On April 22, 2026 the Johnson Park Community Center at 1415 West Street, Utica, NY 13501 will open its doors to the public from 4pm–6pm, inviting the community to view the new mural “The Story of Johnson Park.”
Event Schedule
The unveiling of the plaque will take place at 4:30pm, and there will be a Community Dinner with tours from 5pm–6pm.
About the Mural
The very first strokes of the mural, spanning three walls of the Johnson Park Community Center’s first floor, were made on the evening of November 14 in honor of JPC’s 30 years of serving Utica’s Cornhill community.
The vision and application for the mural was from start to finish a true communal collaboration, and it wasn’t just artists who contributed. Many hands of the JPC community helped to tell the transformative story of building community from scratch.
Led by the nonprofit art organization ‘The Art Thing Collaborative,’ alongside the mural’s lead artist Angela DeCarlis, the mural contains the voices and hands from JPC volunteers, JPC staff, the youth who attend JPC programming, and The Art Thing (TAT) artists.
Dedication
Founded from a mission to unite communities through collaboration, The Art Thing understood the JPC story could not be told without the help of its community.
The mural is dedicated to the two women who have dedicated their lives to serving this community, Reverend Dr. Scates and Reverend Meier.
Through the vision and commitment of Rev. Dr. Scates, JPC’s CEO and Founder, and the faithful on the ground hard work and perseverance of Rev. Meier’s, the Johnson Park-Cornhill Community has been revitalized into what it is today, a place of safety and respite where women and their families can work towards a thriving rehabilitation.
From everything from their 3 day a week Food Pantry, their safe & supportive housing, a women’s emergency shelter, to a youth educational and empowerment program, JPC has provided 30 years of daily essential services to their community.
Join the Celebration
Join JPC on April 22 for the mural reveal to see the story colorfully unfurl throughout the center, and to learn more about the Johnson Park story, these amazing women, the resilience of a community, and the healing that can happen when its members come together to create positive change.