Blueprint Kentucky (formerly CEDIK) and Community Arts staff partnered with UK Robinson Center in Jackson, Kentucky to design and paint a heritage mural as part of UK Robinson Center's Annual Field Day Celebration and Pumpkin Days in early October 2024.

In 2022 and 2023, Community Arts installed murals at 4-H West Camp in Dawson Springs and 4-H North Camp in Carlisle, KY. These murals served to boost morale for camp-goers after devastation by tornadoes and floods to the eastern and western regions of the state. After the completion and success of these 4-H murals, the Director of UK Robinson Center expressed interest in featuring a mural on its Quicksand campus as well, with the hope that a mural could symbolize both the rich cultural heritage of the area, as well as a new beginning for Robinson Center after its own flooding devastation in July 2022 and the rebuilding that had transpired in the years since. Planning began in September 2023 for the October 2024 installation.

Robinson Center Field Day provided a series of engagement opportunities with staff and field experts at the outreach facility, including farm tours, interactive demonstrations, hands-on workshops and more.  

 A simple and classic postcard design was selected and installed on a concrete block maintenance building opposite the Robinson Center office, which would be near Field Day festivities. The mural design features quilt stitching, corn stalks and the words “Welcome to Robinson Center”. Participants at Pumpkin Days and Field Day events were able to showcase their artistic abilities by adding paint quilt stitches on the mural. Over the 2 days that Community Arts painted the mural, approximately 655 school-aged children and 185 adults attended events and were able to interact with the mural at its various stages of completion, asking questions and getting an appreciation for the process of mural installation. It was perfect painting weather too!

“We believe in creating vibrant communities through art extension efforts,” Melissa Bond said. “During Field Day, people contributing to painting the mural helps celebrate our rich history and local culture. We are proud to see so many make their mark on the mural.”