Artist Brian Kenny painting on the side of Open Door Health in Providence, Rhode Island. Photo: Photo Courtesy of Nicholas Platzer
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WBZ NewsRadio) — A historic mural honoring the LBGTQ+ community was unveiled in Providence on Friday.
The installation was created by Artist Brian Kenny on the side of the building for Open Door Health -- the city's first LGBTQ-focused health clinic.
Kenny said when creating the 40-foot-high piece, he wanted to focus particularly on the trans community -- with more than a dozen portraits of real people included in the mural.
“I just feel like this is something I can do to be of service to my community,” he said. "[Trans people] still face higher rates of violence, poverty, suicide, [and] harassment."
The piece features interwoven drawings of people, flowers, sea life and more -- to convey Kenny's message that "we all have our own thing, but we also flow together."
“I wanted to make something that people who aren’t queer can appreciate because its just beautiful," he said. "But you know, on the other hand – queer people will feel like they’re being seen.”
Some of the national trans activists featured in the mural include Sylvia Rivera, Cristina Hayworth, and Elle Moxley.
You can learn more about Brian Kenny's artwork on his Twitter account.
WBZ's Drew Moholland (@DrewWBZ) reports.
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