Brazilian Artist Denise Rosa Reveals Her Re-Awakening Art at the Danbury Fair Mall Movable Mural Project

“Imagine a space where you have the freedom to express yourself, to explore your feelings and emotions, in a safe, judgment-free zone that embraces you for who you are.”

By Angela Barbosa

“Imagine a space where you have the freedom to express yourself, to explore your feelings and emotions, in a safe, judgment-free zone that embraces you for who you are.” It is with that vision that Aimee Jette, founder and CEO of Art in Common, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering communities to heal through the power of art, in collaboration with the Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut and the Danbury Fair Mall presented the Danbury Fair Mall Movable Mural Project.

The artwork of six area artists and their interpretation of “Re-emergence and Awakening” was revealed in the area near Lord & Taylor at the Danbury Fair Mall. 

“We felt Art in Common was perfectly aligned with our vision and so perfect for this project. Part of the reason for that is because this project is supposed to support artists, and Art in common already has a team of artists that they work with,” said Lisa Scails, Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut Executive Director.

Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut provides an opportunity for artists to be able to show their work, but according to Lisa, it’s more than just that: “We want to raise the visibility of the value of the arts in our community for our quality of life and for economic development.”   

On September 1, Denise Rosa, a contemporary Brazilian artist who proudly became a U.S. citizen in 2004, shared with the audience her own interpretation of reemerging and awakening after two years of the pandemic.

Denise graduated with a bachelor’s degree in painting from Western Connecticut State University. Ever since she was little, she was fascinated by cultural diversity and personality traits. As she grew up, she became involved with natural medicine, which inspired her to become a Licensed Massage Therapist. In the meantime, Denise was doing face-painting for children and performing at children’s events. For her, this was important, as she loved observing the needs of the human soul, regardless of age or culture.

Re-emerging Through Her Art 

She spoke about her canvas portrait of an afternoon at Rogers Park in Danbury. 

“Rogers Park is a very special place to me because it was the very first public place that I visited when I just came from Brazil in 1995. Every time I was homesick, I went to the park because there I could reconnect to my culture and my roots.

The park became a meeting point for my family and my friends on the weekends. It was like a backyard for us. 

In 2020, things changed; we were vulnerable and afraid and were forced to be isolated. Through painting in the park, I wanted to document and represent this phase of awakening. So I went to the park, and I started to observe. I met these three little sisters and this sweetheart couple. 

I also met lots of dads and daughters walking together. One of them was teaching his daughter to ride a bike.

Post-pandemic, people are slowly re-emerging, as is captured in the sketch on my painting. It embodies the spirit of re-awakened activities such as spending time with family and friends and capturing the impact of nature as a source of mental wellness.” 

“At this crucial time, we must ask: are we listening? How do we reconnect with ourselves, family, and community?  Where are you going, and more notably, where are we going together so no one is left behind?” concluded Aimee Jette.

To learn more about Denise Rosa’s artwork, you may contact her via Facebook at www.facebook.com/denise.r.izidorio. You can learn more about Art in Common at https://www.artincommon.org/, and the Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut at https://cawct.org/.