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Art with a Heart Inc. (2022) Print
2022 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public art installations
└ Public art installations
Patients and visitors at a new outpatient tower lacked a welcoming space. Art with a Heart installed a 245-square-foot mosaic mural in the main entrance, created through eight workshops with volunteers, many age 50-plus. The mural's stained glass and ceramic pieces reflect community identity and offer comfort. "I am very grateful for the opportunity and the fact that we can always visit the site and re-connect with the whole experience," said one volunteer, underscoring the lasting impact of this collaborative effort.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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Boone, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: This project will create murals inside tunnels along local walking and biking trails. Older residents will help select the art, which will celebrate the community's identity.
Newton, KS
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: Downtown Newton needed a way to connect generations and enliven Railroad Park near the train station. Newton Murals & Arts Project created a metal mural featuring Kansas-themed figures and papel picado designs, with local students submitting artwork and welding pieces. Volunteers and students celebrated their work at a ribbon cutting, and the mural now offers travelers and residents a vibrant stop. "It is a wonderful thing to deliver a project in the community that is possible because of all the people who get involved and help make it happen," said a project lead. Plans for lighting and seating will further enhance the space as the mural naturally ages into a lasting attraction.
Englewood, NJ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: After a local ordinance update to allow murals in Englewood, the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation set out to create public art celebrating Black women's history. The Foundation commissioned an artist to create the Black Women's Mural Project's first installation, which celebrates the work of Black suffragists who fought to expand voting rights to women. Two community engagements coincided with the mural's installation, where community members could watch the artist work. Participants learned more about the artists' vision and the history informing the subject matter. Organizers invited residents to share their feedback and personal stories. Additionally, the Foundation provided information on registering to vote, as well as polling locations and hours. To celebrate the new artwork, they also produced a documentary about the mural.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Baltimore, MD
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: This project will create a large-scale mosaic mural. The project will involve community members in workshops, fostering artistic engagement and beautification in Baltimore's Park Heights neighborhood.
Baltimore, MD
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Older adults in a Baltimore's North Avenue neighborhood needed an accessible place to gather. The project transformed the Red Shed garden with a concrete ADA walkway, a pergola for shade and lighting and spaces for community mosaics. Volunteers created a welcoming event area that now hosts gatherings and cultural celebrations. One participant said, "It means the world to me to be part of building this. We have helped our neighborhood and made something beautiful!"
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