In partnership with the U.S. Department of State, Meridian International Center leads the Community Engagement through the Mural Arts program. Since January 2015, this program has been using the mural arts as a means for engaging youth, artists, and underserved community members in overseas communities, to advance U.S. foreign policy by addressing a local community issue, such as youth or women’s empowerment, gender-based violence, social inclusion, regional stability, and the environment.
The program is centered on working with local communities to develop tangible art works, while fostering in-depth engagement with specific groups, such as women and underserved youth. To further engagement, the traveling American artists also conduct workshops, master classes, talks, public events, and other outreach activities, in addition to designing and executing murals.
In 2015, Four American artists traveled to Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Since the beginning of 2016, four artists traveled to Brazil, Cuba, India, and Turkey to paint murals with local communities.
| Community Engagement Through The Mural Arts | June 2016 | |
|---|---|
| Number of Attendees: | 1200 |
| Regions: | Near East and North Africa, Africa, Western Hemisphere |
| Countries: | Brazil, Congo - Kinshasa, India, Türkiye, Cuba, Honduras, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Colombia |
| Impact Areas: | Civic Engagement, Cultural Diplomacy, Education, Human and Civil Rights, Public Diplomacy, Empowering Women and Girls, Sports Diplomacy, Youth Leadership Development |
| Program Areas: | Culture |
| Partners: | Diplomatic Corps |
