Seattle, WA (July 6, 2011) — On Wednesday, July 13, Plymouth Housing Group will unveil a colorful new mural painted by community artists at the Gatewood Apartments. The project, the latest in an ongoing partnership between Plymouth and the Seattle organization Path with Art, transformed a blank wall in the building’s community room into an inspiring panorama of color and ideas.

Plymouth will host a public reception at the Gatewood Apartments, located at First Avenue and Pine Street, Wednesday, July 13, from 5 to 6 p.m. to celebrate the new work.

“The partnership between Plymouth and Path with Art gives Plymouth residents opportunities for artistic expression and community participation,” said Paul Lambros, Executive Director of Plymouth Housing Group. “The new mural is a beautiful example of what these programs achieve.”

Path with Art participants, including some Plymouth residents, work on a mural signifying "home." Photo credit: Path with Art

Lambros, along with Path with Art Executive Director Deborah Blake, will unveil the mural. Kristin Ramirez, the local artist who led the mural project, will also speak at the reception.

Ramirez led Path with Art participants, including several Plymouth Housing Group residents, through a six-week class to develop a mural that signifies “home.” The resulting mural is “about loving our respective homes, loving one another, and how community can be built from a group of strangers working toward a common goal,” Ramirez says.

Plymouth Housing Group has partnered with Path with Art since 2007. During that time, the partnership has enabled formerly homeless Plymouth residents to study art, engage in artistic expression, and transform their residential environments.

About Path with Art, Plymouth Housing Group, and Kristen Ramirez

Plymouth Housing Group works to eliminate homelessness and stabilize homeless and very low-income people in housing by preserving, developing and operating safe, decent, affordable housing and by providing opportunities for homeless and very low-income people to improve their lives. Plymouth provides housing for nearly 1,000 single adults in 12 Plymouth-owned and operated buildings in or around downtown Seattle. Learn more at www.plymouthhousing.org.

Path with Art is a unique local organization dedicated to leveraging sustainable partnerships that aid in the delivery of quality art-based programming for adults. By bringing together arts organizations, social service providers and artists, they improve the lives of our community’s most vulnerable citizens. Currently, Path with Art produces 20 classes, facilitates 12 local Access Art outings, and hosts two exhibits celebrating students’ work each year. Learn more at www.pathwithart.org.

Kristen Ramirez was born in San Francisco, CA and raised in Sacramento, CA. She earned a BA from UC Santa Cruz, a MA in Education and California Teaching Credential from San Francisco State University, and a MFA in Printmaking from the University of Washington. Ramirez teaches at Cornish College of the Arts.