Mural Reveal Party for Mutual Ground at Water Street Studios

Batavia, IL—The kick-off of Water Street Studios’ Activate the Alley pARTnership project is here!
Mutual Ground will be the first organization to reveal their mural in a series of murals highlighting local non-profit organizations at a Mural Reveal party on Thursday, October 17th from 4:30-6:30pm at Water Street Studios. The Activate the Alley pARTnership project is in honor of Water Street Studios’ 10 Year Anniversary. Water Street Studios is pairing ten local artists with ten local nonprofit agencies to create outdoor, public art murals that illustrate the programs and services that the nonprofit offers to the community. These murals will be on display in the alley leading up to the entrance of Water Street Studios.

Mutual Ground has served our community for more than 40 years with the mission of providing education, awareness, and life-changing services that empower individuals, families, and communities to end the cycle of domestic and sexual violence. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month – the entire month of October is devoted to remembering those victims who have died, celebrating those who have survived, and connecting those who work to end violence. According to Kathy Melone, Advancement Director at Mutual Ground, “We are thrilled to partner with Water Street Studios to promote awareness of our mission and services, and add beauty to our community. We want to make sure that everyone that needs our services knows that we are here to help, everyday of the year, free of charge. This mural will be a beautiful addition to Batavia and remind victims and survivors of domestic violence that they are not alone, and there is hope.”

The mural design was created by Laura Lynne Art. Laura Lynne is a mixed media hand cut paper artist and muralist. She uses her photographs, metallic paper, and painted papers to create boldly colored, whimsical artworks. According to Laura Lynne, “A good design, or work of art, can help people to understand a subject more deeply. It has the power to make a strong emotional impact that stays in your memory longer than words alone. My goal was to achieve that with this art.”

The mural creation for Mutual Ground was generously sponsored by the Batavia Woman’s Club. “We are honored to financially support this wonderful fusion of our nonprofit community. Water Street Studios is a shining example of innovation as it merges art with crucial nonprofits like Mutual Ground. This breathtaking mural is not just an art installation, it is a stunning symbol of what we can create together. All our efforts are magnified when we can work together to address the very real needs of human beings in our community, from our artists and Water Street Studios that supports them, to Mutual Ground addressing the needs of women and children who suffer from domestic violence. This blend of community stewardship makes us so proud. The ladies of the Batavia Woman’s Club will find themselves turning down First and Water Streets much more frequently, as we slow down to look at this beautiful mural. We are happy to say we helped create it.”, says Cynthia Kieckhefer of the Batavia Woman’s Club.

You are invited to join us at the Reveal Party on Thursday, October 17th at 4:30 p.m. We will announce the reveal of the mural with a ribbon cutting ceremony with the Batavia, Geneva, and Aurora Chambers of Commerce, followed by a cocktail party in the Dempsey Family Gallery. In addition to her contribution as the artist on the mural, Laura Lynne will be donating 40% of the proceeds of any of her artwork sales at the Mural Reveal party to Mutual Ground.

This mural is one of ten murals that will be revealed between October 2019 and August 2020. “This project was created to elevate our nonprofit community in a way never done before. At Water Street Studios we understand that our greatest asset is our artist community and we want to utilize our best resources to help lift up our fellow nonprofits,” says Danielle Hollis, Executive Director at Water Street Studios.

Event Details:
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Ribbon Cutting at 4:30 p.m.
Cocktail Party at 5:00 p.m. until 6:30 p.m.
Free and open to the public