Lauren Todd

1/23/16
Prof. Janelle Junkin
ARTS565 Arts in Healing
Manifestations & Attributes of Hope Chart for Community Mural
Brief mural experience description: This mural art project will engage children (ages 12-18) and a parent/guardian/relative
in the creation of a mural on a large wall overlooking a community playground. Over an 8 week period (2.5 hour sessions
each weekend) 5 child-parent/guardian dyads will collaborate with other community member volunteers and 3 teaching
artists to create a mural on the theme of community with the title, I Am Because We Are. The first 4 weeks will be
dedicated to image brainstorming, sharing personal stories of important community members. The participants will create
portraits of mentors, teachers, elders, and other influential and inspiring community members and engage in storytelling to
share how they have been positively shaped by members of their community. They will learn art skills and proper handling
of materials and collaborate on a draft for a final image. The last 4 weeks will be paint and craft days in which the group
will execute the mural.
Nine Attributes of Hope*

INITIATING

Art-Related Responses
- Brainstorming and free-sketching
ideas for visual elements to be
included in mural image (people,
patterns, colors, objects) (I have
thinking)
- Exploring unique properties of
various art media
- Compiling a list (and
accompanying story) of respected
community members (family, elders,
local celebrities, community leaders)

Non-Art Responses
- Contributing to group sharing
and brainstorming session
- Willingly entering into a
collaborative, community-based
mural project
- Engaging in first steps of project
planning (group dialogue about
project expectations/goals/skills to
be learned during 8 wks)

to share with group

WILL-POWER
THINKING

FUTURE ORIENTATION

INTENTIONALITY

- Each week participants anticipate

completing steps in the mural
creation process
- Layers build each week
(symbolic/meaning and visual paint
layers) while visualizing final
draft/mural image
- Plan specific goals for the following
week, including any homework
activities (e.g. preparing a story or
drawing to share) to keep to an 8week long schedule
- Brainstorming and creating with
purpose to translate themes and
ideas into a 2D image
- Creating artwork to be used as
inspiration for (or to be included in)
the final mural image

- Learning the process of muralmaking resulting in gaining mastery

of basic painting, drawing, largeformat artwork skills
- Pride stemming from completion of
a collaborative public art piece

- Young and old participants

anticipating growing older
becoming a respected leader in
the community or family
- Able to look critically and
envision the transformation of
something to be imbued with
beauty and meaning (in this case,
a wall)
- Developing action steps to
complete to achieve a goal
- Prioritizing project involvement
by consistent attendance each
week by child-parent dyads
- Creation of timeline and an artist
contract that each participant
must sign to acknowledge rules,
safety concerns, involvement, and
project goals
- Internal motivation to achieve
goal
- Feelings of excitement to be
working on a meaningful public
mural
- Spending focused and personal
time with positive role models
such as parent/guardians and

POSITIVE EXPECTATION

ABILITY TO GENERATE
WORKABLE ROUTES TO
GOALS

WAY-POWER
THINKING

REALISM

- Brainstorming, articulating, and

blending ones ideas with other
participants ideas to create final
image
- Hands-on art experiences (such as
exploration of materials, skillmastery) build logically in level of
sophistication during process to
prepare participants for final mural
painting
- Planning specific steps that lead to
successful project completion
- Expression of inner creativity and
personal meaning
- Discussion/storytelling/drawing
about influential figures in
community helps participants grasp
ideas of how they can contribute to
defining their community in a
positive way (I can thinking)
- Learning limitations of artistic
media and personal artistic abilities
- Thinking creatively and envisioning

teaching artists strengthens

relationship bonds
- Public celebration, positive
recognition, and warm reception
from community for completed
project
- Flexibly incorporating
individuals ideas, work ethic, and
goals with others unique ideas
and work styles
- Learning project planning and
identifying steps that lead to big
and small picture goals
- Learning perseverance and how
to adapt to unexpected
challenges to achieve goal

- Working with others respectfully

(strangers, family, teachers, old,
young) to reach a goal
- Planning a timeline and
completing work independently
and collaboratively within a
schedule/deadline and budget
- Creation of a final
product/achieving a goal
- Contributing to work done within

ACTIVITY

(Relational
behaviors,
willingness to
connect with
others)

(Includes the
ability to extend
beyond current
situation, moving
from hope for
cure to hope for
fulfillment)

transformation
- Involvement in team-work and
creative collaboration
- Engaging with art materials

- Incorporating participants ideas for

mural design, an act of collaborative
unity
- Telling meaningful stories, in
addition to art-making experiences,
INTERCONNECTEDNESS about influential elders promotes
group/family/community cohesion
and respect
-Mural created by a group, not an
individual
- Participants draw on the artistic
strengths of others in areas they are
weak
- Celebration of mastery of art skills
- Realizing artistic potential
- Opportunity for self-expression
through art and storytelling
- Satisfaction in visual beauty of
TRANSCENDENCE
completed mural
- Unrestrained creative expression

a group
- Engaging with people and
systems
- Maintaining motivation to
achieve goals
- Learning to trust, depend on,
learn from, and seek helps from
others to reach personal and
collective goals
- Teamwork strengthening bonds
- Mentorship and role of
teachers/elders emphasized for
participants (of all ages) involved
- Participants learn their
uniqueness as individuals and
their important role within a group
(I am thinking)
- Participants, especially children,
walk away with deeper
appreciation of, and stronger ties
to, their community
- Successful collaboration with
others builds confidence
- Sense of fulfillment of achieving
a goal
-Final mural is a testament to
hard work, perseverance, creative
expression, collaboration, and

interest in project

* Compiled from Manifestations of Hope in Music Therapy with Hospitalized Pediatric Patients, a Masters thesis by
Charissa Tan, Creative Arts Therapy Program, Drexel University, June 2008.