Waterbury, CT - Waterbury’s Samuel K. Beamon Memorial Scholarship Committee and City of Waterbury are partnering with RiseUP for Arts and renowned Connecticut mural artist, Emida Roller, to paint a mural on the Samuel K. Beamon Memorial Bridge. This project is a tribute to the late Samuel K. Beamon, a U.S. Marine, Waterbury Police Officer, and community leader, aiming to inspire a legacy of service and honor in the community.
Emida Roller, born in the U.S. and raised in Nigeria, was mentored by her father, the renowned Nigerian artist Solomon Irein Wangboje. After receiving formal training at the University of Benin, Nigeria, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, she established her mural painting business, Wall Designs by Emida, LLC. Emida brings her unique style and rich cultural heritage to this project, showcasing her commitment to community engagement through art. She has been a Connecticut muralist for several years working alongside RiseUP for Arts and independently.
The mural, with a total budget of $12,000 to paint both sides of the bridge, is halfway funded thanks to a generous grant from the Community Foundation and contributions from the community via GoFundMe. The project organizers are actively seeking additional donations and volunteers to help complete this tribute to Waterbury's first responders and the community.
RiseUP for Arts, a non-profit organization that has successfully completed over 150 mural and placemaking projects throughout Connecticut, is leading this effort.
Call for Volunteers
RiseUP for Arts is hosting a community paint day on June 10th from 9AM to 5PM. Volunteers are needed to sign up for 2-hour time slots to assist in painting the mural on the SKB Bridge. Twenty volunteers per timeslot are required. Interested individuals can sign up via this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdQLCN0_sIkTmqldJNejGika8eIOe4qF4bgRgmZgX5Nd-b7mg/viewform?usp=sf_link.
Fundraising Appeal
To complete both sides of the mural, an additional $6,000 is needed. Donations can be made at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/skb-memorial-bridge-mural-project. Every donation, large or small, contributes to realizing this project, honoring Samuel K. Beamon, and celebrating Waterbury's first responders and community.
About the wall:
About RiseUP for Arts
RiseUP for Arts is a project started by the non-profit, The RiseUP Group, in 2015 to create public art that is inclusive and accessible to everyone. They support artists, cities, other nonprofits, companies, and local community members in making their mural projects come to life.
About the SKB Memorial Scholarship Committee:
Samuel K. Beamon was a beacon of light in the Waterbury community, always putting others before himself. IN honor of his dedication to others, the SKB Memorial Scholarship Committee was formed to award scholarships to Waterbury youth demonstrating selflessness. They host the annual SKB "Day of Service" in June to rally the Waterbury community to get out serve others.
Contact:
Matt Conway, Executive Director, matt.conway@theriseupgroup.org
Emida Roller, Artist, emidaroller@gmail.com
Reginald Beamon, President SKB Scholarship, opportunity.indus@snet.net
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