The Chandler Park Love Letter
“I don’t know if anyone ever told you this…but you reeeeal creative…” said somebody’s uncle trying to flirt with me while painting.
Oh Chandler Park, your neighborhood is special. Of all the walls I have painted thus far during this project, painting at Mr. Seas Fish and Chicken has been the most entertaining.
Chandler Park was the first neighborhood we hosted a Listening Session for. I was excited to finally talk to people in the area about the project and hear their thoughts. This meeting set the standard for all the other sessions to follow. Eastside Community Network partnered with us to host the event. We had a smaller, but mighty group of about 17 in the building.
Regardless of size, my goal throughout this project has been to find any and every opportunity to pour back into the community. For example, ordering our catering from local vendors like Tacos Hernandez, Morningside Coffee, La Patagonia, Terri’s Cakes, and 317. Yes, this initiative is about installing public artwork. However, the core of this project is a love letter from myself to the people here.
Love is an action,
it’s an investment,
it’s repeated intention,
its the practice of asking questions and returning with relevant solutions,
AND
it’s me using my unique gift to play a meaningful role here.
All these pockets of people are different and unique. What works for Chandler Park doesn’t necessarily fit the mold for East English Village, or Riverbend.
So I had to spend the time getting to actually know the areas. I knew this project would be deeper than art when a woman at this first Listening Session teared up while telling me the purpose behind her sticky note. It read “Hello Gorgeous.” She told me she was in a terrible accident some years ago and it altered her appearance so much she struggled to find herself beautiful anymore. So she would play Mary J Blige’s ‘Good Morning Gorgeous’ to lift her heart.
I swallowed my tears and thanked her for sharing.
Another young man shared how he lost his father who was his superhero. As a result he and his mother started a nonprofit to remind the youth to “Unleash their inner hero,” because that’s what he had to do after losing his.
These people are so beautiful and complex.
I know this because Eastside Love Letters has given me the opportunity to learn about them on a very human level. Which is something I have carried with me as I created each design.
In Chandler Park the people have grit, a desire to push through. They want to be uplifted, inspired, and seen but have been overlooked. That doesn’t discourage them though. Their design is a hand breaking through the wall with a rose blooming through the brick because they gonna grow through it, best believe. The messages chosen for this wall were :
“Slow motion better than no motion.”
“Unleash your inner hero.”
And
“We are the celebrities.”
Everyone got a story here, and everyone matters.
This mural was officially completed June 22nd, 2026 as the 2nd completed location for the project.
To learn more about Eastside Love Letters as a whole check out my project overview here. Let me know what you think about the Chandler Park Love Letter in the comment section below.