We would love to hear your perspective on your experience with The Haywood Street Fresco.

If you would like to be a contributor to this page, upload perspectives and comment to the following Google Form.

Contributor and Comment Form Here

Contributor Angel Redmond

Revisit to complete in video form

In April I had the privilege of watching the documentary “Theirs is the Kingdom”, featuring a fresco painting in the Haywood Street Congregation. My initial desire was brought on after seeing my Aunt Jeanette featured in the documentary.

Fresco style painting has the ability to last indefinitely, as we see from The Last Supper, created by Leonardo da Vinci located at the Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy and The Creation of Adam, by Michelangelo located in the Sistine Chapel in Rome.

It was at this time I realized the importance of my aunt’s lasting impression for her contributions to Haywood Street Congregation and the ability to have her immortalized. At the viewing I learned another important feature. Stephens-Lee High School is located in the fresco skyline! James Vester Miller‘s tools are located on a table. These inclusive gestures mean that the contributions of Black Asheville, by way of East End/Valley Street, will also be immortalized.

The Haywood Street Congregation’s mission statement: “Relationship, Above All Else”, was the driving force behind me wanting to visit! In June I visited the Fresco painting, purposefully on a Wednesday to partake in The Welcome Table. On Wednesdays they feed the community! The experience has left a long lasting impression. The way I feel about community from an East End/Valley street resident and worker in the community perspective, I felt the same while breaking bread with other community members, mainly those without the comforts of their own space to call home.

Currently I am working with a team of phenomenal educators to create curriculum around the fresco while paying homage to Stephens-Lee, James Vester Miller, and other powerful Black Asheville facets by way of touring the Stephens-Lee Community Center and walking the James Vester Miller trail to the fresco. I implore you all to navigate this website with your family, friends, and neighbors, participate in the pre, during, and post activities. Let me know about the sense of community felt afterwards.