The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Water Street building to welcome MLK mural
TORRINGTON — A local developer and property owner has joined the effort to install a Martin Luther King Jr. mural in the city, by pledging the use of his 42 Water St. building for the installation.
Matt Conway, director of the Hartford-based RiseUp group, which is organizing a mural tour and wants to have 39 murals completed in Connecticut by 2022, said Torrington’s mural would be unveiled at Steve Temkin’s 42 Water St. building, home of WAPJ, the city’s independent radio station.
“Steve Temkin has given us permission to use the building,” he said.
An online fundraiser for the Torrington mural project has been started, with a goal of $7,500. Sustainable
CT will match every dollar raised to install the mural. The fundraiser was created by RiseUP, which has partnered with Our Culture is Beautiful, a local resident group, and the Northwest Connecticut Arts Council. As of April 12, $615 had been raised.
“(We) want to complete a large-scale mural that will depict messages and symbols of diversity, equality and equity along with local and national civil rights leaders,” said Conway.
Temkin said Monday that using the WAPJ building made sense.
“It’s kind of funny,” he said. “I did a Facetime tour with Matt of downtown Torrington, and we were looking at different spots that might work. The (Water Street site) is best for visibility.
“If they’re going to do a mural, they’ve got to have it visible from all of downtown, and people will be able to see it very well from there,” he said.
Temkin said Conway is making progress with the project.
“He’s moving along very rapidly,” he said. “He’s been in touch with Tim Moore from the Blue Haus Group, and also Stephanie Burr from the Northwest Connecticut Arts Council, so it’s a good collaboration. Matt’s a state guy — he’s all over Connecticut with his work, but he’s really working very closely with Torrington. He really wants it to be seen by people who aren’t going out of their way to see it. This way, you can’t help but see it.”
Angaza Mwando, who with his wife, Effie, is leading the local effort for the mural, said he was encouraged by Temkin’s participation.
“I think it’s awesome,” he said. “That we have access to people to work with, and that it’s coming from the private sector; we’re just ecstatic. It means people are open and willing to help us, and that they want to see a change. That’s just incredible in itself. That’s a beautiful thing.”
The Mwandos are asking local people for donations and spreading the word. “There are a lot of ways for people to help,” Angaza Mwando said. “Work from volunteers can be part of the matching funds (from Sustainable CT).”