ACV Collaborates On Downtown International Mural

HARRISONBURG, VA – As part of its yearlong 25th Anniversary celebration, Arts Council of the Valley (ACV) is working with artist David Draime to create a large-scale international mural in downtown Harrisonburg. Local painters will apply the mural using designs from the hearts of passionate artists living thousands of miles away, whose government prohibits their freedom of expression. Titled Unity in Diversity, the mural will employ vibrant colors and thoughtful composition to transform the south wall of 34 S. Main St., which houses the Taj of India restaurant.

The project is partially funded by a grant from The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County's Earlynn J. Miller Fund for the Arts. Private donors from around the world are now contributing the remaining funds needed to bring the mural to life. ACV is accepting tax-deductible donations (visit valleyarts.org/donate-now; simply type Unity Mural 2025 in the Comments box after entering your contact and credit card information). Checks in support of the project should be made payable to Arts Council of the Valley (with Unity Mural 2025 in the memo line) and mailed to 311 S. Main St, Harrisonburg, VA 22801.

Draime, who owns Draime Fine Art Studio School, has worked for several years with San Diego artist Neda Towfiq to teach online art classes to a group of young artists living in Iran. The classes are part of a broader program designed to serve students barred by their government from attending any college or university within Iran. For these particular students, higher education is a crime, punishable by arrest, beatings, confiscation of books/electronic devices and, in some cases, imprisonment. They are Bahá’ís, members of the largest non-Muslim religious minority in Iran, who have faced decades of persecution.

In August 2024, Draime was invited by some Bahá’í facilitators in Iran to teach these young artists how to design a mural, though it was clear even non-religious artwork by this group could never be painted in Iran. That invitation, recognizing the harsh reality these students face, led to further discussions.

“Out of those conversations, an idea was born,” Draime explained. “What if these marginalized art students in Iran designed a mural that could then be brought to life in Harrisonburg?

“Although their artistic vision may be suppressed in Iran,” he added, “the hope is that it will find a welcoming home in the Shenandoah Valley.”

Draime approached ACV with the concept last summer, as plans for a yearlong celebration of the nonprofit’s 25th anniversary were taking shape.

Visit valleyarts.org/public-art-unity-in-diversity-mural for more information on the international mural project.

Arts Council of the Valley is located at 311 South Main Street in Downtown Harrisonburg, Virginia. Programs are supported in part by ACV 25th Anniversary Presenting Sponsor Kathy Moran Wealth Group, and 25th Anniversary Visionary Sponsor Riner Rentals.

A 501(c)3 nonprofit, ACV is dedicated to cultivating the arts, creating experiences, and connecting communities throughout the City of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. Since it was established in 2000, ACV has grown into a multi-faceted community organization that fosters innovative partnerships among area businesses, civic organizations, schools, and artists. Today, ACV manages Court Square Theater and Smith House Galleries, funds local art projects through its Advancing the Arts grant program (awarding more than $518,300 since 2001), supports public art initiatives, and coordinates monthly First Fridays of the Valley community gatherings.

ACV is supported in part by the City of Harrisonburg, the Harrisonburg Redevelopment & Housing Authority, and the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. To learn more, visit valleyarts.org.

This press release was provided by Ann Leatherwood at Arts Council of the Valley.