Haywood Street Congregation gathers the best assets of the Asheville, North Carolina community to provide support for mentally ill, addicted, and unhoused adults. The organization’s mission and ministry are wide ranging and innovative, knit together around the theme of Holy Chaos. In 2019, Haywood Street embarked on a signature project that would bring more visitors to their sanctuary to experience the congregation firsthand. More awareness will bring much needed financial support, allowing the community to realize more of its mission.

Specifically, the fresco is “Affirming sacred worth, restoring human dignity, and sabotaging the shame of poverty, the Haywood Street Fresco announces, in plaster and pigment, that you matter.” This vision draws on a tradition of traditional fresco painting as perpetuated by formally trained artists living and working in Western North Carolina. The fresco, located within the sanctuary at the Haywood Street Congregation, is now a stop on the Blue Ridge Fresco Trail as well as the Asheville Mural Trail.

Using Philanthrosphere®, Heurista worked with the fresco planning committee to provide a virtual tour with media rich stories, multiple displays, and interconnected content. Now anyone can explore the fresco themes, models, artists, and donors in context with the larger Haywood congregation mission and ministry. The presentation is a virtual tour and is presented in the welcome center, providing interpretation for visitors. In addition to explaining the fresco, the portal provides recognition for those who have provided support for the project and encourages additional giving. The platform will grow with the project, serving as an archive of the design, creation, and evolution of the Haywood Street Fresco.

Click here to experience the tour for yourself and then plan your visit to the Haywood Street Congregation!