Our 2023 theme, “Tell Your Story”, is a reflection that everyone has a story to tell, and that important lessons can often be gleaned from those least likely to volunteer their story. Selecting artist Raeghan Buchanan, whose work focuses so much on storytelling, to bring her interpretation of our theme to life was a natural fit.

We fell in love with Raeghan’s depiction of everyday city life, focused on people. Growing up, she said card games were how stories and memories were often passed down from generation to generation in her family. Here’s how she described her design:

I used Romare Bearden as inspiration; he was a collage artist who grew up in Pittsburgh, PA and in some ways had a very relatable history to me. I drew a lot from my family (like I always do) and some of the common things we share with the greater diaspora culturally.

Just as Raeghan was completing her mural, Andy Downing from Matter News came out to interview her. You can learn more about Raeghan’s design from Andy’s piece here.

Storytelling and a focus on roots was especially poignant given the mural’s location. Ava Gombedza, who owns and operates Ava’s Taste of the Caribbean, moved to the US from Jamaica, and graciously allowed us to put a mural on her building’s west wall.

Ava was in many ways this project’s unsung hero: She bonded with Raeghan and Frank Lawson (who assisted in the execution of the mural), cooked for them every day they were working, and in her quiet but determined way, ensured the project was successful and smooth.

We were therefore grateful that the Neighborhood Design Center was able to complement Raeghan’s mural with facade improvements for Ava’s building as part of the City of Columbus’s Power of One grant. Check out Ava’s refreshed digs alongside the mural, and grab some outstanding food while you’re there!

We owe a huge thank you to Raeghan and Frank for a fantastic mural, to Ava for all her support and trust, and to our funders, for whom this project would not have been possible.