Alaska Seeds of Change Mural Completed
The mural at Alaska Seeds of Change.
Alaska Behavioral Health
The largest community mural in Anchorage’s Spenard neighborhood is now complete. The mural at Alaska Seeds of Change, 704 W 26th Avenue, was facilitated by artist Sarah Davies, creator of the 2015 100 Stone Project, Alaska’s largest community sculpture installation.
Back in 2019, Davies and youth engaged at Alaska Seeds of Change collaborated to plan and design the mural. That summer they were able to complete a portion of the mural, including the now signature ladybugs that grace two garage doors. This summer, Davies and youth staff continued the work—expanding the mural to cover most of three sides of the building.
The purple and green color scheme reflects what happens on the inside of the building, where leafy green vegetables grow in vertical hydroponic towers with the help of purple LED lights. Ladybugs are used to control pests, inspiring the mural’s key motif. The interconnected geometry represents the ethnic, cultural, and neurodiversity of the staff and youth.
The mural’s interconnected geometry represents the ethnic, cultural, and neurodiversity of the staff and youth.
Alaska Behavioral Health
Alaska Seeds of Change provides vocational training to youth ages 14 to 23 in a trauma-informed, mental-health aware setting. It’s a program of Alaska Behavioral Health, which is expanding services in the immediate area.
A former furniture store at 2601 Arctic Boulevard is being renovated to house the POWER Center, a youth drop-in center and outreach program, as well as clinical mental health services. Alaska Behavioral Health has also purchased the former City Center motel on W. 26th, which will be torn down to accommodate needed parking for both facilities.
Sarah Davies is the award-winning artist behind the “100 Stone Project”, an installation of life-size statues installed at Point Woronzof in Anchorage in November and December 2015. Davies currently teaches art at Bartlett High School in Anchorage.
Alaska Behavioral Health, formerly known as Anchorage and Fairbanks Community Mental Health Services, has been providing mental health services to the Anchorage community for more than forty-five years and in Fairbanks since 2013.
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