Artist: Lacey Hennessey
Hearts for RMHCC
GJ: How were you contacted to create this piece?
LH: I have worked with Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Carolinas as a friend of the house, donating my time, treasure and talents throughout the year. This mural is located on the second floor, directly outside of their community room, a space that is available to the public and passed by guests staying at the house every day. To help raise funds for the house and promote the community room, I donated a small mural for their annual gala’s live auction, which began the conversation to execute this painted view of downtown Greenville.
GJ: What is the inspiration for this piece?
LH: RMHCC works hard to make families feel welcome and provide them with the resources they need while caring for their sick children. Many families travel from out of town, and RMHCC acts as their home away from home. We wanted to portray a scene from downtown Greenville, taking ownership of our wonderful community, which also lends itself as a beautiful backdrop for groups who rent the communal space. Among the mural are 10 hidden hearts that kids staying at the house can find as part of a scavenger hunt. When they find them all, they fill out on a worksheet and turn it in for a prize.
GJ: What type of paint did you use to create the mural?
LH: For this project, I used high-quality Behr Marquee interior paints with additional acrylics.
GJ: How long did it take to create? What was the creation process like?
LH: This 15-foot by 10-foot mural took roughly 25 hours to complete over the course of three days. I almost wished it was longer. The staff at RHMCC was incredible and so much fun to be around. On top of that, being able to interact with families and hear firsthand the impact the house was making on the lives was extremely rewarding.
GJ: What is your favorite part of the piece and why?
LH: Second to the 10 hidden hearts in the painting, I love the individual street signs. We incorporated keywords that are significant to RHMCC and Greenville into the design, such as hope, courage, Reedy’s and 864.
GJ: When was it completed?
LH: February 2020
Located inside of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Carolinas, 706 Grove Road in Greenville.
