Community Art

Mural of Gina DeJesus by Gisela McDaniel

Gisela McDaniels strives to create safe spaces for survivors of sexual violence to forge paths towards healing and reclamation.

In 2020, Cleveland-to-Detroit artist Gisela McDaniel painted a portrait of Gina DeJesus across from Gina’s new Cleveland Family Center for Missing Children & Adults. Cleveland Missing helps connect families with resources to help bring their loved ones home.

Cleveland Missing: clevelandmissing.org

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Equality Mural by Rafael Valdivieso

In 2020, Jizal ElSeikali, the daughter of the owners of Kamal’s Tire Shop on Clark Avenue, approached Metro West for help in installing a mural inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement. The goal was to send a message of equality to the surrounding community.

Thanks to the Rally Cle program from Building Hope in the City, we were able to hire artist Rafael Valdivieso, who is from Equador but now lives locally, to design and paint the mural. With the help of volunteers on Rally Cle Day, a bright and colorful mural was added to the neighborhood.

Nuestro Barrio Celebra Mural by Angelica Pozo in Roberto Clemente Park

In 2021, Angelica Pozo designed a ceramic tile mural for the small building in Roberto Clemente Park, a popular park for gatherings in the neighborhood. This mural is a celebration of the diversity of the surrounding neighborhood and shows many ways in which the community celebrates.

Neighborhood residents contributed ideas about how they celebrate for the mural interior and created custom family crest designs, which Pozo used for the border of the mural. We celebrated with snacks from El Caribe Bake Shop!

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