MURAL
Nonviolent Peaceforce
Nonviolent Peaceforce, a nonprofit that reimagines security and civilian protection in areas most impacted by conflict by working alongside communities to interrupt and prevent violence moved their U.S. main office from St. Paul to North Minneapolis, and they approached MDM to create two murals to represent the community—one in the community room and another in the welcome lobby.
THE PROCESS
We began our collaboration with NP’s leadership through a discovery session workshop, where we discussed their organizational mission, vision, and values. The leadership team then transformed our discussions into mini collages that explored their individual perspectives on these themes. Through this collaborative process, we gained key inputs to inform our design process.
Simone Alexa was the lead artist and designer on this project, assisted by artist Tom Janssen. Simone facilitated the discovery session and implemented the final designs in the space.
THE RESULT
In the finished work, we brought the team’s perspectives together to create a mural showcasing the shared vision of the organization's ethos. Our efforts resulted in a beautifully vibrant 320-square foot mural in their community room, as well as a second mural in their welcome lobby.
The mural represents the past connecting to the future, with elements such as graffiti representing the urban environment. Powerful moments through the imagery illustrate the themes we explored in the discovery session: resilience, intergenerational knowledge, care, and love.
