BRATTLEBORO — On Wednesday, August 24, the proceeds from Whetstone Station's weekly charity bingo night will benefit a cross-cultural mural project spearheaded by the nonprofit arts organization Epsilon Spires.
The mural, which will be designed and painted by local artists working in collaboration with recently resettled Afghan refugees, will transform a neglected concrete wall on High Street into a scene depicting the four seasons in Vermont.
“The enthusiasm for this project so far has been really exciting,” Jamie Mohr, executive director of Epsilon Spires, said in a news release. “It's a great opportunity to improve the way we greet visitors to our downtown commercial district and at the same time welcome displaced Afghan artists who want to continue their practice in the United States.”
The Brattleboro artists working on the mural are Calvin Laituri and Daniel Chiaccio of First Proof Press.
Laituri, who has designed posters for Phish, The Black Keys, The Raconteurs, and Dave Matthews Band, has donated limited-edition screen prints and T-shirts as bingo prizes. Other prizes include gift certificates from First Proof Press and free tickets to events at Epsilon Spires.
Laituri and Chiaccio will be collaborating with members of the ArtLords, a grassroots movement based in Kabul that uses the power of art and culture to encourage social transformation. Since 2014 the ArtLords have created more than 2,000 murals, although many have now been painted over by the Taliban regime.
The 10 rounds of bingo will begin at 7 p.m., with cards available for $1 each. Through the grant-making program Better Places, every dollar Epsilon Spires raises for the mural will be matched two-to-one by funds from the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development, the Vermont Community Foundation, the Vermont Department of Health, and the crowdfunding platform Patronicity.
Later this month, Epsilon Spires will host another fundraiser at Whetstone's new craft beer bar and kitchen, River Garden Marketplace on Main Street. This meet-the-artists event will feature an opportunity for the community to get to know the artists involved in the project, as well as vote on the proposed designs for the mural.
“We want everyone in Brattleboro to feel a sense of pride and co-ownership in our public spaces,” says Mohr. “By creating this mural as a community, we're making a work of art that will be a part of our collective daily lives for a long time to come.”