Dover Arts Commission to host Community Art Day June 10

posted on: 6/5/2018

Dover artist Brian Cartier and youth from the Dover Teen Center have been busy planning and creating a vibrant new mural for Henry Law Park that celebrates diversity, inclusiveness, and community. In keeping with those themes, Dover residents can also have a hand in this exciting public art project when the Dover Arts Commission hosts Community Art Day on Sunday, June 10, from 2 to 4 p.m. During the event, citizens of all ages and abilities will have a chance to honor their family heritage by adding their handprints on a world map to show their city, state, or country of origin. At the same time, they will be helping to illustrate Dover’s diverse population for generations to come.

Community Art Day will take place at The Cocheco Mills on the Atrium and Canal Level. The Atrium and Canal Level is on the back side of the mill, at the corner of Washington and Main streets. Enter via the covered walkway at the base of the smoke stack. For GPS purposes, the closest address is 47 Washington St. The Cocheco Mills parking lot is reserved for mill tenants, so visitors will need to park on the street or the Orchard Street Parking Garage.

The Henry Law Park Youth Mural Project is a community arts initiative intended to facilitate a conversation about our world and was inspired, in part, by a Native American Mi‘kmaq (or Micmac) prayer about peace and healing among all people. The mural will celebrate Dover’s diversity by depicting a map of the world using vibrant color, abstract imagery, painted handprints, and inspiring quotations. The large-scale artwork will face Henry Law Avenue, creating an inviting visual transition between the upper and lower sections of the park. The grand reveal of the mural will take place during a ribbon cutting ceremony later this summer. Stay tuned for a separate announcement in advance of the event.

This project is made possible by the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, the City of Dover, the Kostis Family, Optima Bank and Trust, Dover Teen Center, and private donors.

For more information on Community Art Day or the Henry Law Park Youth Mural Project, contact Kim Schuman, co-chair of the Dover Arts Commission, at k.schuman@dover.nh.gov or 603-512-6587.