$3,500 goal to receive a 2:1 matching grant through DHCD’s Better Places Program
Vermont Business Magazine Downtown White River Junction residents will soon be able to enjoy a new community mural and public space on the side of the COVER Building at 158 South Main Street in White River Junction thanks to a recently launched crowdfunding campaign. The campaign is sponsored by the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development’s Better Places program and led by the COVER Home Repair and Store.
“Public art projects provide an opportunity for communities to reflect on and celebrate their unique story,” said Department of Housing and Community Development Commissioner Josh Hanford. “Downtown White River Junction’s mural project will bring a sense of vibrancy that community members of all ages will enjoy.”
If the campaign reaches its $3,500 goal by May 1, 2023, “A Community Mural for White River Junction” will receive a matching grant of $7,000 dollars from DHCD’s Better Places program.
Click here for project details and to donate. To volunteer to help paint the mural, email [email protected]. The funds raised will turn an empty brick wall into a beautiful piece of art that the community can enjoy! Through landscaping and seating, the public will be invited to sit and experience the mural up close.
According to the muralist, Ragko, “the mural is meant to be a celebration of life and human stories and the interconnectedness between our stories and sense of place.”
Helen Hong, Executive Director of COVER, expects that, “in a town that is full of creativity and vibrancy, the mural will be a visual playground for the neighborhood.”
Residents, businesses, and neighbors ready to support vibrant public places, community gathering areas, and local opportunities are encouraged to get involved and support these projects. Learn more and donate here.
Better Places is a community matching grant program empowering Vermonters to create inclusive and vibrant public places serving Vermont’s designated downtowns, village centers, new town centers, or neighborhood development areas. The program is led by the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development in partnership with the Vermont Department of Health, the Vermont Community Foundation, and Patronicity, our crowdfunding experts. The program supports community-led projects that create, revitalize, or activate community gathering areas that bring people together to build welcoming and thriving places across Vermont.
Source: 4.4.2023. TOWN OF HARTFORD – Department of Housing and Community Development