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1a13790d-0773-47e7-85b2-aabef88bd70f Back to Gallery Mural # 147 Singing Tree of Grace and Grit 1/1 Date: July 21, 2025 Facilitator: Laurie Marshall Partners: Location: El Paso, TX, USA Previous Next

6f07a252-6012-4543-83e4-47999430905b Back to Gallery Mural # 148 The Monongalia County Singing Tree of Patience and Acceptance While Branching Out Into the Future 1/1 Certified Singing Tree Mural Facilitator Sonda Cheesebrough led the first staff development session of 2025 for 20 art teachers in Monongalia County, West Virginia. During the six-hour session, the teachers learned about the mission of The Singing Tree project and worked together to create “The Monongalia County Singing Tree of Patience and Acceptance While Branching Out Into the Future.” In the process of seeking the theme of the mural, the teachers shared their insight into the challenges that their students face in school and in day-to-day life. A heart-felt conversation brought out concerns about students who are unhoused or are impacted by food insecurity, as well as those facing social anxiety, fear of failure and lack of opportunities in the home, while also moving toward uncertain futures in an ever-unpredictable world. The art teachers worked in small groups to create the elements of the design - the earth, a tree with leaves and birds and the universe. No group worked in isolation, as crossover conversations continually elevated the thought process. The driving force behind the imagery was based on what the teachers believe they can offer their students to help them through their challenges. With the playful imagination that arises from being with children, the bird imagery became a rubber ducky. Each teacher created their vision of healing for their students on at least one duck and several leaves. They continued their conversations with their peers about their goals for the upcoming school year as they painted and colored. In six short hours, the talented art teachers of Monongalia County co-created The Singing Tree of Patience and Acceptance While Branching Into the Future. This Singing Tree will kick off the beginning of the school district's forest of murals. The product of the Professional Development will be displayed in the office of the Monongalia County Board of Education to share the compassion and thoughtfulness that the art teachers have for their students. Each teacher will take their own individual concept back to their classrooms to further develop with their own students. Plans are being discussed to display a Forest of Singing Trees later in the year. Date: August 14, 2025 Facilitator: Sonda Cheesebrough Partners: Monongalia County Board of Education Location: Monongalia County, West Virginia, USA Previous Next

< Back Lili Lopez Marketing and Web Specialist, Collaborative Art Facilitator Lili is in charge of UTC’s website, social media, and marketing. She generates imagery, posts, and videos to raise awareness of Unity Through Creativity’s programs. She has also co-facilitated over 35 murals in the San Francisco Bay area. Lili is in charge of UTC’s website, social media, and marketing. She generates imagery, posts, and videos to raise awareness of Unity Through Creativity’s programs. Lili has skills in Photoshop and other digital editing and design tools, fundraising platforms, and website development platforms. In addition, she is fluent in Spanish and specializes in trauma-informed approaches with young people. Lili is also a certified Singing Tree Facilitator. She inspires those who join in the collaborative painting process to let go, experiment, and have confidence in their creativity. Her artistic expertise is in collaborative murals and portrait painting. She has co-facilitated over 35 murals in the San Francisco Bay area.

76423981-9aed-4c4d-9f51-9259bd655881 < Back Department of the Interior "Consensus Building" Through Art 1/1 In June of 2003, the Assistant Director of the Department of the Interior, Lynn Scarlett, brought 40 employees from five bureaus together in a “Consensus Building Through Art” leadership training program, led by Laurie Marshall. Using the concept of the four directions of the Medicine Wheel from Native American tradition as described by Hyemyohsts Storm in Seven Arrows , Marshall gave each of the five teams an 8' x 8' space with four circles drawn on it. The teams discussed the wisdom, knowledge, mission and challenges of their bureau and out of that conversation, invented visual ways to express their perceptions. They employed communication, risk-taking and problem-solving skills to create new solutions. The project served as a type of indoor Challenge Ropes Course, where paints and colored pencils are the tools for accomplishing the team-building exercises. Following the leadership training exercise, the mural was exhibited at the U.S. Department of Interior Museum in Washington, D.C. from August through October, 2003, in Los Angeles during November for the Federal Stewardship/Partnership conference and at the U.S. Geological Survey in Reston, Virginia in 2004. The mural's creation and display highlights the importance of including diverse voices in the Department's decision-making process. The painting is part of the Department of Interior’s permanent Art Collection. U.S. Department of the Interior Museum, C St NW, Washington D.C., DC, USA Previous Next

a17bc5d8-ce0c-4175-bd38-470e6d1874fd Back to Gallery Mural # 149 Singing Tree of Our Values 1/1 Date: Facilitator: Andrea Marchyok Partners: Location: Fort Jones, CA 96032, USA Previous Next

1b78c485-b312-4336-b26c-4392c0c98a7c Back to Gallery Mural # 136 The Singing Tree of a Just and Democratic Economy 1/1 Our topic centered on how money works and how our exchanges can be better grounded in Natural reciprocity, Democratically , and Justly. Throughout the open to the public sessions, we explored the process of creative collaboration that emerges in Singing Tree Murals and shared our views on money, challenges in economics, and even our life story engaging in this debt-based economic system. We reshaped our collective view of the economy as a series of exchanges that happen in nature with the theme of generosity, just as they happen in trees. We learned about crows offering gifts and the incredible collaboration of crabs , both of which are honored in the final design of the collaborative mural. We talked about trees and how they represent the ultimate model of generosity, creating habitats and participating in multiple reciprocities. Each session included creative time where participants tapped into their free-flowing and non-judgmental creativity to create a shared vision. We also drew currency together and discussed what an ideal form of currency would look like, understanding that form follows function, and that we need the function to work better for us. the first session was online Dec 5th 2023, and the last final online session was April 8th... Read whole article here. Date: June 15, 2024 Facilitator: Fernanda Lugo Partners: Location: El Paso, TX, USA Previous Next

c5033477-1ec3-4314-bdd1-b4799126ea3e Back to Gallery Mural # 96 The Cypress Willow Singing Tree of Growing Through What We're Going Through 1/1 Singing Tree Facilitator's Co-Heart #3 Design - The Cypress Willow Singing Tree of Growing Through What We're Going Through. This is the message of Co-Heart 3 to the world: "In these tumultuous times, we grow through our grief and uncertainty into a song of renewed togetherness, co-creating a world that works for all." The four different phases of the moon in each corner represents the experience of “going through” emptiness, growing, being whole and losing. The elephant with the earth embedded in her body symbolizes our connection to nature. We included the baby elephant to remind us of those who will inherit the world we leave. Date: April 16, 2021 Facilitator: Laurie Marshall Partners: NA Location: San Francisco, California, USA Previous Next

a8c3ff2b-5c52-4fcc-96d2-daedee05e12b < Back Auberle Foster Home Murals 1/1 "Anyone who does anything to help a child in this life is a hero to me." ~ Fred Rogers. When asked what they needed while they were in the courtroom, the foster youth of Auberle said "Protection and Freedom." The large birds and strong adults are protecting the child. In Cherokee tradition, a man with a bird on his shoulder is exceptionally wise. The hummingbirds and butterflies symbolize freedom and joy. Mr. Roger's words serve as a reminder of the importance of children and the heroism of any adult who puts their needs first. "The Fight for Hope" The mountains are steep, because the journey is hard. Inside the circles are feelings that the young people of Auberle experienced waiting to go into court: The tears overflow in sadness. There is a volcano of anger. The lightning strikes - no one is there and you are all alone. The self is gone, like a shattered mirror and you are lost. Without denying them, the arrow travels through these feelings and points to hope. The birds and flowers are symbols of warmth, liveliness and Nature, which is bigger than the human drama. The young man holds the flowers while another child offers a quiet, colorful landscape for his heart. This is the wish for a peaceful heart. "There is Always Hope" The road is paved with gold, holding an intact family that is surrounded by a Nature-dominated city of Pittsburgh. The animals embrace the humans, and, above all, there is a Goodwill truck parked by the golden road. A young man watches. "Building Strong Families" This painting grew out of stories by the staff of being at the right place at the right time for the children at Auberle. After sharing these powerful stories, each person created a picture in his or her hand based on the positive difference they had made in the life of a child. Together, the staff made a work of art to re-envision and re-energize their mission. McKeesport, PA, USA Previous Next

b1fd3430-8950-4b8a-a1ba-7919889f4cec < Back The Dream Mural 1/1 "The Dream Mural", was inspired by “The Big Orange Splot” by Daniel Pinkwater. The 8' x 16' Dream Mural was made by 4th and 5th graders from Lu Sutton Elementary. Facilitated with Lili Lopez and Laurie Marshall, this program of Artists Teaching Art has made the space for 150 students to express their dreams. Novato, CA, USA Previous Next

The power of holding space for children with Michelle Maree and Laurie Marshall | 2020 < Back Permission to be Powerful The power of holding space for children with Michelle Maree and Laurie Marshall Michelle writes: This feels like one of the most important interviews I have done to date. It is relevant for our current experiences managing ourselves and our families during Covid, helps us tap into the power of children and their unique perspectives and creative natures, and the power of having a gifting mentality to balance the measurement mentality that has become the dominant paradigm and regenerative practices to ease our transition into this new, complex and rich new world that is being birthed at this time. Previous Next

4331cb52-65af-40b3-aa5d-9a349ff42303 Back to Gallery Mural # 57 The Department of Peace Building Singing Tree Branch 1/1 The Littlest Singing Tree I've ever made: The Department of Peace Building Singing Tree (it's a branch) made over two retreats of the Northern California Peace Alliance. The retreat was with 11 people who have dedicated their lives to the creation of the U. S. Department of Peace Building. We made the Singing Tree Branch of Peace, envisioning that the Department of Peace Building is in existence and adding to a culture of non-violent conflict resolution. Date: April 8, 2019 Facilitator: Laurie Marshall Partners: Northern California Peace Alliance Retreats Location: Northern California, CA, USA Previous Next

028a45b7-7806-4c03-bfe6-7cf4f333a893 < Back Crows with a Cawse 1/1 Interactive art piece, “Crows with a Cawse”, was brought to Sustainamania in Bothell Washington. Bothell has a special relationship with crows: As many as 16,000 crows fly in at dusk and land on various buildings and sports fields before roosting in the wetlands! On top of encouraging community members to deepen their commitments to creating a better world and weaving those commitments into the crow’s nest with upcycled fabric, Many stories were told about how people interact with the crows. Many had a special relationship with an individual crow and considered them friends. Others were trying to develop relations with crows. People spoke of leaving trinkets for them, and how the crows would take them to someone else and return other found treasures in their place. Such incredible animals. And what a gift to be able to help weave together community commitments towards lasting change. The piece features a crow and nest crafted from painted plastic bottles and upcycled materials, highlighting our legacy of plastic pollution. Participants were invited to weave their commitments to creating a better future into the nest using upcycled fabric strips, each addition symbolizing a collective pledge to forge a better future. Through this interactive art, participants experienced the weaving together of our community and saw how their actions could shape a sustainable tomorrow for our planet and future generations. 18415 101st Avenue Northeast, Bothell, WA, USA Previous Next

9ad87b3c-9d7f-425e-9d33-a9b6cf201801 Back to Gallery Mural # 28 Seasons of Hope Singing Tree- Autumn of Abundance 1/1 The Seasons of Hope Singing Trees, made with homeless and formerly homeless kids who led with 1000 young people to create these four murals in Marin County, California. Unity Through Creativity is no longer affiliated with Ambassadors of Hope and Opportunity. Date: May 16, 2012 Facilitator: Laurie Marshall Partners: NA Location: Marin County, CA, USA Previous Next

1b48859f-66fd-43f7-97f4-88b3eaea0bad Back to Gallery Mural # 125 The Redwood Singing Tree of Healing and Freedom from Fear 1/1 30 sixth graders from Jack London Elementary School in Santa Rosa, California, were the Lead Design Team in this “Peace Building Through Art” Program. In 10 days, the students chose the theme of “Healing and Freedom from Fear.” Using technology, they researched native trees and selected the Redwood Tree to symbolizes strength and resilience. They co-designed and painted the background and drew and cutout over 300 leaves and birds. As part of their leadership training, the 6th graders went to all the classes in the school, inviting students and staff to add drawings of healing and freedom, which they glued to the painting. They also unveiled the completed mural to the school and parent community. Through this STEAM project, the students gained skills in communication, creativity and collaboration. The painting celebrates childhood memories that invoke safety and healing - the tree house, giraffe and ball held by an elephant. The wolf is the mascot of Jack London Elementary and the lotus flower in the sun is a symbol of healing. The snake stands for protection. The project was funded by a California Arts and Music grant. “I’m most proud of how it was just a piece of wood and then it was a mural. My biggest take away is how creative I can be and other people can be, too.” -Marianna, age 11 Date: November 13, 2023 Facilitator: Sweta Chawla and Cynthia Caruso Partners: California Arts and Music Location: California, USA Previous Next

ad6888ab-a246-4100-8878-82bd00e7213f Back to Gallery Mural # 113 The Oak Singing Tree of Strength and Happiness 1/1 During the design process the children of the East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA), an after school program in East Oakland, contemplated the question, “when times are difficult in your life what gives you strength and what brings you happiness?” Eighteen 3rd-8th graders formed the Design Team to co-create the imagery. As Oakland’s namesake the Oak was the tree selected to honor representing longevity, stability, and resilience. The dragon is the superpower focal point, a strong and fearsome creature who acts as the benevolent guardian showering love over the Earth, Oakland, and the EOBA family. The phoenix rising above the ancient pyramids of Mexico represent strength and resilience, and a loving community of family, friends, and animals bring happiness and peace to our lives. In total sixty children, EOBA staff, family, and community members contributed to the mural with colored leaves and hearts. The Oak Singing Tree of Strength and Happiness: Growing strong bodies, curious minds, and compassionate hearts Partenered with Albany Middle School . Funded by the Peaceful World Foundation and EOBA Facilitated by Leslie Rein and Diana Sciarretta . Date: December 29, 2022 Facilitator: Leslie Rein and Diana Sciarretta Partners: Peaceful World Foundation East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA) Location: East Oakland Boxing Association, 98th Avenue, Oakland, CA, USA Previous Next