MILWAUKEE — A new mural on North Ave. near 11th St. is hoping to start a conversation about gun violence and healing in the community.
The mural has a cityscape, butterflies, the words peace, love, and community, and a portrait of Claude Motley.
"Obviously I wouldn't hope that happened to me would happen to anyone," Motley said. "But what's so rewarding is that you're able to give back, you able to tell your story."
Motley was shot in the jaw near 68th and Capitol back in 2014.
Motley's story not only inspired the mural but also the Emmy-nominated documentary "When Claude Got Shot."
The mural on North Ave. is a collaboration between True Skool, North Avenue BID, We Are the League and 371 Productions.
"The message that we hope is represented in [the mural] is that regardless of how tough this moment might be in a person's life, that we can get beyond that. We can overcome our struggles, and we can do that individually but we can also do that as a community," said Shalina Ali with True Skool.
Santana Coleman with 371 productions and We Are the League worked on the documentary Claude was featured in. She said the experience of collaborating on the mural was a healing one for all.
"This mural is really helping us to highlight what life can be, what life is right now and what life is going to be..." Coleman said. "There are other ways to go through and cope and get through than picking up a gun. I really hope that they're able to take this mural in the heart of the city and use that at inspiration that things will be ok."
For Tia Cannon of the North Avenue BID the mural was a way to bring the neighborhood together and create some beauty in area the BID is trying to build up.
"It brings unity, it brings communion, and it just brings back what we strive to have in those areas. People working together, but also a beautification aspect on a building that's been sitting dormant for a long time. So, that helps to enhance and make the neighborhood a little bit more vibrant," Cannon said.
Tyrone Macklee Randle was one of five artists that worked on the project. He's also a True Skool alum. He said one of the goals was to take the message of the documentary but lighten it up for the space.
"The subject matter of the documentary is pretty heavy, but that's not necessarily what we wanted to put in this space. We wanted to bring this sort of light, positive messaging for community and peace," Randle said.
Claude said he was honored to be part of a mural in his hometown. And even if the kids in the neighborhood don't know who he is, he hopes the mural's message inspires them for years to come.
"When I look at this mural, it's just a reflection of not just how far we've come but how far we have to go," Motley said.
There will be a community celebration at the mural on Sept. 13. You can also see the documentary "When Claude Got Shot" on Sept.16 at the Oriental Theater during the Cultures and Communities Festival.
