Happy Juneteenth! Multiple Torrington organizations have joined forces to create the Torrington Civil Rights Mural, and we invite you to join Mental Health Connecticut and our Mending Arts program at the unveiling today (Saturday, June 19th) happening at 1 p.m. at 42 Water St. We are proud to celebrate with our communities today and know that this week, our nation has established Juneteenth as a federal holiday.

Photo Credit to @qua.jay www.quajay.com. Figures in the mural: Martin Luther King Jr., Amanda Gorman, and John Brown

The mural will be completed by Ben Keller, a nationally recognized Connecticut based artist along with emerging artists and the community. MHC’s very own Mending Art Artists have been spotlighted as the Emerging Artists for this project, and they’ve had the opportunity to share their artwork, inspired by the Torrington Martin Luther King Mural, with the community. We are proud of the community coming together in this way and hope that you will join us for the unveiling!

This mural is part of the MLK39: Racial Equity Mural Tour, which aims to install 39 murals across Connecticut, one honoring each year of Dr. Martin Luther King’s life. The program was developed by RiseUP for the Arts, a nonprofit organization based in Hartford, CT. According to CT Murals website, “This mural tour is meant to lift up activists and change-makers who are often delegated to the margins or overlooked, such as women and local community organizers and politicians doing the groundwork.”

Thank you Our Culture is Beautiful, New Opportunities, Northwest Connecticut Art Council, Kids Play Museum for their involvement. Today is a day of celebration and we wish you a safe and joyous Juneteenth.

We invite you to take the time to learn more about the meaning of this holiday through the link below:

https://madnesstocreation.net/2020/06/19/mental-health-moments-an-education-on-juneteenth/

Visit this website https://www.self.com/story/black-mental-health-resources for a list of resources to support your mental health.