Imagine your dreams painted in bright colors, filling your world with light and hope.
Imagine your pride when visitors stop just to see where you live.
Imagine a world of possibility unfolding on the walls outside your school.
Imagine creating the future you believe is possible, with just a paintbrush and a dream.
Aloona Tola, a small village 50 km from Ludhiana city is one such village where every other wall is painted. Summer of 2018, almost half the villagers, volunteers, and around 90 artists worked side by side to capture the essence, traditions, hopes, and dreams of the village and inscribe it on the physical landscape of walls and buildings.
90 Artist volunteers, 390 wall murals: Aloona Tola seen in a new light - steering imagination, creating dialogues and forging deep connections and building hope.
Every single minute, 24 Indians move to urban cities, either because of the lack of local opportunities, or because the environment in villages is not conducive to learning and growth. Villages are becoming an empty shell of a dying society. Aloona Tola was no different.
Villages need a fresh perspective to survive and thrive, to be able to instill hope and pride in their young residents. Along with providing a sustainable future for its people, rural society also needs to build a connection across generations within the community, to inspire people to care for and support each other.
A simple art project in theory, Paint For Punjab also ensured interaction between communities as they came together to brainstorm, clean, and paint the murals. Working with artists and volunteers from around the world, residents opened conversations as they shared folklore and aspirations, and picked up new ideas from the visitors.
"Our village felt like any other ordinary village. But now, not only our friends and relatives but also people from other places in Punjab come to see the murals and to see what is happening here. It feels good to know that many people have traveled across the world to be here. Aloona Tola has completely changed in appearance and in spirit,” says Bhinda.
Like all the others in the village, Bhinda is elated by the change. “Everyone here is extremely happy that you have created this culture of cleanliness, creativity, and progress. I always loved painting and it is very uplifting for me to paint houses alongside people from around the world. Even my father asks me to work and spend time with you guys. Your caring and support motivates me to paint more. I am thankful to be part of this movement and hope that everyone involved will remember me after they leave the village.”
We see art as an instrument to expand perceptions. Through collective participation, minds are opened to creative and compassionate thinking. Individuals are empowered to seed change and drive well-being and growth for everyone. Join us as we share the vision of a village and support its self-expression.