New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)
For the kids
LOCAL ARTISTS TRANSFORM NEW HAVEN’S DCF OFFICE WITH COLORFUL WALL MURALS
The plain white walls of the visitation rooms at New Haven’s Department of Children and Family Services may have looked to some like the sterile waiting rooms of a doctor’s office, but Megan Pearson, Erin Johnston and their crew of local artists saw the crisp white edges of blank canvas.
Pearson and Johnston, both foster parents since 2015, are the two women behind Fostering Family Hope, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that seeks to “help foster children in practical ways.”
One of those practical ways unveiled itself this year when the New Haven DCF office called Fostering Family Hope and asked for some help.
The nonprofit had redecorated visitation rooms at six incarceration centers and at the Middletown DCF office, but the New Haven office was the first place where painting the walls was approved.
“We wanted to show kids that they can be anything and do anything, that their circumstances don’t dictate their futures — and their families too,” Johnston said. “So it was really important for us to find some local artists who would be willing to come in, and we’re really excited about who came out and helped.”
Four artists volunteered their time and energy for this project. Liz Egan painted the infant/baby room with bright, color-blocked flowers. Demeree Douglas took charge of the two toddler rooms with vibrant illustrations of families playing together. Jesse Wolf covered the art/create room in whimsical animals holding balloons. Candyce John, known in the art world as “Marsh,” painted the teen room with motivational sticky notes and a chalkboard wall for manifestations. The project began in October and was completed in December.
“They were so happy to do it,” Johnston said. “They just wanted to come in and transform theses rooms.” “For the kids,” Pearson added.
Marsh is the founder of Marshun Art in New Haven. She is a tattoo artist and a painter and she offers classes for adults and children.Pearson and Johnston reached out to Marsh through her website. She said she was in and then brought on Wolf and Douglas to help.
Marsh’s grandmother had foster kids, so she grew up sharing her family with others.
“[My grandmother] just was a type of woman — and my mom also — they were just the type of people who constantly were giving back to the community,” Marsh said. “So I always like to make sure that with the talents that I’ve been blessed with that I carry that out.”
She spent two-and-a-half weeks painting the mural in New Haven. She originally planned on doing just one wall, but as her vision grew, so did the piece of art she created.
Right next to entrance, Marsh painted a buffering symbol to represent that at every phase in life humans are always buffering and loading and growing. On the inside of the room, she painted flowers and an enormous galaxy.
“I made the galaxy because often as a child myself, I remember feeling out of place. like a little out of this world,” Marsh said. “And that’s why my name is Marsh because I’m a Martian, I’m an alien. My perspective is a little bit out of this world. Most of my perspectives are weird.”
On another wall there are sticky notes with encouraging messages reminding teens “in a world where you can be anything, be yourself.” There’s also a soft black chalk wall with a search bar that says “manifestations” on which kids can write their dreams and share with others.
“I know being a teenager you’re at like this really weird place where you’re like, ‘I know things and I can do things for myself ’ but you’re also still in a place of learning and exploring,” Marsh said. “So I want to convey all of that in the room.”
Pearson and Johnston said they have been inspired by the willingness of the community — and especially these four artists — to help foster kids and their biological families have a place that is peaceful where they can connect.
Other towns have also taken notice of the program. Fostering Family Hope has already been asked to makeover more DCF visitation centers in Meriden and Norwich, and they’re currently seeking local artists in both towns.
Pearson and Johnston have big dreams for Fostering Family Hope. The goal is to open a brick and mortar “foster closet” where foster kids can actually go pick out clothes and shoes and other essentials.
“We want kids in care to have self-worth and to believe that they deserve everything everybody else does,” Pearson said. “[We want to tell biological families, we know you] work hard to get your kids back and you deserve it and they’re your kids… our number one thing is reunification, of course when it’s safe and appropriate, but we want these families to know that they’re loved also.”