SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) — Spartanburg’s newest mural is all about prioritizing mental health.
The colorful artwork that now occupies the street-side wall of the Starbucks on the corner of Spring and Main Streets features multicultural faces, a QR code linking to mental health resources and a universal message; You matter.
The mural was organized by the Spartanburg Area Mental Health Center with help from the Chapman Cultural Center.
Funding for the project was provided by a grant from the Mary Black Foundation.
“With this mural, I want people to get community out of it, but also a sense of connectedness – not just because of the languages, of the words, but also that they see themselves in the mural,” Kendall Shelton, the BIPOC and Latinx Outreach Specialist at Spartanburg Area Mental Health Center said.
The piece of art took roughly two years to plan and paint.
Planners told 7NEWSthey wanted the mural to be visible to help make the message more accessible to the public.
“We are grateful that we have this location here. It’s so important because it’s high traffic, people can see it,” Gia Quinones, the BIPOC and Latinx Outreach Program Director at Spartanburg Area Mental Health Center said. “They can also read it in a language that they can understand.”
Artist Lauren Andreu, who spent countless hours planning the mural and more than 80 hours bringing it to life, originally designed the piece in Hawaii.
“I think the message is very important: Whoever you are, what you’re going through, yeah, you matter,” Andreu said.
The Spartanburg Area Mental Health Center, the Chapman Cultural Center and the City of Spartanburg will officially unveil and dedicate the mural on Monday, December 5 at 3 p.m.