The Art of Coming Together in Circle: The Creation Story of a Youth-Centered Community Mural
“In 2022, when I first moved to Madison, I was driving along Monona Drive and noticed a beautiful mural next to Kwik Trip that spoke to me. The mural felt like home,” Mya Williams reflected. That moment of appreciation sparked an idea–one that would grow to bridge and engage youth across our city at Meadowood, Bayview, and the Goodman community centers.
The idea was to support a co-creation process for youth in YWCA Madison’s Restorative Justice Clubs, weaving together the sacred practice of restorative justice circles and community–based art.
Mya brought the idea to the Restorative Justice Department, and over the next year and a half, they diligently seeded for the project and connected with the artist behind the mural, Rodrigo Carapia, inviting him into collaboration. In the 2024-2025 school year, a new community mural was created as a result of the six-week project that combined art with restorative justice circles where youth practiced listening, sharing, and consensus-building.
The community mural consists of three panels, each panel designed to represent one of the three Restorative Justice Clubs. In partnership, Mya and Rodrigo supported a process where the youth drafted ideas for imagery and symbols that they feel represent themselves as individuals, as a club, and as a community site. “Art co-creation is an antithesis to how youth experience education because it centers their power and interconnection,” Mya said.
Symbols of Identity, Growth, and Community
Meadowood Community Center
The youth at Meadowood, comprised of 6th graders, chose a meadow to reflect their community center’s name. A tree symbolizes their group—its branches and leaves showing individuality rooted in community. The group felt that a central river represents the reflection practiced in the Restorative Justice Club and flow of their shared experiences.
Bayview Community Center
The group of 6th–11th graders at Bayview includes both new and experienced Restorative Justice participants. Their theme is transformation, inspired by their recent restoration project in their neighborhood. The group decided on incorporating the sun and moon to represent balance—a core Bayview symbol. They also collectively resonated with a butterfly, symbolizing personal and communal metamorphosis through change and restorative justice practices. Marigolds were selected to honor Bayview’s immigrant roots and embody power, strength, and resilience.
Goodman Community Center
The group of 6th–8th graders at Goodman is mostly new to Restorative Justice. Their theme is community, a core value at Goodman. Two hands forming a heart symbolize love growing through connection. A globe represents their diverse origins and the community they built through restorative justice. Hibiscus flowers reflect their individuality and uniqueness.
After weeks of collective ideation and intentional deliberation, Rodrigo created an outline for the mural and sketched it onto a canvas for each site to paint. Despite having worked on their own panels, the youth from the three community sites have not seen the entirety of their co-creation!
Join Us to Celebrate this Youth-Centered Community Mural
On Thursday, July 10, the panels of the mural will be joined together for the exciting grand reveal at an exhibition hosted at The Children’s Museum in Downtown Madison from 5:00–7:00 PM. All are welcome to join YWCA Madison and youth from the restorative justice clubs to celebrate this beautiful work of art and bear witness to the vibrancy of youth power.
The mural, born from a moment of appreciation and nurtured through community, now stands as a living testament to what’s possible when young people are trusted to lead, create, and heal together. And this is only the beginning!
The Story Continues Through Restore Art
YWCA Madison is proud to share that the Restorative Justice Department is continuing to build on weaving restorative justice circles with art through the newly established Restore Art program this summer. Eugenia Highland Granados, Restorative Justice Director shares, “I feel thrilled about our department being able to bring art into our circle keepers club curriculum as a way of expression, medicine, connection, and self and community transformation. That is what Restorative Justice is about. After the youth experienced the co-creation of the collective mural with Rodrigo, they shared this is what they needed. We are determined to continue collaborating with amazing Artists like Rodrigo, Dani RAD, Tuwile Roots, and Paola Mayorga in our community and to continue to expand these opportunities for youth in the next iteration.”
“The world is art,” said Kiana Burnette, Community Restorative Justice Program Manager. “For me, Restore Art is a reminder of why this work matters. Restorative justice for youth and art is about expressing oneself and building a collective voice.”
As we look ahead, YWCA Madison invites you to stay connected. We’ll be sharing reflections and highlights from the July 10 exhibition at the Madison Children’s Museum, as well as updates from our Restore Art program throughout the summer. Follow along as we continue to uplift youth voices, build community through creativity, and deepen the impact of restorative justice across Madison and within our organization.
