They said it couldn’t be done. The “they “ are the mosaic experts from around the world. The “it” was being able to complete the mural over the course of two weekends.
What they didn’t realize was the tenacity of Reham Aarti and her ability to shepherd such a great group of her student leaders- Angela, Anika, Jennifer, Marcea, and so many more. They led the hundreds of mosaic newbies, that in many cases, were pulled off the Boise Greenbelt to place the thousands of individual pieces that turned broken plates, ceramics , and more into a 90 feet piece of art.
Even though the mercury hit a hundred degrees, the volunteers pushed through on Saturday, May 31st. A final push on Sunday meant the final piece was set before 5 PM.
As Reham said of the hundreds of hands that touched this mural, “The Treasure Valley represents.” The community that was felt over those 4 days is a special memory for those who participated and is manifested in the many stories on that wall. It is a great representation of “Boise Kind.”
This never would have been possible without the hard work and the expertise of Reham as she set the table to make it easy for anyone with any ability to participate. She will be back out there this week toiling away with her students to grout and seal the seemingly endless cracks between the tiles.
If you look close enough, you will probably find a painted heart or two in the mural. Metaphorical, each piece could be considered to have part of the heart of the volunteers who made this happen. But, there is no bigger heart than Reham who gave so generously of her time and talent.
And thank you everyone who donated their time, materials, talent, and treasure for this project.
To support Reham and her mosaic work you can donate through Surel’s Place at
Stay tuned for the official dedication of this newest piece of public art on the Greenbelt.
The Waterfront District Mural 