Mural featuring retiring Eastern President Elsa Nunez to be dedicated in Willimantic on May 30
Willimantic, CT (05/29/2024) — A massive mural depicting three pioneering women is being painted on a parking garage in downtown Willimantic, with a dedication scheduled on May 30 from 2:30-3:30 p.m. The 50-foot painting by renowned muralist Ben Keller, located at 17 Walnut Street, features retiring Eastern Connecticut State University President Elsa Nunez, former Governor Ella Grasso and acclaimed novelist Toni Morrison.
The project is based on a famous mural in Spain called "Unity is Strength," depicting several influential women from around the world. "Our (mural) highlights three women who have a more local attachment to Connecticut," explained Matthew Vertefeuille, secretary of Windham Public Art (WPA), the local nonprofit spearheading the project. "This mural contains powerful images and meaning to many in our community and region."
Nunez is the first Latina university president in New England; she will retire this May after leading Eastern for 18 years. Grasso was the first woman governor in Connecticut and the first woman to be elected governor without having been the spouse of a former governor. Morrison is a Nobel Prize-winning author and the first Black female editor at Random House; she spent most of her life in the Northeast.
Like the original mural, the Willimantic version will include the tag line "Las capacidades no dependen de tu genero," which translates to "Your ability doesn't depend on your gender."
A local historian helped determine the subjects of the mural, with Nunez the first selection due to her impact on the Willimantic community as president of Eastern.
"Elsa has a long relationship of working with the town, bringing the talents of Eastern students and faculty into the community," said Chris McNaboe, treasurer of WPA and CEO of Horizons. "She's helped Willimantic develop and formed a lot of connections. This (mural) started with Elsa and blossomed after that. ... She's also a fierce supporter of art, bringing art into the lives of many people. For her to be the subject of public art is fitting as well."
The mural is being paid for by Windham Public Art with funding support from the Pageau Trust and Rise Up, a Hartford-based mural group that received a grant from Hartford HealthCare to help fund the Willimantic mural. The artist is Connecticut-based muralist Ben Keller, who is working with Rene Montolvo, a tattoo artist from Willimantic's Eminence Ink. Keller's murals can be found in cityscapes across Connecticut and the country.
During the May 30 dedication, refreshments will be served, music will be provided by local musician Chris Beaudry; and guests of honor will include Elsa Nunez and the children of Ella Grasso.
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Eastern Connecticut State University is the state of Connecticut's public liberal arts university, serving upwards of 4,000 students annually on its Willimantic campus. In addition to attracting students from 160 of Connecticut's 169 towns, Eastern also draws students from 30 states and eight countries. A residential campus offering 41 majors and 68 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal arts foundation grounded in a variety of applied learning opportunities. Ranked among the top 20 public institutions in the North by U.S. News & World Report in its 2022-23 Best Colleges ratings, Eastern has also been awarded 'Green Campus' status by the Princeton Review 14 years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.
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The mural of Toni Morrison, Elsa Nunez and Ella Grasso is painted by artists Ben Keller and Rene Montalvo.