Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut and Art in Common Create Mural Panels for Danbury Fair

The Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut is collaborating with Art in Common of Ridgefield to expand on the mural project at the mall for Danbury Fair. The plan is to create six permanent but moveable mural canvases to showcase local and aspiring artists.

The canvases will be constructed to easily move throughout Danbury Fair and enhance the extensive mural application throughout the Apple wing. The focus of the movable murals is social sustainability, such as health and well-being, equitable access and community building. The moveable murals will use the same color palette as the 1,800-square-foot mural that the Cultural Alliance is curating for the upper-level Apple wing of the center.

“The theme of the project is reemergence and awakening,” said Aimee Jette, executive director of Art in Common. “Everything is different now. As a society, we are re-establishing our norms as we emerge from isolation and attempt to restore and connect with ourselves and our communities. At this crucial time, we must ask, are we listening? How do we reconnect with ourselves, family, and community? Where are you going, and more notably, where are we going together, so no one is left behind?”

Art in Common Inc. was founded by Jette after she led art workshops for refugee women from Uganda, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of her work for a refugee settlement agency. Through this work, she discovered that though language was a barrier, art was a form of expression in which everyone could communicate. Jette pursued her master’s degree in Art Therapy and founded Art in Common, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering communities to heal through the power of art. Since its creation, Art in Common has led several events focused on creating community and bringing diverse populations together to express themselves through art.

“Community and connection are central to the Danbury Fair Mural project,” says Lisa Scails, executive director for the Cultural Alliance. “Art in Common embodies these ideas every day. Working together brings more awareness to their work and supports more artists in the region.”

“Our community relationships are ones we cherish the most at Danbury Fair,” said Maura Ruby, General Manager, Danbury Fair. “We are excited to install the movable canvases created by Art in Common. These flexible art installations will bring life to our corridor, but also energize any area of the mall as they move throughout the center.”