Mural Arts Recap: Community Engagement through Art

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Mural arts exchange participants in Tegucigalpa take a group photo with American artist Michelle Angela Ortiz.
21 de Febrero
Honduran artist Walter teaches local youth how to prime the mural wall in 21 de Febrero, Tegucigalpa.

In 2013, Meridian partnered with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) to send mural artists abroad for the Community Engagement through the Mural Arts exchange program. While away, these artists were able to collaborate with local groups and artists in various community- based mural arts projects. Their goal: to create tangible pieces of artwork, while simultaneously fostering community engagement with the various populations of each country.

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Soft Power: The Monthly Roundup (June edition)

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Featured projects last month happened in Azerbaijian, Canada, Chile, Russia, and the United Kingdom, among other locations.

With s’mores ingredients and charcoal prominently displayed in supermarkets across the United States, summer is definitely in full swing. The change of seasons comes with an increase in activity, so for this month’s edition of Soft Power, the Meridian Center for Cultural Diplomacy is showcasing eight events from around the globe that brought people together to encourage unexpected dialogue.

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It’s all about the Spirit: Meridian Social Innovation Fellows in Detroit

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The Fellows with Jacques Panis and the Blanchards at Shinola in Detroit

By Meridian Social Innovation Fellow Javier Garcia Rodrigo   “Why Detroit?” my colleague Alberto Di Minin asked Jacques Panis, president of Shinola, the company that symbolizes one of the great success stories of business in the recent history of the formerly glorious city of Detroit. “In principle,” Alberto followed, “there should be more interesting locations across the US to establish a business, right?” Listening carefully, Mr. Panis answered without hesitation: “The People,” he told us. “Actually, it’s not what we are doing for the city; it is what the city is doing for us,” he added, under the watchful...

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