New mural in Faribault focuses on inclusion for people of all abilities

A new mural in a historic town is inclusive for people of all abilities.

The "Love for All" mural was painted on the side of a two-story building at the intersection of Third Street and First Avenue in Faribault. The mural is colorful and welcoming for the entire community — even those who can’t physically see it or hear about its design and significance.

The mural artist’s name is Jordyn Brennan. She was selected by the city of Faribault to create it after applying with other artists. The city wanted the work to focus on inclusion while pulling inspiration from the town’s rich history and diverse demographics.

“I hope that when people look at the mural they feel a sense of pride for the town,” Brennan said. “When I get to be out in the community, with the community and for the community, that’s so rewarding."

The mural can be appreciated in English, American Sign Language (ASL) and Braille. On top of that, there will be an option for people to enjoy a video by scanning a QR code, describing it in ASL, Spanish and eventually Somali. The flowers that are painted on the mural also have connections to the area.

“Jordyn [Brennan] knocked it out of the park consulting with our academies for the blind and the deaf on developing her proposal and incorporating them into the mural,” said Kim Clausen, community development coordinator for the city of Faribault.

Faribault has been home to the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf and Blind for more than 150 years. Brennan worked closely with the schools to ensure the mural’s inclusivity.

“It brings a really good feeling of unity — the different colors, the hands, the Braille, the different hand shades. It really feels like we are part of the Faribault community,” Terry Wilding, superintendent of schools with the academies, said.

Wilding has not been able to hear his entire life.

“This project feels very different because they truly reached out and involved us from the very beginning,” Wilding said. “They got our feedback as part of steps of the project and they showed they really care about our community and that’s the big difference here that we noticed in this mural project.”

The ribbon-cutting for the "Love for All" mural is planned for 3:30 p.m. Thursday.