Artists in Bucks County will join dozens of groups worldwide Friday to simultaneously paint murals representing L.O.V.E. in action in their communities.
In Bucks County, a mural designed by Harry S. Truman High School senior Carolina Gonzalez-Espino was chosen to be painted in Morrisville.
“What I like about art is that it’s an outlet free for anyone’s use to interpret any opinions, emotions or statements in a creative manner, molding and shaping these statements any way the artist pleases,” said Gonzalez-Espino.
Her mural will come to life on ‘L.O.V.E. is the Answer Day’ on September 17 as Gonzalez-Espino, a few other Truman students, local Peace Officers and the Morrisville community come together to paint.
The event will be held from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the underpass of U.S. Route 1, at the corner of Moreau Street and S. Delmorr Avenue in Morrisville.
“We have been working for a couple years to engage the community and county staff to the concept of ‘L.O.V.E. Is the Answer,’” said Bucks County Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia. “The mural is a beautiful concrete example of police departments and communities coming together to find solutions.”
PICTURE: A digital image of Harry S. Truman High School senior, Carolina Gonzalez-Espino's L.O.V.E. is the Answer mural design.
Gonzalez-Espino’s artwork depicts the pledge of ‘L.O.V.E. is the Answer’ and its four tenets: Learn about others. Open our hearts to them. Volunteer to be part of the solution in their life. Empower others to do the same.
The young artist’s goal was to interpret the pledge through a whimsical, youthful and pleasing visualization.
Inspired by one of her favorite icons in art history Keith Haring, Gonzalez-Espino took the meaning of “unity” to another level in her design. By using the digital illustration app Procreate, Gonzalez-Espino’s design depicts colorful dancing figures in a circle who are holding hands connected by a ribbon of love going through their hearts.
“There are no rules, rights or wrongs, or qualifications for what makes something ‘art,’” said Gonzalez-Espino. “At the end of the day, there is a message behind every piece to reach the right audience that needs to hear it the most.”
In January 2021, the Morrisville community joined the global ‘L.O.V.E. is the Answer’ movement, which brought residents, as well as the Morrisville, Falls Township and Yardley Borough police departments together to have real conversations and help build better relationships.
Contact: Barbara Simmons, 215-833-7877 or Susan Safranek, ssafranek@thepeacecenter.org