Make RPAL Your Pal

The complete mural measures 22 x 10’

This summer I had the opportunity to work on another mural for the Richmond Police Activities League. Their building has a side entrance which is the one most people use. Lots of youth of color and their parents enter through their 22nd St entrance to find out about the programs RPAL offers. The college-aged youth that designed this mural were part of RPAL’s Ambassadors program. The Ambassadors Program is a partnership between RPAL and the City of Richmond to provide summer employment to a group of young people who serve as ambassadors to local businesses and community sites. While working, participants beautify the community, identify and eliminate blight, make connections with local small business owners, explore careers with the city, and build life skills.

Several of the youth were very familiar with RPAL’s programs, because they had attended while still in elementary school. They remembered the homework help, the baseball teams, and the music classes.

After a walk where we visited and discussed the nearby murals on McDonald Ave, the youth talked about a design that would make visitors feel welcome. They wanted something and that gave visitors “an idea of what they could expect.” They drew pictures of children and teens doing those activities. I took their ideas and drawings home and created a design.

Part of the varnishing crew.

The design I developed with them felt a lot like a family portrait because of how the figures were arranged (complete with a Yorkie that had been RPAL’s mascot). There was much back and forth conversation as the youth researched the symbols they wanted included: a spiral, stars, the rising sun, and daisies and dandelions. A dolphin and an osprey represented the playfulness of youth and a local animal. Unlike my other murals, no one posed for this composition. The figures were created using various reference materials. The colors were bright, another nod to the youthful nature of this design.

The crew that drew a grid on the wall was different from the group that helped to paint the broad areas. We met on Mondays and Tuesdays, but most students could only make it on one of those days. In the end, more than 15 youth painted, not including the varnishing crew that did it as community service.

The mural was unveiled during an open house and featured in the organization’s newsletter.