Madison artist Sharon Kilfoy hadn’t anticipated a recent trip to Cambodia would inspire a new mural project back home. But after working with sixth graders there on an art workshop, she returned with a stack of student drawings that would eventually connect two communities — one in southeast Asia and the other in southern Wisconsin — through a shared piece of art.

This month, Kilfoy collaborated with a University of Wisconsin-Madison student artist to turn those drawings into a mural that will ultimately be installed and displayed at the school where it originated.

“I think in some ways, although this art is very particular to these students, and it’s very particular to where they live, it’s also universal,” Kilfoy said. “We all see the same moon, we see the same clouds.”

In late November, Kilfoy visited one of several schools built by Sarith Ou, a Cambodian educator who fled to Wisconsin in the 1970s to escape genocide. After conditions in the country stabilized, Ou began returning regularly.

His work on education reformation in the country, underscored in a UW-Madison graduate’s documentary project, led to the eventual establishment of seven schools, many supported by donors in Madison.

Ou has created a bridge between these two places, one that Kilfoy stepped into during her visit. She led a workshop with sixth grade students, asking them to reflect on what makes their school and community special. Working through a translator, she guided the class through the early stages of a mural project, encouraging them to think visually about their daily lives and values.

“We were communicating more concepts than words,” Kilfoy said. “I asked the students what unifies all of these things, and one boy raised his hand and said, ‘love.’”

Back in her hotel room that night, Kilfoy decided the students’ ideas deserved a mural. By the time she returned to Madison, she was already mapping out how to transform their drawings into a finished work of art. She floated the idea to the Developing Artists, Murals and Alliances program (formerly Dane Arts Mural Arts), which she helped found in 2014.

DAMA has created more than 40 murals across Dane County, appearing on school walls, churches, police stations, community centers and local businesses. The nonprofit’s mission centers on collaboration and creating public art that reflects shared values and experiences.

“To work on a piece of collective art, as an artist, you put your own vision to the back,” Kilfoy said. “What you do is serve as a conduit for the hopes and dreams and expression of the people that you’re working with.

“In a way, that’s what we’re all doing, serving as conduits of the hopes and dreams and expressions of this class of Cambodian kids.”

Public painting days

The organization hosted three public painting days in early April, inviting Madison residents to help bring the students’ vision to life at the DAMA Mural Shop on Allis Avenue. The events allowed community members to take part in the project, reinforcing the idea that the mural belongs to more than one place.

Participants painted individual components of the mural, which are being adhered to interfacing fabric with gesso, allowing the finished piece to be rolled, transported and installed abroad.

“A place like Cambodia is very tropical, with lots of beautiful flowers. There’s lotus blossoms in the water, flowering trees, mango trees,” Kilfoy said. “There’s so much lushness for people to paint that’s part of the Cambodian landscape.”

Once completed, the mural will be shipped to Cambodia and installed on an exterior wall at the school Kilfoy visited, returning the students’ ideas to them in a new form.

Kilfoy has previously partnered with UW–Madison students through a service learning in art course taught by Angela Johnson that connects students with community-based projects. The mural’s lead artist, Rin Ma, is a current student in the class and developed the design based on the original drawings.