The mural was painted by Montgomery County Prevention Coalition volunteers and graduates of the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce Leadership Dayton Class of 2024 with the message “Behind Every Dark Cloud, The Sun Will Rise.”
Last year, the county had 101 deaths by suicide, said Long, who is also a senior program coordinator with Montgomery County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS).
“That’s 101 too many,” Long said.
A QR code embedded in the mural will direct people to mental health and recovery resources.
“This is a coalition that makes a huge difference and saves lives in our community,” said Helen Jones-Kelley, executive director of Montgomery County ADAMHS.
One of the goals behind the suicide prevention murals is that something in the artwork might strike a chord with viewers going by, having a hard time.
“There’s something that ... might just hit somebody’s heart just long enough to make them think, ‘Oh, wait a minute, I’m needed here. I’ve got a dark cloud right now, but that’s going to be gone,’ ” Jones-Kelley said.
When the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce began the Leadership Dayton program 50 years, it was so the chamber could bring business leaders into the community to identify the needs of the community and how they could help with those needs, said Linda Ashworth, chief operating officer of the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce.
“We’ve been doing different projects like this for at least the last 30 years. Some of them are more visible than others,” Ashworth said.
Every Leadership Dayton class has the opportunity to leave a lasting legacy in the community with their class project, said Johanna Hartley, of the 2024 class of Leadership Dayton.
“For us, the legacy is one of hope and resilience. We know that mental health affects every corner in our community,” Hartley said.
Leadership Dayton participants were exposed to how mental health impacts multiple sectors the community, such as education, health care, and even arts and culture, she said.
“We decided to take on the complexity of suicide prevention by creating a mural that would inspire people in our community to reimagine their day, their week, or even their life,” Hartley said.
Regina Dixon is the Dayton-based artist who designed the mural on the side of Tuffy Brooks. She studied art under Trish McKinney and at Sinclair Community College.
“My inspiration for this painting is to inspire hope for someone who might be dealing with life issues,” Dixon said.
Culture Works provided $10,000 toward the project, which the Montgomery County Prevention Coalition matched.
About the Author
