“This was an activity the clients could access in their free time,” said Jes McMillan, a local artist and founder of the Mosaic Institute. “We checked in on it and popped up at specific events to interact with the clients and lead the mosaic, but mostly this mosaic was made at OneFifteen by the clients without us managing it.”
The three-panel, 5 feet by 13 feet mosaic reflects themes of addiction, treatment and recovery. The titular path begins with dark overtones but moves toward a hopeful future guided by sunlight.
“The first section represents addiction, starting in the woods which is gloomier and has weeds, representing flowers that haven’t bloomed,” McMillan said. “The second section represents treatment, which has a winding path with flowers that are just starting to bud and bloom. And the third section is recovery, where the path is going to the sunshine and the flowers are in full bloom.”
Credit: Russell Florence
Credit: Russell Florence
The journey at the core of the mosaic speaks volumes for OneFifteen.
“The three-panel mosaic was a labor of love and compassion,” said Catherine McCarver, CEO of OneFifteen in a press statement. “Our participants and staff worked on the panels as a combined effort over the last two years. The three panels represent the road to recovery, acknowledging that recovery is not a straight line, that there can be challenges and obstacles, but there is light and fulfillment at the end.”
The Mosaic Institute’s mission of inspiring, empowering and unifying community through art was most recently illuminated through “The Seed of Life” 8/4 Memorial honoring the victims of the August 2019 Oregon District shooting. McMillan believes the mosaic process, especially its healing aspects, fit the needs of OneFifteen in a special way.
“The mosaic process is a perfect artistic process to engage people from multiple ages,” she said. “It’s all about picking up a piece and placing it onto a design among other pieces like a puzzle. It’s a simple art form. And for the (clients) at OneFifteen, they are contributing to the community and city through the mural, which is a great position for them to be in
“Being in treatment programs can be a very difficult time so this mural gives them hope and makes them happy. You can’t be unhappy about creating such a beautiful image and feeling proud of that,” she ssaid.
MORE DETAILS
“The Path to Recovery” is on public display resting on temporary easels but plans are ongoing for a permanent location for the work to be hung.
“People can still see and interact with the artwork,” said Jes McMillan, founder of the Mosaic Institute.
OneFifteen is located at 257 Hopeland St., Building A, Dayton. For more information, visit onefifteen.org.
Credit: Russell Florence
Credit: Russell Florence
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