HAND’S ON! CHILDREN’S MUSEUM
Hendersonville, NC
A 5-Year Mural in Hendersonville, NC
After finishing the project at Piper’s Corner School I was supposed to stay for a visit with friends in London, but the UK was heading into lockdown so I hopped on the first plane home. After only a couple of days back at the ranch, I packed up and headed out to Hendersonville, NC to paint a mural on Hands On! Children’s Museum – a mural that had been in the works for nearly 5 years.
This project was championed by Kim Bailey, a Farmer/Educator with a specialty in Monarch Butterflies. The project was supported by Hands On! Children’s Museum supplying the canvas in downtown Hendersonville. Bee City USA- Hendersonville chapter and many other organizations.
The Community
This project started in 2016 when Kim had me come and speak to the tree board in the hopes of getting people in Hendersonville excited about a mural. In those days I was both thrilled and terrified to speak in front of groups. I was happy people were interested in my work, but I would get so nervous to actually speak! The fact of the matter is that this project would not have happened without the steadfast perseverance of Kim. She is an extraordinary person with a heart that is truly committed to pollinator and environmental health. Her role in raising awareness during this project was arguably more effective than my own. I made the piece of art, but Kim got an entire community engaged and aware of issues around pollinators way before I even got there.
The Process
This mural ended up being one of the projects that I grossly underestimated the scale. I originally was planning on doing a mural that was much more. Simplistic in design. But then I got there and decided to just go for it with my usual detail. This turned out to be a crowd favorite (and mine, too) but it took nearly twice the amount of time I had planned on. In fact, I had to stop because it got too cold. I came back in the spring of 2021 and finished.
I will forever be grateful to the people of the greater Asheville area for being so incredibly supportive as I launched The Good of the Hive.
