Windows GR was a collaborative, community driven project led by Element 7 with support from Lions and Rabbits Center for the Arts, Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. Rockford Construction and local businesses. Over 200 local artists came together to share their voices and stories on murals across the city. Each artist was paid $100 per board painted, raising over $20,000 in funds directly to local artists.

Pushing for Change Through Art

On May 30th, 2020 in response, to the murder of George Floyd, a peaceful protest was held downtown Grand Rapids. People from across the city came together to honor black lives lost due to systemic racism. In sadness, fear and courage the city came together to let their voices be heard.

Following the protest, riots broke out that evening causing damage to vehicles and buildings. The following day members of the Grand Rapids community came to cleanup and repair windows with boarded plywood. While damage can be repaired, lives cannot and when graffiti writer and friend Guillermo Sotelo came to Hannah Berry of LRCFA we realized it vital to take action. Sotelo proposed the idea of painting boarded up windows with messages of hope and change. Meanwhile Berry pulled together partners, donors and support across the city as a historical moment and team quickly came to be known as Windows GR led by Element 7.

Element 7

The project was created, facilitated, and led by Element 7, a collective of multidisciplinary creatives that work to push social change through art initiatives and collaborative projects with artists. Being led by all BIPOC artists, the Windows GR project focused on continuing the message of Black Lives Matter visually through painting murals on the boards in downtown Grand Rapids, MI.

Element 7 states…

“This is not a beatification. But a point to give BIPOC a platform and place to share their voices, heart and pain. This project was not accomplished without obstacles and tremendous push back from the city. Select business owners refused to have portraits of Black people on their boards. Some paintings were even deliberately painted over to conceal messages of hope, pain and change. Several artists were harassed with racial slurs by passers by, thrown smoke bombs and threats of calling the police. Element 7 stands with BIPOC for BIPOC, we will not let our voices be silenced nor our skin tarnished. We push for justice and change.” - Element 7

This project was not a band-aid or the solution to the racial injustices that still exist today. LRCFA committed all of our resources, time, and team to Element 7 and the Windows GR Project as it was clear this is the strongest way we could support advocating for equality, change and centering BIPoC voices.

Thank you to the amazing team of Element 7 that led this project, facilitated a space for all to be heard, loved and respected as they ached for the world around them.