Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation - A Tale of Seven Murals

Seven hand-painted murals have turned the construction fence at our future Seattle headquarters at 500 Fifth Avenue North into public artwork. The murals tell a story—and have a story of their own we would like to share.

Supported by a foundation grant, a Seattle job-training program for teenagers called Urban Artworks created the series of murals. The murals give the public insight into the foundation's global work to help the world's poorest people—from a rural farmer in the field to a child receiving a vaccine.

Look closely at the painter on the ladder in the mural "Youth" (above). The life-like figure is a whimsical trick of the eye—and also an inspired way to connect our local roots and global mission. The waves connect the Seattle painter's hand to lively faces of young people over the seas.

The story behind the murals

Art is a means to an end at Urban Artworks. Teens come to perform 12 weeks of court-ordered community service, and they leave with skills they will need to hold down a job. Working on teams led by a professional artist, they learn timeliness, cooperation, reliability, perseverance, and respect for peers and mentors.

"The teenagers we work with have had minor brushes with the law," says program coordinator Kathleen Warren. "It's such an important time to turn kids in another direction."

The combination of making art and strengthening job skills works well. Only 6 percent of Urban Artworks teens turn up again in King County's juvenile court.