• Jack Mcguire
• Creating the Mobility Mural

Artists used unusual methods to create a new mural on a South Burlington sidewalk.

First, the surface was painted all black. Next, a guide dog walked across it, followed by two people with canes and someone using a wheelchair. Then, an artist painted in the markings they left behind.

The "Mobility Mural" greets visitors at the headquarters of the nonprofit Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired. It represents the ways people who are visually impaired get around, according to Shelby Glass, an employee of the organization who oversaw the painting of the mural.

• Courtesy Of Shelby Glass
• The Mobility Mural

"I did black with these really vibrant colors so that it's high contrast, and that's easier for people who are low-vision to see," Glass said of the artwork.

The mural will be unveiled during a ceremony next week. It's the second the association has created. In October 2021, Glass painted a version on North Winooski Avenue. The art inspired others to make similar versions in other cities and towns, she said.

"There's one in Texas; there's one in Michigan; there's one somewhere in Canada," Glass said. "Then other places have reached out because they want to make them."

Since the first mural was created, the association has teamed up with the City of Burlington and the Lake Champlain Chamber to create a tactile overview map of the waterfront with braille, vibrant colors and a QR code that leads to an audio description of the lake. The display is located near the ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain.

John Thomas, the organization's director of development, said the mobility murals are increasing visibility for the small nonprofit and leading to new and exciting projects. He said the organization, for instance, is working to provide local refugees with vision screenings.

People have been "inspired," he said. "They loved what [the mural] represented, and it gave them the sense that they could be advocates."