This fall, the Community Coalition on Race’s Integrated Art Circles continued to bring neighbors together to create, collaborate, and build relationships across racial and cultural lines. Three distinct workshops—Mosaics, Mural Making, and Opera Education—invited participants of all ages and backgrounds to learn from local artists, explore personal and collective identity, and create art that reflects our community’s diversity.

Just as a mosaic becomes whole when many pieces come together, each Art Circle embodies the power of connection: individuals contributing their unique stories while building something meaningful together.

Mosaic Art Circle

Led by local artist Sandra Charlap, the Mosaic Circle has been an ongoing community effort over two summers. This fall, participants installed their artwork around the flagpole plaza in downtown South Orange—transforming the space into a vibrant reflection of our shared histories and cultures.

“I love this art form and being able to share it with people,” Charlap shared in a Village Green article. “The group came together in great harmony, and the results are outstanding.” The mosaic project, supported by the Essex County Parks and Recreation Department and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, was originally founded by former Coalition Program Director Audrey Rowe as a way to build cross-racial friendships while creating public art.

Mural Art Circle

At The Baird, award-winning teaching artist Roberta Melzl led the Mural Art Circle as students and adults collaborated on a large-scale mural installation. Participants explored imagery that reflects belonging, shared space, and the many ways we gather as neighbors. The mural will remain as a lasting symbol of the integration work that lives across our neighborhoods and public spaces.

Opera Education Circle

This year, celebrated opera singer Lori Brown Mirabal offered a four-week workshop exploring opera through the lens of racial diversity and storytelling. Participants learned about vocal performance, cultural influences in opera, and the ways music can illuminate lived experience. The series culminated in live performances—an expression of joy, vulnerability, and community celebration.

The Coalition is grateful to the artists, participants, funders, and neighbors who made this year’s Integrated Art Circles so rich and inspiring.

We look forward to continuing to create together—piece by piece, voice by voice, story by story. Coming up in 2026, look for line dancing and poetry workshops!

Here are a few pictures of the circles--people of all ages and races working together!