Community Is...- Devon Community Mural | Indira Freitas Johnson | Mandala Makers Festival 2024

As part of the 2024 Together We Heal project (DCASE), Mandala Arts, artist Indira Freitas Johnson, engaged residents of Rogers Park in exploring the meaning of 'community' through the process of mural making. Through a month-long process in May 2024, participants identified words, symbols and colors to represent the spirit of Devon Avenue and Rogers Park and paint it onto the exterior wall of the Republic Bank of Chicago.
Participants met at the Hamdard Health Alliance for weekly meetings and become part of Mandala's Devon Community Advisory Council, which was set up to reflect the needs and desires of the people of Devon through art and culture. The project marked the finale of the sixth edition of the Mandala Makers Festival, an annual program to bring art into the public spaces of Devon.
Mandala Artistic Director: Pranita Nayar
Lead Artist: Indira Freitas Johnson
Community Engagement Facilitator: Ashmi Mridul
Artist Assistant: Jeremy Wong