Murals for Change represents the large scale collaborative work of Allison Havens and Sasha Silveanu. Together the artists research, design, and paint murals that address social issues. Through dialogue and consultation, the histories, hopes and concerns of community members are translated into visual narratives. Allison and Sasha met while working on the mural “Turn the Tide” and collaborated exclusively on the mural “Once Upon Our Time”.

Murals for Change is always looking for new projects and ideas.
Please contact Allison and Sasha at murals4change@gmail.com

To see more art by Allison and Sasha please visit
http://criticalcollage.blogspot.com

Once Upon Our Time

“Once Upon Our Time” is a mobile mural created by Allison and Sasha for and with the support of Heartland Human Care Services’ International Refugee Center. The mural depicts the power of storytelling through multicultural and mythological characters and landscapes. Through these painted scenes viewers are presented diverse methods of teaching, experiences of movement and change, and an overall celebration of the imagination. The people, animals, objects, and landscapes come from both real and imagined sources reminding viewers that they are simultaneously the products and the creators of their own realities. This mural reflects the cultural duality experienced by many refugee, asylee, and immigrant children and depicts the equal importance of formal and informal education.

Related curriculum and educational programming (including puppets) have also been incorporated to help explore characters and events depicted in the mural.

The mural was completed in January 2007.

The Sketch

The Process

Hung in the Children's Room

Mural & Puppets

"How the Hare Learned to Swim," an East African Story.

"Turn the Tide" is a mobile mural made by five artists instructed at the Jane Addams Hull House for Arts and Culture in Chicago. The mural sought to address issues of gentrification occurring in the north side neighborhood where the mural was created and hung. Through conversations with local members of the community the narrative was developed and events and individuals were incorporated. The outcome went beyond residential issues to explore the complexities and externalities of capitalism. The image encourages the community to continue building solidarity (like a wave) and grow organically and dynamically against the corporate mechanisms of monoculture.

The mural was completed in February 2006. It was during this process that the two artists of "Murals for Change" met.