Charlotte, N.C. — It appears that a part of the mural painted by children with autism on the walls of the Healthy Home market will be spared from the ongoing demolition.
The demolition is part of a redevelopment of an area where a shopping center once stood along South Boulevard near Pointdexter Drive.
The mural, entitled ‘A Road to a Healthy Home’, was painted in 2011 by students with autism for a joint project by the Parker Autism Foundation and the Healthy Home Market.
The mural features an illustration of the Healthy Home Market founders.
Healthy Home Market President John Bauer explains:
“[It was my] mother and father in-law who started the healthy home market. It was a man and a woman farmer in the field looking at the row of corn.”
“The mural was called ‘A Road to a Healthy Home’, So we had a road and a truck loaded down with produce carrying fresh vegetables going into the city.”
The artwork was painted by the students with autism with the help of professional artist Frank Haas. According to Haas:
“The hope was that it was going to be there for a very long time. And the kids that would grow up and come back and see where they had painted a flower.”
Healthy Home Market has shut down operations at its South Boulevard center, and has since moved to the Plaza Midwood.
Although the mural will no longer be there for the students to check when they’re all grown up, Haas is thankful that at least a portion of the artwork will still remain standing in the years to come.
Bauer feels the same. After all, the mural, for him, has a sentimental value. He told:
“Looks like we got the one piece. That means a lot to me.”
Source: Dan Yesenosky: WCNC: Mural painted by autistic kids set to be torn down.