Wings of Hope

Posted on Sep 10

Thousands of colorful butterflies have found their home at the Fitton Center.

The Wings of Hope Mosaic Mural began as a community project in Hamilton, but quickly went international, receiving submissions from all over the world.

Bringing Community Together

Wings of Hope began as a project to provide a creative outlet for many artists to share their artistic voice in one community piece. Each artist created a butterfly to be used in a large mosaic mural outside of the Fitton Center for Creative Arts in Hamilton.

After receiving butterflies from all over the globe, the Wings of Hope project became a vibrant tapestry representing the unique individuals, experiences, backgrounds, and traditions around the world— bringing them together in one beautiful mosaic.

By the Numbers

All together, the mural features 1,026 butterflies, created by 392 participants from around the globe. These artists ranged from 2 years old to 92 years old.

The butterflies were made in 29 states and 8 countries. The furthest butterflies traveled 8,729 miles from India to get to Hamilton, Ohio. The finished product includes 118 square feet of mosaics that took the mural designer + lead artist, Lori Kay Harris-Farr, 3 months to complete all of the panels.

Why Butterflies?

Lori says she chose to use butterflies in the mural because they remind her of change and transformation.

"Butterflies are associated with hope, peace, and joy. I like the uplifting imagery especially during this trying time of uncertainty. I want this project to be one that bring joy and hope to our future," Lori says.

To see the mosaic mural for yourself, visit the Fitton Center and find the butterflies covering four different columns outside the front of the building.