Arts & Entertainment – Painting a Bridge of Hope to El Salvador

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May 4, 2016

by Krista Madsen

Tarrytown’s Christ Church’s longstanding relationship with El Salvador will become brilliantly vivid as an ambitious public mural project gets underway this month.

Church members had been talking since last fall about “more active ways our parish community can support and partner with Foundation Cristosal to address the horrifying crisis of violence in El Salvador and the resulting forced displacement of people fleeing for their lives,” Karen Viola said.

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Viola, an artist, and her husband Phil, initiated the mural idea and offered to donate their time and talents. Viola drafted the plan for the rainbow-infused populated landscape called the “Bridge of Hope,” which began in April.

Once Viola outlines the contents, there will be several days of public painting, with the goal to include as much of the community as possible. For the youngest attendees, there will be a craft station with coloring sheets. For those who don’t want to paint, there will be other ways to volunteer.

Donations are also welcome for any amount of money to support and partner with Cristosal, “an organization which works to empower the poor in their developments…and provide safe, temporary shelter and legal assistance for the displaced,” Viola said. Those displaced include youth temporarily housed at the Abbot House in Irvington last year, whose lives intersected so meaningfully with many volunteering parishioners, and inspired Viola.

The mural will do much more than beautify; it will serve as an educational and creative springboard. Talks are in progress for a dramatic play series surrounding the subject, and the church hopes to enlist teachers to create coinciding learning materials.

“It is our hope that the interactive nature of these projects and events will foster more conversation, ideas, and ongoing community advocacy for this critical cause,” Viola said.

To donate, volunteer or find out more, please contact the church at christchurchtny@aol.com. Public painting days will be on May 14 and 21 (sign up by half-hour time slots). The unveiling celebration on June 4, open to all, will feature the food and music of El Salvador and various interactive activities.

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