Local Artists and Youth Produce Mural Painting

DULUTH, Minn. — Teens and young adults in Duluth teamed up with local artists to produce and showcase a mural across a wall of Positively 3rd Street Bakery.

Artists Moira Villiard and Carla Hamilton served as creative mentors for the mural with the life house organization, which houses and helps homeless teens and young adults. The collaboration was funded by a grant from arrowhead regional art council and gave a voice to the life house youth, as they assisted in planning, painting, and decision making.

The group says that their time working on the mural became like therapy, and that many laughs took place during the process.

Villiard said, “I feel like young people are the people who are gonna grow up in this community, so having a voice in what goes up and what is going to be there while their existing here is important,” she then went on to explain, “we have plenty of professional artists who go and make art and its beautiful, but to involve the community more I think is really important.”

The project began and finished last summer, but with weather restrictions, was just installed after being in storage for a year.

The mural showcases a view of the lake with plants, trees, and other environmental aspects.