Mural Honoring Ruth Wilson Gilmore in Her Hometown of New Haven
Help us create a mural to honor Ruth Wilson Gilmore, a living legend, in her hometown of New Haven. Project presented by Jess X Snow, the Intergenerational Abolition Project, and Possible Futures.
Last month we gathered in New Haven to unveil the first ever Ruth Wilson Gilmore mural. We gathered in grief and in hope, with Ruthie’s words reminding us: “We can make freedom out of what we have.” And we must. (You can read about the unveiling here and here.)
It was a gift to give Ruthie her flowers, both figuratively and literally, and it’s only with your contribution that we were able to do so. We are endlessly grateful to everyone who donated their time, funds, and energy to this project. We are beginning the process of printing posters and postcards, and we will be sending these rewards to those who donated $100 and $50, respectively. Expect to receive these in the mail this winter. In the meantime, here are some of the images that will be included in the postcard design, along with photographs of Ruthie speaking at the unveiling.
In her speech, Ruthie said: “The work of abolition is already happening everywhere all the time, and in most places where people are doing this work, they do not call it abolition. The point is not the name. The point is the purpose to make the abundance of life possible, so that everywhere where life is precious, life is precious. They are doing abolition in projects, great and small.”
Ruthie’s work and words are expansive, and so too was this project, which grew in space, time, energy, people, and cost. In fact, this is the largest mural Jess X. Snow has ever painted, which they completed with the help of 5 assistants and over 40 community volunteers.
We exceeded our budget by approximately $3,000 and are seeking additional donations to fill this gap. If you are able to contribute additional funds or share this request with folks in your community, that would be a huge help to us. Make a tax-deductible donation here: https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/roots-that-reach-toward-the-sky/campaigns/5686 (The "Donate Now" button will take you to the main page for Roots that Reach for the Sky; all funds will go directly to the mural's remaining lift and equipment rental costs.)
Thank you!
Jess, Gavriel, and Nataliya
Mural Unveiling // Gratitude + Fundraising
Dear Community,
Last month we gathered in New Haven to unveil the first ever Ruth Wilson Gilmore mural. We gathered in grief and in hope, with Ruthie’s words reminding us: “We can make freedom out of what we have.” And we must. (You can read about the unveiling here and here.)
It was a gift to give Ruthie her flowers, both figuratively and literally, and it’s only with your contribution that we were able to do so. We are endlessly grateful to everyone who donated their time, funds, and energy to this project. We are beginning the process of printing posters and postcards, and we will be sending these rewards to those who donated $100 and $50, respectively. Expect to receive these in the mail this winter. In the meantime, here are some of the images that will be included in the postcard design, along with a photograph of Ruthie speaking in front of the mural at the unveiling:
In her speech, Ruthie said “The work of abolition is already happening everywhere all the time, and in most places where people are doing this work, they do not call it abolition. The point is not the name. The point is the purpose to make the abundance of life possible, so that everywhere where life is precious, life is precious. They are doing abolition in projects, great and small.”
Ruthie’s work and words are expansive, and so too was this project, which grew in space, time, energy, people, and cost. In fact, this is the largest mural Jess X. Snow has ever painted, which they completed with the help of 5 assistants and over 40 community volunteers.
We exceeded our budget by approximately $3,000 and are seeking additional donations to fill this gap. If you are able to contribute additional funds or share this request with folks in your community, that would be a huge help to us. Make a tax-deductible donation here: https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/roots-that-reach-toward-the-sky/campaigns/5686 (The "donate now" button will take you to the main page for Roots that Reach for the Sky, and all funds will go directly to the mural's remaining lift and equipment rental costs.)
Thank you so much!
Jess, Gavriel, and Nataliya
“We do not make art to document our catastrophes but rather to show what’s possible…” -Ruth Wilson Gilmore
This mural, which will be the first to honor Ruth Wilson Gilmore and has her enthusiastic support, will be created in late June. The project is taking shape through a collaboration between muralist & filmmaker Jess X. Snow and the Intergenerational Abolition Project, a collective of youth, educators, and community members in New Haven, who are engaging with Ruthie’s work and deepening their abolitionist practice.
Ruthie has formed the foundation of abolitionist theory and organizing, shaping our collective capacity to imagine that the world could be different and work together to form it.
The mural design process was guided by sessions with New Haven intergenerational community, and by a brainstorming session with scholars and organizers inspired by Ruthie's work and her former students: ethnic studies professor Daniel Martinez Hosang, abolitionist scholar, A. Naomi Paik, afroindigenous artist and theorist, Alán Pelaez Lopez, and formerly incarcerated Black and Chinese documentary filmmaker Adamu Chan, (What These Walls Won't Hold 2023).
As Ruthie reminds us, “what the world will become already exists in fragments and pieces, experiments and possibilities.”
These fragments exist in New Haven. The Intergenerational Abolition Project, whose first session took place in April 2023, began to piece together some of these fragments. Hosted by the Anti-Racist Teaching and Learning Collective, this series of intergenerational conversations is gathering New Haven high school youth, educators, and community members who are actively engaged in making freedom in New Haven, building alternatives to punitive discipline across schools, resisting prisons and police in our streets, and creating non-carceral responses to sexual assault. Most folks know that New Haven is a union town; it is also an abolitionist town.
Our next session focusing on abolitionist organizing will take place in the second half of May 2023. Intergenerational Abolitionist Project sessions are held at our beloved bookstore and community space, Possible Futures, located at 318 Edgewood Avenue. In June, Possible Futures will also become home to the Ruth Wilson Gilmore mural.
Abolitionist Teaching Tool // Digital Mural Project
In addition to the physical mural in New Haven, we plan to build a virtual mural experience. The website will serve as a digital mural and interactive portal to hear stories from people who have come together to build life-affirming institutions and keep themselves well in a crumbling world. The digital project will document the mural-making process, provide free educational materials for K-12 educators to engage with abolition history, and immerse viewers across borders and distances in the scholarship and activism that Ruthie continues to dedicate her life to.
Co-Sponsorship // Endangered Species Mural Project
This project is being co-sponsored by the Center for Biological Diversity through their Endangered Species Mural Project. The mural will feature endangered plants and animals that are native to the New Haven area. As Ruthie reminds us, "abolition has to be green. It has to take seriously the problem of environmental harm, environmental racism, and environmental degradation."
Your Support // Mural Unveiling
Your support of this project helps us pay for a muralist stipend, an online workshop with Ruth Wilson Gilmore scholars, travel for artists and assistants, meals for artists and community members, paint and other supplies, lift rental, insurance, and an interactive website to share the mural beyond New Haven.
We hope this mural can be an offering to honor the life of Ruthie and the work she creates at the intersection of abolition feminism, transformative justice, Black liberation, coalition-building and climate justice. Additionally, we hope this mural and its vibrant imagery can become an accessible teaching tool to introduce community members of all ages to Ruthie’s work and to abolition. This fall, we will host a mural unveiling with Ruthie Gilmore and New Haven community members. Soon afterward, we will share the website with folks far and wide.
Contribute what you can to help make this mural possible. Rewards are available for contributions of $25, $50, and $100. Even if you aren’t able to contribute financially, you can help support this project by sharing the fundraiser with your communities and on social media. Thank you!
