GLASTONBURY, CT, July 29, 2024 – Renowned Connecticut-based mural artist Micaela Levesque will begin work this week on a prominent mural next to the entrance of Glastonbury Town Hall that features individuals and images significant to Glastonbury’s history, with an emphasis on those who furthered the cause of civil rights. 

A collaborative effort between the Town of Glastonbury and RiseUP for Arts, the mural seeks to honor local history, foster dialogue on civil rights and equality, and promote diversity and inclusion through public art. Created through community input, donations, and volunteerism over the course of nearly two years, the mural reflects Glastonbury’s commitment to human rights, justice, and equality. 

The mural represents Glastonbury’s participation in the MLK39 Racial Equity Mural Tour, a project of RiseUP for Arts partnering with 39 communities across Connecticut to create 39 murals for each year of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life. Earlier this year, the mural’s crowdfunding campaign raised nearly $10,000 from 88 donors, which was buttressed by a generous $7,500 match from Sustainable CT’s Community Match Fund. Other major sponsors include the Glastonbury MLK Community Initiative, Sun Life U.S. (a global company with a presence in Hartford, CT, and across the U.S.), and a generous anonymous donor.

A mural dedication event is scheduled for Saturday, September 14, 2024, from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. on the green behind Glastonbury Town Hall at 2155 Main Street. In case of rain, the event will be moved inside to the Academy Building (2143 Main St.). The dedication will be an all-ages celebratory event featuring performances from diverse cultures, creative activities, and an opportunity to meet the artist Micaela Levesque and local project stakeholders. More details about the dedication event will be provided in a forthcoming media alert. 

The content of the mural was developed through an inclusive process from the fall of 2023 through the spring of 2024, including a community survey, historical research provided by representatives of the Historical Society of Glastonbury, monthly meetings of the Glastonbury MLK39 Community Advocate Group that included two members of the Glastonbury Town Council, and conversations with the Town Council. The resulting design by Ms. Levesque, approved by the Glastonbury Town Council at its meeting on April 23, 2024, is infused with meaning in its depiction of inspiring individuals and scenic landmarks that embody Glastonbury’s rich history. 

Individuals and images in the mural:

• Sarah Wumpane, a Wangunk community leader, along with a canoe, representing the Native American history of the land that is now Glastonbury and its surrounding towns;

• The powder horn of Prince Simbo, an enslaved African American man who fought in the American Revolution and was subsequently emancipated;

• A silver buckle and the signature of Mary Syphax, an enslaved woman who was eventually emancipated along with her husband Syphax after his service in the American Revolution;

• A flag representing the 29th Regiment Connecticut Volunteers, an African American regiment in which several Glastonbury residents enlisted to fight in the Civil War; 

• Abby and Julia Smith, from the notable local Smith Family (after which Smith Middle School is named), who fought for abolition and women’s suffrage; 

• Zandra Flemister, a Glastonbury High School graduate who went on to become the first female African American to serve in the United States Secret Service; 

• Kirby Edmonds, another Glastonbury High School graduate who became a modern civil rights activist;

• The Old Cider Mill, hills, and orchards, representing the generations of farmers and farming tradition in Glastonbury that continue proudly to this day; 

• The Connecticut River, which was significant to the indigenous, colonial, farming, and industrial history of Glastonbury. The river continues to inspire as a landmark today, reflecting an excerpt from Kirby Edmonds’ obituary: “Kirby was a mighty river that flowed through our community and far beyond, watering the positive seeds of possibility.”

• A quote from Martin Luther King, Jr.: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” 

For more information about this project, please contact:

Gina LaRosa, Chair of the Glastonbury MLK39 Mural Community Advocate Group, gigirose1105@gmail.com
Matt Conway, Executive Director of The RiseUP Group, matt.conway@theriseupgroup.org