'It’s about showing that we care': Norwich community to help paint Reliance Health mural

If you’ve seen the new mural on the wall behind Reliance Health’s Cliff Street location, facing Franklin Street, work is coming along nicely, but the community needs to help finish it.

Community Impact Mural Paint and Volunteer Days are coming up for the mural, 125 feet wide and 25 feet tall, with the first on Saturday at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Artist Candice Flewharty will review things with participants, and they will be guided in their painting on the ground level, Reliance Health Agency Development Director Heather-Renae Paul said.

The remaining Community Paint Days are Oct. 11 and Oct. 18 at 4:30 p.m., and Oct. 14 at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. The Saturday painting days have rain dates for the next day. The mural should be completed by Halloween, Paul said.

For those volunteering to paint, Flewharty divided the mural into grids to help people focus. She will have done the outline, so others can paint it in. Younger children might also contribute to the piece with their handprints, Flewharty said.

People can show up without signing up, but signing up online is recommended so Flewharty can prepare enough materials for people to work with each day, and so people can be contacted for rain dates. There will also be music and refreshments for those attending, Paul said.

Mural with a message

The mural pays homage to the "Iris" paintings of Vincent Van Gogh, which Van Gogh painted toward the end of his life while in a mental hospital. The message is that people, such as Van Gogh, are more than just their mental health issues, Paul said.

“When you hear Van Gogh, you don’t think of mental health, you think of this amazing artist,” she said.

Van Gogh felt safest when he was making art, and he was provided art supplies by the hospitals where he was staying, Flewharty said. Flewharty is also an art teacher at St. Patrick’s Cathedral School.

Coincidentally, Flewharty’s husband had to travel to France for work, so Flewharty joined him so she could see where the hospitals Van Gogh stayed at once stood, she said.

The mural idea was thought of years back when Norwich first started talking about beautification, and Reliance Health wanted to have a mural on its building. Flewharty worked with them on the concept.

Reliance applied for the Impact Grant ARPA funds given to the city, and was approved. Involving a community activity was a grant requirement, so that’s where the community painting came from, Paul said.

Chelsea Groton Bank also provided a grant for the project, Paul said.

An opportunity to talk about mental health

The community activity also gives Reliance Health an opportunity to talk about mental health in the community, Paul said.

“We want people to be involved,” she said.

Flewharty has done many other murals, including the Welcome to Norwich mural on the Amazing Furniture building, and a bird mural in Norwichtown. As the city has seen many murals go up in recent years, from the one on the back of Castle Church to the ones by Foundry 66, this trend helps improve Norwich, she said.

“It makes downtown seem like a place that, whether you like the murals or not, it’s about showing that we care,” Flewharty said. “Norwich is a place that values artwork and wants you here.”

Looking ahead, Reliance Health has approached the Norwich Historical Society to create a walking tour for all the murals in downtown Norwich. People should also expect more art and creative opportunities from Reliance Health in the future, Paul said.

“There’s definitely stuff we have on our strategic plan, and we love having the community involved, because we feel more supported in our mission,” she said.

For this weekend, Flewhary is looking forward to the teachable moment. She’ll expect it to be a small crowd at first. Flewharty wants to impress on people that anyone can make art, she said.

Paul said the mural will be one of her biggest projects, and she is excited to see it come together. But she also wants other people to be excited. Paul said one of her friends will be having their daughter’s birthday party at the mural so they can join in painting.

“I’m excited for the next step,” she said. “It’s one thing for (Flewharty) to get the paint on the wall, to prime it, to sketch it. Now that’s come to life, and the next step to get the community involved is awesome.”

This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Reliance Health's mural in downtown Norwich inspired by Van Gogh