Artists, advocates urge Manchester to keep Chien Bastille mural, city set to decide

A group of artists, program leaders and participants urged the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen to leave a recently completed mural at Chien Bastille Park in place, saying its removal would wound young people and adults with disabilities who spent six weeks creating it.

Supporters said the mural grew from a paid, six-week internship that brought teens and adults with disabilities together to design and paint a “future without barriers” vision for a park with many low‑income families. “We raised over the course of a year $54,000 for the program,” outreach coordinator Amara Phelps told the board, adding the internship included participants from Waypoint, Opportunity Networks and the Plus Company and was funded by grants and donations. “Participants in our program feel a sense of pride in themselves and work they never expected to enjoy.”

Several speakers recounted the project’s impact on participants. One speaker said a participant who had not spoken for weeks began creating superhero images and smiling while working on the mural; another described imagery honoring a participant’s brother who died of cancer and architectural references inspired by Zaha Hadid.

Manny Ramirez, creative director and co‑founder of Positive Street Art, said his group helped execute the piece and asked the board to allow the mural to remain. “This project I vouch for … is aimed at keeping communities safe and beautiful,” Ramirez said.

The project was previously allowed to proceed under a temporary agreement that, according to public remarks, included a later aldermanic vote to keep or remove the work. Multiple speakers urged the board to keep the mural in place to avoid a negative impact on the young people and adults with disabilities who contributed to the piece.

The board did not take a final vote on the mural during the portion of the meeting captured in the transcript; some speakers reminded aldermen that the matter would be decided at a later agenda item. The board took public comments under advisement at the close of the comment period.

Supporters left the meeting asking the board to weigh the mural’s value to participating students, adult artists and neighbors when the board considers the item on a future agenda.