Back in 2021, I was serving as the interim art director at Renaissance Church, Rhode Island. We had just begun gathering in person again after a long year apart due to the pandemic. This mural project began as a way to create a backdrop for our outdoor Sunday services. I chose the image of a flower garden—a symbolic promise that God would bring growth and flourishing out of a season of hardship. I added light beams that looked similar to parking lot lines, and a dove to evoke the presence of the Holy Spirit.
While I led the design and direction of the mural, it was brought to life by Joni Tejas, Kevin Phillips, and other volunteers from Renaissance Church, along with a group of local high schoolers who happened to be passing through on skateboards. “Have you ever done a coloring book?” I asked one of the teens. “Here’s a brush.” He took ownership of that flower—and in the process, working side by side with these students opened the door to deeper conversations about life and faith.
This mural is where I first experienced the power of community art—how it not only creates beauty, but also connection.
