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ALTON - Local artists Samantha Purcell-Blythe, Laura Blair, Chris Ilewski-Huelsmann and Jeanie Cousley worked outside the YWCA on Tuesday afternoon on an outside transformation of the west side retaining wall.
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The YWCA afterschool program group met on what could be best reflected outside the facility and contributed ideas for a mural, and the original design by Samantha Purcell-Blythe was picked.
Ms. Purcell-Blythe and Laura Blair have since been working to bring this design to life with help from the YWCA afterschool program at the downtown Alton site and have begun transforming the west side retaining wall along Alton Street into a flowing work of art.
The ladies hope that the children and adults entering the building think about the world in which they reside with others as well as the world that lies within their imagination.
“As people travel through the piece, they travel along an unfolding story,” the two said together in a statement. “ First they encounter an eternal bed of flowers that will hold their color no matter what the season. They then will see a young boy reading a book that drifts off into a day dream about the world, the ocean, the stars and planets and finally an eternal oak with children joined in harmony together.”
One of the YWCA board organizers of the effort to remodel the Children’s Learning Center, Britta Haggard, is very excited about the transformation process.
“The unique heritage of the organization and our dynamic youth services make the YWCA a special place — we want the rest of the community to be able to see the YWCA for the treasure it is and to be able to take advantage of our service in an inspiring environment,” said Haggard
“These artists have captured the YWCA mission, reflecting empowerment and inclusion, we love that the children themselves are part of the effort,” she said. “We are reaching out to the community for help as volunteers or to help sponsor the children’s activity centers.”
For more information about how to help, contact the YWCA at (618) 465-7774 between 11a.m. -6 p.m.
About the artists:
Laura Blair is a teacher’s aide by day at East Alton-Wood River. She spends her nights, weekends and summers as an artist. She is chief at Blair Lair Studios, where she teaches private students and works on her own body of work. Presently she is also organizing the 3rd Annual Alton Area Yarn Bomb. She has a BA from SIUE, and has worked to provide arts education programming for several local organizations
Samantha Purcell-Blyth graduated this spring with a Bachelor's of Fine Arts from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. Purcell-Blyth works in the photographic medium creating images to talk about current social issues and is looking forward to creating a mural that is for the community. A local artist she is excited about a project that will bring inspiration and beauty to children at the Alton YWCA, and hopes to gain experience working with other artists.
