Mystic River Mural Project

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If you've ever driven down Mystic Ave., you've seen the results of this fantastic summer employment program for teens that combines hands-on environmental education with art.

Each year, professional muralist David Fichter and his assistants invite educators, amateur naturalists or historians from the surrounding community to help develop a curriculum centered on adventurous exploration of the Mystic River Watershed. Working with the youth, they help to develop a theme for the new panels.

The mural project brings together an international community of youth living in Somerville. Mural participants have come from places such as El Salvador, Nigeria, Haiti, Vietnam, Brazil and the Ukrane. The youth often bring music and food from their country of origin to share while working on the mural.

The mural project generates interest from members of the surrounding community, inspiring them to share historical and environmental information about the River. A few people have written their doctoral thesis on the project.

In 1997, the Mural Project received a national award for excellence from American Rivers association in river education.

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