire beamed with beautiful messages of hope.
“Artists have always responded,” Jackie Lewis-Harris said, when speaking to Don Marsh of St. Louis Public Radio about “Outside In: Paint For Peace.” She curated the exhibit that highlights the murals that were painted by artists and the community as a symbol of hope following the unrest.
“Some people demonstrate, some people go to social media, but artists have always responded. Think about Picasso and ‘Guernica,’ for example,” Lewis-Harris told Marsh. “These people wanted to express positivity and show that the community could work together, and this was one way to publicly express that.”
Lewis-Harris, who is associate professor and director of the Connecting Human Origin and Cultural Diversity Program at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, was referring to the mural-sized oil painting on canvas by the legendary visual artist that interpreted the bombing of his native Spain by Nazi German and Italian warplanes at the request of Spanish Nationalists.
“Outside In: Paint for Peace” consists of a unique and energetic collection of painted panels selected from more than 100 Ferguson and St. Louis businesses impacted by the vandalism that accompanied some of the protests. The works of art represent both the collaborative and singular work of artists and community members responding to the pain, frustration, shock and anger felt by many.
“It’s like the Phoenix – you have a positive thing coming out of a negative thing,” Lewis-Harris said. “There were lots of demonstrations, and there are still a lot of unresolved issues yet in Ferguson due to the death of Michael Brown. This art shows people that they can work together and send out community messages.”
The exhibit is presented by Regions Bank. The Millstone Gallery at COCA is presented by the Arthur and Helen Baer Charitable Foundation with additional support from the Millstone Foundation and the Missouri Arts Council.
It opened last weekend at COCA and UMSL’s Gallery 210 and this weekend the multi-venue, multi artist collection of murals debuts at The Vaughn Cultural Center inside The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis and the Ferguson Youth Initiative.
Along West Florissant and S. Florissant avenues, a huge, white dove stood as a symbol of peace, quoting from iconic warriors for peace and service such as Mother Theresa and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Vivid colors rejuvenated the spaces and gave a renewed sense of community. Dozens of artists poured their time and talent into giving Ferguson something to feel good about, despite the turmoil. A drive-through gallery of inspiration covered affected areas until they could rebuild.
“We had people say, ‘We wish we could keep the murals up, but the businesses can’t have their windows covered up 24/7,’” Lewis-Harris said.
Now “Outside In: Paint For Peace” is bringing the huge murals to galleries throughout the region.
Programming will be wrapped around the exhibit, which will be on display at the different venues until October 30. This weekend an intergenerational roundtable will take place at The Ferguson Youth Initiative. The art will be situated around the roundtable as they discuss what they believe is next for Ferguson.
“It marks a time in history in the St. Louis region that could easily go negative,” Lewis-Harris said, “and this is showing that people have hope and they worked together as a community to express the fact that they had hope – and that hope is still there.”
“Outside In: Paint For Peace” is currently on display at COCA and Gallery 210 and opens at The Vaughn Cultural Center and Ferguson Youth Initiative on Friday, September 2. COCA will feature several artists in a gallery talk on September 20. For full schedule and programming associated with the exhibit, visit http://www.cocastl.org/coca-presents/millstone-gallery/outsidein/.
Information from St. Louis Public Radio contributed to this report.
