By Kelly Floyd
Locals sipped and mingled on the second story of Racket in the Wynwood Arts District of Miami for the Hope Murals fundraising event on Nov. 16.
Hope Murals is a non-profit organization established by Founder and Executive Director Germane Dubois III, a former educator from the Bronx with decades of experience in executive leadership positions.
Dubois started the Hope Murals project with a vision of helping disadvantaged youth in critical areas understand their implicit worth, and by doing so, motivating them to take control of their future as well as seek out their goals and dreams. Outreach projects by Hope Murals have brought communities together in working towards brightening the future of children and young adults who come from less privileged backgrounds and neighborhoods.
The fundraising event took place upstairs inside of Racket, where board members, charitable members, and artists involved with the project were invited to celebrate the accomplishments thus far. A brief intermission allowed attendees to announce milestones they were proud to have met, as well as which milestones they looked forward to reaching.
Hope Murals has made its home base in Miami, and partnered with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice to give the youth detained in Miami Dade County Juvenile Detention Center a chance to actively express themselves via artistic endeavors. The program is aimed at building not only a better physical environment for these adolescents, but also one of social acceptance and mental progression.
The walls of Miami Dade County Juvenile Detention Center, once run-down and decrepit, are now covered in enormous colorful murals, painted by the hands of the talented youth who are currently or have been detained at the center. By creating a platform for these kids to cultivate their skills and evolve their abilities, Dubois has given many families a new-found hope in the possibilities that exist for those who are struggling to detach from a cycle of crime and unstable behavior.
The event had a DJ, disco ball, and full bar for attendees to enjoy, with a percentage of each drink ordered going directly to the Hope Murals organization. The curators also had a table of shirts with “#HOPEMATTERS” printed across the back and the design logo on the front, which were on sale for $20 for those who wanted to represent the movement fashionably.
The main items being showcased were panoramic photographs of the murals, each separately framed and signed by the artists who painted them. The framed photos were being sold for $50 each.
Dubois took time during the middle of the night to speak on behalf of Hope Murals, and his message was clear: Hope Murals is just getting started with its plans and the goals the organization has met so far are only the beginning. Charitable donations have been steady and the number of sponsors is only growing.
Dubois pointed out how once people are aware of the real work Hope Murals is doing and they begin to resonate with the message, it is difficult to ignore such an inspiring movement that is not only changing lives, but also saving them.
“We want to acknowledge the heart and soul of Hope Murals… the artists who are in the house have blessed us with their time, talent, skills and more importantly their heart, because I cannot afford these artists, these artists are the real deal… so support the arts, y’all,” said Dubois.
Dubois also took a moment to thank some of the sponsors who are already supplying the organization with art supplies or are planning to in 2020. He mentioned how collecting art supplies is definitely one of the more strenuous labors of love he does for the organization. They are constantly in need of new supplies in order for the kids to have the ultimate freedom to create what they want, and decent art supplies do not come cheap.
One of the organization’s new sponsors, Smog Armor, plans to supply Hope Murals with spray paint supplies in the year of 2020. The company is visionary in their mission of making spray paint which is eco-friendly and helps neutralize polluted air, perfect for the murals that are often painted on the outside of buildings.
The night ended on a positive note with Dubois showing immense gratitude for those who came to support, and further encouraging attendees to buy drinks and art as it supported an awesome cause. He also thanked some of the artists who were a part of the earliest Hope Mural community projects. Many of these contributing artists who found their start in Hope Murals have since been exceeding in commissioned work opportunities all over the country and globe.
