PRESS RELEASE
After months of work, the artists of Juniper Creative Arts and students and educators from Manchester Elementary/Middle School will unveil the school’s new mural on Monday, June 9, 2025, from 1:30–2:30 PM. The final piece is in three parts, painted on 75 feet of plywood panels, in the form of a children’s book with an original story concept. This project has been a collaboration between the artists and the students of the MEMS Love, Inclusion and Trust group, who helped shape the concept with their input. It kicked off in March with a concept brainstorm session followed by the Juniper Creative team working with all of the art classes, in addition to facilitating two community painting sessions, in which students and community members painted hundreds of canvas “rocks” and “leaves” that have been collaged into the mural in different scenes as they relate to the building of a community garden.
“We had an amazing time working within the MEMS community for the past several months,” says Jennifer Herrera Condry, co-founder and creative director of Juniper Creative Arts. “The students of the LIT group who helped conceptualize the mural were very thoughtful and imaginative in their vision for a mural that symbolically demonstrates how different mystical and forest creatures can come together with humans to build something that benefits everyone, a community garden.”
The unveiling celebration will include messages from Superintendent Randi Lowe, Rutland Area NAACP president Mia Schultz, and members of the Love, Inclusion and Trust student group at MEMS. Jennifer and Will Condry from Juniper Creative Arts will present the mural, followed by an ice cream social.
“The Rutland Area NAACP has admired the work of Juniper Creative for years, and we were honored to collaborate with them on this meaningful project,” said Schultz. “It’s been a joy to witness it take shape—not just as a work of art, but as a powerful contribution to our community’s ongoing journey toward inclusion. This mural stands as a lasting symbol of representation, progress, and the strength that comes from centering diverse voices in public spaces.”
This project is made possible through the partnership between the Rutland Area NAACP, Juniper Creative Arts, Bennington-Rutland Supervisory Union, and Manchester Elementary/Middle School, with funding from an Arts & Social Cohesion Grant from Vermont Community Foundation.
Rutland Area Branch of the NAACP 