STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

The public is invited to watch five muralists paint murals on the walls of the new Bloom Community Food Center when The Hunger Coalition throws a street party tonight and Saturday.

The Hunger Coalition is offering outdoor tours of the new campus from 4 to 7 tonight—Friday, June 4—and from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 5.

Local vendors will be selling food and COVID safety protocols will be enforced.

The muralists are ARCY, Rafael Blanco, Key Detail, Amanda Lynn and Christopher Fonseca. They were chosen by the Hunger Coalition staff and board members.

One muralist, Amanda Lynn, recounted how she was stoked when a woman told her how much she enjoyed watching her paint as she visited her sick husband in the hospital.

“I am specifically interested in the Bloom Community Food Center mural project as it seeks out to bring people together and break down boundaries,” she added. “Creating murals that can be shared by literally anyone breaks away the concept of walls and doors that block people from freely experiencing art.”

Rafael Blanco said his public art deals with colorful portraits of diversity and inclusion.

“Everyone should have access to decent food, no matter your social status, ethnicity, religion, age, gender, etc.,” he said. “I want to question the importance of color and other shared preconceived ideas about diversity. It is important to celebrate our differences so we can understand better our commonalities.”