Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Client Contest: Name Our Mural!

BCI Alpha is having a mural painted in our waiting area, and we're asking our clients to help choose a title for it.

Wilmington artist Caelen Bird is volunteering his time to create this mural. Check out his website here. Paint was generously donated for this project by several local vendors, including Mammele’s, Dulux Paints, MAB Paints, and Lowes.

The concept we decided on was the phoenix rising from the ashes. Below you can see a preliminary sketch and a “Before” photo of the waiting area.

























The Phoenix bird is often used as a symbol of recovery. This mythical bird is synonymous with rebirth, healing, and peace. According to legend, a beautiful, one of a kind bird lives for 500 years. At the end of its life it builds itself a funeral pyre on top of the highest mountain. Then at sunrise, the morning sun causes it to burst into flames and be consumed. As the ashes cool, a stirring in the coals is seen, and a newborn phoenix rises reborn from the ashes of the old one.

As a symbol of being reborn from the ashes of our addiction, several analogies can be seen in this story: Fire represents treatment and early recovery. Pain represents introspection, the process of taking a look at the kind of person we have become due to our addiction. The newborn phoenix represents the recovering addict building a new life out of the ashes of their former addict lifestyle.

BCI Alpha clients can submit their ideas for a title through February 1. The winning entry will be incorporated into the mural. The winner will also receive a prize.

We are excited to finally add some color to our white cinder block walls! Keep watching this space to see the work in progress!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Out of the ashes of our hopelessness
comes the fire of our hope.