A Soft Place to Land

2022

Window mural installed at Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC) in Boston, Massachusetts as part of Pao Arts Center’s 2022 Experience Chinatown Festival

In response to Pao Arts Center’s 2022 Experience Chinatown prompt, “What makes a community special?”, I wanted to speak directly to the community that BCNC serves to learn why they value Chinatown. Through initial conversations with Red Oak youth and Youth Center interns, it was clear that they appreciated the delicious and affordable eats from the neighborhood. They also talked about Chinatown’s importance because of the tight knit community, resources for new immigrants, and activism against gentrification. For the final image, I aimed to incorporate these themes of food as nourishment, and a common thread that ties a community together to empower social change. I also couldn’t resist honoring one Red Oak student’s enthusiastic request to make a mural with “lots of flowers and butterflies!” Just as butterflies and flowers have a symbiotic relationship to feed and grow, the people and resources in Chinatown need each other to create a more resilient community for all. 

photo credit: Mel Taing