Mural installation and celebration set for this week
September 26, 2023 | By Lisa Scagliotti 
The image titled "Madonna's Earth" by artist Raphaella (Raph) Brice will be painted and installed as a mural on the back of 29 Stowe Street. Courtesy image
Installation of the Waterbury Area Anti-Racism Coalition’s mural at 29 Stowe Street is scheduled for Thursday with a celebration at Stowe Street Cafe on Saturday.
More than 50 volunteers took part in painting the mural in sections this summer and the building – home to the cafe and Bridgeside Books – was recently painted a deep shade of blue.
The entire building was recently painted a deep shade of blue ahead of the mural installation. Photo by Gordon Miller
The mural project has been a goal of the anti-racism coalition which formed in the summer of 2020. Its aim was to highlight the work of BIPOC artists in particular. The three-year process involved securing a location, putting out a call for designs, and then fundraising.
This year, property owners Nicole and John Grenier offered the rear side of the building that faces Railroad Street and is visible from Stowe Street, particularly from the bridge over the railroad tracks.
A colorful design titled “Madonna’s Earth” by Burlington artist Raphaella Brice was chosen as the featured work. The 8 x 24-foot image was painted on aluminum panels by volunteers under the direction of project organizers and coalition members MK Monley and Chiyomi McKibbin.
Brice is expected to attend the installation and Saturday celebration. Another Black Madonna artwork by Brice is installed in Burlington on the exterior of the Fletcher Free Library on College Street.
The Waterbury mural project was funded through a combination of $10,000 in donations from community members and businesses and a $20,000 grant from the Better Places Grant from the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development.
The Saturday event at the cafe is set for 4-6 p.m. with free snacks and beverages; beer and wine will be available for purchase.