Mark Ivy offers an interview to a news station in front of John Bramblitt's mural

Cultivating Community: From Murals to Gardens 

What happens when you take an old brewery, a non-profit focused on empowering people with vision loss, a state grantmaking trust dedicated to preventing cancer and cardiovascular disease, and a few people who have the ability to see the potential in every space?  

A mural painted by a man who is blind. A community garden built with accessibility at the forefront. The complete overhaul of a former smoking hole, turned into something that gives back to the people and organization it belongs to, and a healthier Oklahoma.  

NewView Oklahoma was awarded a hugely impactful, multi-year grant from TSET that allowed us to build a community garden to increase access to fresh food, educate employees on gardening practices, kickstart our adaptive sports initiatives, and more. 

One of the final touches from the TSET grant was adding art to the garden space. We were so excited for another opportunity to work with one of our favorite artists, John Bramblitt. Bramblitt has been a featured guest at our Envision the Future luncheons in the past, and we love any excuse to collaborate with him! This time, we got to tap his talent in a special area. Bramblitt’s initial claim to fame is his work on murals. His murals can be seen in places like Austin, TX, New York City, and more! He has even done mural work on an airplane. When building the application for the funds, we had Bramblitt in mind to put the finishing touches on our outdoor garden space.  

Increasing access to public art benefits the community in a number of ways, including an opportunity to make a bold statement about the space it is featured in. When we began planning the mural with John, he knew enough about NewView Oklahoma and our history from our previous collaborations that he came in with ideas blazing! He knew we would want to appropriately capture our contributions to Oklahoma’s economy, and the workforce. He also knew he wanted to incorporate vibrant colors in the mural to represent the diverse workforce at NewView, as well as the bright beacon of hope that we represent for so many who come to us to receive services.  

Needless to say, we had very few edits for John when we saw his initial draft of the mural!  

John, his wife, Jaqui, and his new guide dog, Zuke, came to NewView over the summer to bring his draft to life. We knew when we began planning that Bramblitt was our top choice because he is an artist who is blind. In order to make his own art accessible, he mixes tactile materials like sand into his paint. This gives him a guide that he can feel as he brings his art to life. He started with a black outline of his draft and then came back through with color to add depth and vibrance. Having the opportunity to watch the mural come to life is not something we will soon forget!  

We were very excited to also have the opportunity to host Oklahoma Gardening, an extension of Oklahoma State University, and TSET, to feature NewView Oklahoma’s garden and mission! (https://youtu.be/8ij9dupY9FA?si=MAaWwqUg02bpc1ox


Give the Gift of Services and community

Our services and enrichment programming are made possible by a generous community of donors. If you feel compelled to give to help more people regain their independence and gain connection with their community, we would be so grateful.

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