Protecting Mother Earth - Barnes Gully mural aims to raise environmental awareness

The GraceKennedy Foundation said the 'Mother Earth' mural in Barnes Gully, which is located in downtown Kingston, has been created to raise awareness of the importance of environmental protection.

Located on a wall bordering the Barnes Gully at the corner of South Camp Road and Harbour Street, the mural was conceptualised by Jamaican artist Charl Baker, who painted it with assistance from Rae Town resident Fabian White and his twin sons, Ricky and Richie.

"This is the first mural on the walls of a gully in downtown Kingston and it's such a fitting location, because it draws attention to one of the main ways the Kingston Harbour is being destroyed - the improper disposal of waste in gullies," Caroline Mahfood, CEO of GraceKennedy Foundation, said.

"The mural reminds us of the importance of protecting Mother Earth for future generations, and one way we can do this is keeping gullies clean by disposing our garbage properly."

GraceKennedy Foundation partnered with the ICD Group, The Multicare Youth Foundation and Kingston Creative to create the mural.

"We hope the mural will inspire Jamaicans to take better care of their environment, and other businesses to partner to beautify downtown Kingston and return the Kingston Harbour to its former glory," said Mahfood.

Protecting our environment

Tanaka Roberts, creative director at ICD Group, added, "We were thrilled to partner with our Harbour Street neighbour GraceKennedy as well as the Kingston Creative team for this project, and especially honoured to have the mural placed on the exterior wall of our headquarters. This key message of protecting our environment, community and uplifting our youth is a long-standing commitment of ICD and our associated charity, The Multicare Youth Foundation. We are always looking for ways to support the community so that residents not only feel proud to live here, but will also show more respect for their environs. We've called downtown Kingston our home for decades and know that we share responsibility in preserving our community for future generations."

Since 2018, Kingston Creative has consistently empowered creatives and promotes art for social transformation. The signature project 'Paint the City' has so far produced 63 murals. Doris Gross, director and art district lead at Kingston Creative, said the Mother Earth mural serves an important purpose.

"The aspect of connecting art with the urgent need to protect our environment is especially exciting," she said.