Mending Walls

Sparking Conversation In Richmond Through Art

In response to the community unrest following the death of George Floyd, local artist Hamilton Glass saw an opportunity—not just for bold new art in Richmond’s public spaces, but also for deep, authentic, and sometimes uncomfortable conversations about race, social justice, and equity in our city.

The Blackwell Drip

Chris Visions & Heide Trepanier

In 2020, Glass reached out to fellow artists to collaborate on a new public art project called Mending Walls RVA. The project aims to advance social justice by connecting community members from diverse backgrounds and encouraging conversations that foster understanding, empathy, and healing.

Voices of Perseverance

Jason Ford & Ed Trask

“In these very different pieces of art we have very different points of view, and those points of view are a reflection of the very different experiences we have,” Glass said. “We, as humans, need to be empathetic to those different experiences to deepen our discussions about racial justice.”

Finding Tomorrow

Hamilton Glass & Eli McMullen

Since its inception, nearly 50 artists have collaborated to create more than 20 murals across Richmond. The story of Mending Walls RVA was captured in the Emmy Award-winning “Mending Walls: The Documentary” (2022), which is currently available for streaming on VPM. For more information and a map of mural locations, visit www.mendingwallsrva.com .

Together We Rise

Noah Scalin & Alfonso Perez

Mending Walls: A Healing Art Project

Later this spring, Mending Walls RVA will release a coffee table book titled “Mending Walls: The Conversations & Coffee Table Book.” It features stories from the artists about their conversations while working together to create murals and behind-the-scenes photographs. The book is currently available for pre-order at www.mendingwallsrva.com

He Said, He Said: Art

“Art constitutes the very source from whence we come and it’s the very means for which we preserve our sanity and dignity. There’s a musicality of living and trying to be an artist of life as well as someone who appreciates those who are willing to give their big hearts, based on the mastery of craft and technique, to us so we can revel in their heart and in their soul.”

Dr. Cornel West

“For me, the purpose of art is always—more than to perform a kind of purity or to perform a kind of politics—it’s to allow us all to get outside of our own backyards and to step into the human community.”

Thomas Chatterton Williams