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The "Legends Live Forever" in Danbury. It shows former president John F. Kennedy, former Supreme Court judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Martin Luther King Jr.
ARCY / contributed
A mural depicting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., President John F. Kennedy and former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg looking out over Kennedy Park in Danbury is a reminder of the importance of fighting for civil rights, residents say.
"For me, those are really inspiring individuals. Especially for this month. It's Black History Month and it's women's empowerment at the same time. This is a town full of diversity," Danbury resident July Miliano said. "It promotes freedom of speech and is really artistic."
Adoring the Noah Webster Library is a large mural with one side depicting past civil rights leaders like King, Ella Baker and Bernard LaFayette and another side showing local leaders like West Hartford Town Councilor Judy Casperson, Connecticut State Representative Tammy Exum and late Hartford storyteller Gertrude Blanks.
NorthEast Aerial Imaging / contributedThe mural, titled "Legends Live Forever," is part of the MLK39: Racial Equality Mural Tour, which aims to create 39 murals throughout the state, one for each year of King's life. Alongside King, some of the murals depict other civil rights leaders and local Black icons.
"I think in a city where we are still fighting for justice and equality, RBG [Ginsburg] has played a role in gender equality," Danbury resident Richard Bolden said of the mural. "In a climate now, where it is usually looked at as black and white, she stood for the [idea] that it doesn't have to be black and white. There is a gray and we can all exist in this multitude of color, in this multitude of genders and still grow to inspire others around us to accept us for who we are, and how we come."
In Bristol, East Hartford artist Micaela Levesque painted a mural, titled "Infinite Hope." The mural features artist and civil rights activist Maya Angelou, Martin Luther King Jr. and Barbara Hudson.
Micaela Levesque / contributedThe MLK39 project was inspired by artist Ben Keller's "Birthing a Legacy" mural at the Mahoney Recreation Center in Manchester. A second MLK39 mural "Legends of the Civil Rights" would be later added to the center to celebrate Juneteenth 2021.
Dr. Diane Clare-Kearney — who is depicted on the "Legends of the Civil Rights" mural — is the adult and continuing education director at Manchester Adult and Continuing Education. Clare-Kearney said she experienced frequent racism while growing up in Manchester.
"It was a struggle for me. I was always reminded that I was Black. If there was an issue, race always came up. I was a good student. I was a rule follower, but I was told to go back to Africa. I was called the 'n-word' by students. When I told teachers they would always say, 'Hey they didn't mean it,'" Clare-Kearney said.
In Bloomfield, ARCY painted a mural, which was unveiled on Juneteenth 2021, depicting actor and Bloomfield native Anika Noni Rose, football player and Hartford native Dwight Freeney, King, Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Barack Obama.
ARCY / contributedSome mural subjects, like actor Anika Noni Rose, Tiana from Disney's "Princess and the Frog," said it's been a surprise and honor to share space on the mural with figures like former President Barack Obama and King. Rose appears between the two on a mural in her hometown of Bloomfield.
“To be between Barack Obama and Martin Luther King Jr, I truly never imagined it," she said. "The art is beautiful and realistic, the people I’m sharing the wall with are people who’ve made history and shine brightly in it. What an honor to literally be in a space where the children coming up after me can look up into my face, a Bloomfield native, and know that it is all possible for them.”
The project's first mural, "Birthing a Legacy," was commissioned by RiseUp for Arts to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2021. RiseUp for Arts is a Connecticut-based nonprofit organization that raises funds for artists and organizes the creation of murals alongside community stakeholders. The project was originally meant to be completed by Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2022. However, only 15 of the 39 murals have been completed.
The mural at the Noah Webster Library, which shows hands releasing a dove.
Corey Pane / ContributedThe first mural in Manchester was completed in only a few weeks, Matt Conway, executive director at RiseUP for Arts said. He said RiseUp soon realized that the deadline to complete all 39 wasn't possible because of logistics with fundraising.
"When I did our first one, I was like, 'Oh we can do this in a year,' but obviously public art is a process. After making that announcement we realized there is no way we can do this all in one year," Conway said. "We really want it to be an organic process, whether it be one more year or two more years we are moving towards the goal."
According to Conway, each mural costs about $20,000 to create. That includes everything from the supplies, community outreach and paint days, paying artists and a reveal party once the mural is complete. Funds come from community donations and organizations like Sustainable CT, a non-profit that aims to support grassroots efforts with matching donations.
A MLK39 mural on High Street in Southington.
NorthEast Aerial Imaging / contributedRiseUp also tried to get money from municipalities to complete the project, but had difficulties securing funding from certain towns. Former executive director of Southington Community Cultural Arts, the late Mary DeCroce, worked with RiseUP to present the idea of the mural to the Southington Town Council. Southington Town Council Chair Victoria Triano said the council found the proposal "interesting," but never voted on funding it due to lack of information on what the final product would look like and because RiseUP secured funding through other sources.
"They had come to request funding outside of the regular budgetary requests," Triano said. "When you're using public funds we need a little more contractual agreement."
Adorning the Noah Webster Library is a large mural with one side depicting past civil rights leaders like Matin Luther King Jr., Ella Baker and Bernard LaFayette. Another side shows local leaders like West Hartford Town Councilor Judy Casperson, Connecticut State Rep. Tammy Exum and late Hartford storyteller Gertrude Blanks.
Corey Pane / ContributedConway said RiseUP raised funds through the support of groups like Melanin Moms of Southington and Southington Community Cultural Arts to get the mural completed on a privately owned wall.
Hamden is the next town set to get a mural. It's slated to be revealed during this year's Juneteenth Ceremony, according to a post by the Town of Hamden. Fairfield, Bridgeport, Berlin, Wallingford and Glastonbury are also potential spots for MLK39 murals this year.
Conway said RiseUP is open to creating even more than 39 murals if there is still interest in the project.
Hearst Media contacted artists who have completed MLK39 murals. Responses are below.
The "Dream Like a King" mural in East Hartford.
Location: Main Street in East Hartford
"What I loved so much was that there would be 39 across the state, which makes all these random towns now have something to bond over. Not to mention over a figure who is so misunderstood and who I believe does not receive the correct recognition," Thompson said. "Today we know him for his 'I Have A Dream' speech, of course, and belief in turning the other cheek. I think his ideals about spreading love could not be more relevant in today's climate. But MLK was also an environmentalist, anti-militarist, and a prime example of what we now call the prison industrial complex."
"I've always believed in racial equity, inclusion and fairness for all. I believe that MLK was a beacon of that," Rice said.
The Mansfield MLK39 Mural painted by Emida Roller.
Location: Mansfield Community Center
"It's so rewarding when I see the reaction of the people who come to [the mural,]" Roller said.
Putnam MLK39 Mural on the wall of the YMCA.
Location: YMCA in Putnam
"Every town and every city gets to decide how their mural is going to look, and I think that's powerful," Roller said.
A MLK39 mural on High Street in Southington.
Location: High Street in Southington
"Every mural represents every year [King] lived on this earth. He lived for 39 years, that's such a great way to honor him and what he stood for and what we're struggling with and we're still trying to move forward," Roller said.
"The Promised Land" mural in Norwalk.
Location: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in South Norwalk
"In general I think it's great to find properties and uplift them and in this case, it was a whole street," Clayton said. "The idea is that faith is not about seeing everything, it's about taking that first step and you really need to believe in what's going to come after that first step. That particular quote really resonated with me."
The MLK39 mural at the Five Star Laundromat Center in New Haven features Coretta Scott King and a poem by New Haven writer Sun Queen
Location: Five Star Laundromat Center in New Haven
"The way Kyle and I designed the mural, we talked about representing other people who are part of the Civil Rights Movement. It wasn't just MLK, it wasn't just Malcolm X, but also highlighting the women. So we decided to highlight Coretta Scott King in ours," Bloodworth said.
The Mahoney Recreation Center has murals depicting Martin Luther King Jr. as well as civil rights leader Harriet Tubman, Congressman John Lewis and Adult and Continuing Education Director at Manchester Adult & Continuing Education Dr. Diane Clare-Kearney.
Location: Mahoney Recreation Center in Manchester
"The mural project grew organically and keeps growing," Keller said.
"I'm honored to be a part of it, this is what I love to do," Christenson said. "Whatever I can do to put forth that positive energy is what I'm meant to do."
"With any of my work, I try to change the space that the mural is in and brighten up people's day," Pane said.
In Bloomfield, ARCY painted a mural, which was unveiled on Juneteenth 2021, depicting actor and Bloomfield native Anika Noni Rose, football player and Hartford native Dwight Freeney, King, Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Barack Obama.
Location: Alvin and Beatrice Wood Human Services Center in Bloomfield
"There are such a variety of people that this project has brought to the current times and out in the public," Christenson said.
Adoring the Noah Webster Library is a large mural with one side depicting past civil rights leaders like King, Ella Baker and Bernard LaFayette and another side showing local leaders like West Hartford Town Councilor Judy Casperson, Connecticut State Representative Tammy Exum and late Hartford storyteller Gertrude Blanks.
Location: Noah Webster Library in West Hartford
"It wasn't only my vision or my take on Martin Luther King and his message, there was a lot of other people involved. It was taking their messages and twisting it into my own work in my own way, but leaving it open to different interpretations," Pane said.
“Birthing of a Legacy” by Ben Keller, one of the initiative’s founding artists, at the Mahoney Recreation Center in Manchester.
Location: Mahoney Recreation Center in Manchester
"I hope that it can still speak to people and I hope that the piece lives on for as long as possible and keeps touching lives," Keller said.
The "A New Dawn" mural in Torrington. It features Martin Luther King Jr. , poet Amanda Gorman and abolitionist and Torrington resident John Brown.
Location: The WAPJ building at 42 Water St. in Torrington
"I was just honored to be one of the artists involved in that project," Keller said.
In Bristol, East Hartford artist Micaela Levesque painted a mural, titled "Infinite Hope." The mural features artist and civil rights activist Maya Angelou, Martin Luther King Jr. and Barbara Hudson.
Location: Riverside Avenue in Bristol
"To me, Maya Angelou was not only a civil rights activist, but a mega-artist. In her lifetime she was a dancer, producer, actor, composer,singer, writer, poet, world traveler, and spoke several languages. She was a multi-faceted being who lived wildly authentic," Levesque said. "I would love to paint another mural all about her one day, she's so inspirational to me, and it was a joy to learn about her during the planning process of the mural."
The "Legends Live Forever" mural in Danbury. It shows former president John F. Kennedy, former Supreme Court judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Martin Luther King Jr.
Location: Kennedy Park in Downtown Danbury
"For me, it's a privilege because some of these people I'm not fully aware of their entire life's work. I'm not aware of all the messages they were putting forth. But through these projects, I was able to dive in deeper and understand their stories," Christenson said.
The MLK39 mural under Founders Bridge in East Hartford.
Location: Under the Founders Bridge in East Hartford
"It's something that I believe in and wanted to be part of," Rice said.
"The MLK39 project was an honor to be a part of. CTMurals and the RiseUp Group is leading the way for cities statewide to encourage and embrace the creativity throughout their communities," Thompson said.
"I have been an oil painter for years, focusing on portraits and realism. During the past few years, I emerged into my career as a mural artist," Levesque said.