June 2022
A traveling exhibit of the artwork used for the Diversity Over Division mural will be on display at four locations in the Fort Bend County library system this summer. The exhibit will be shown for one month at each of these locations:
Sienna Branch Library – June
Missouri City Branch Library – July
George Memorial Library in Richmond – August
Cinco Ranch Branch Library – September
The exhibit features the six colorful artworks that were used for the Diversity Over Division mural.
Conceptualized and created by Houston artist Reginald Adams, the Diversity Over Division mural was inspired by spoken-word poet Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton and her poem, “Growing Tomorrow in a Field of Today.”
Under the direction of Adams, six artists from Texas and around the world created works inspired by Mouton’s spoken-word poem. The artists -- Ami Mehta, Samson Adenugba, Laura Lopez Cano, Tony Paraná, Dandee Warhol, and Rhonda Radford Adams -- created their respective pieces to express their own interpretation of diversity, based on their individual cultural and personal backgrounds.
The six pieces were joined to form the mural, which is installed on the east windows of Brazos Hall at the University of Houston at Sugar Land, across from FBCL’s University Branch Library.
“I believe in the power of unity and collaboration, and this piece (the mural) represents our individual strengths coming together to create one community,” said Adams. “Fort Bend County is a microcosm of the world. The artists who created this mirror that.”
The Diversity Over Division mural is the culmination of a year-long initiative launched in August of 2020, celebrating the diversity of culture and perspectives in Fort Bend County.
The Diversity Over Division Initiative is a collaboration between the Fort Bend County Judge’s Office, Fort Bend County Libraries, and the University of Houston at Sugar Land.
To discover the inspiration behind the mural, enjoy Mouton’s performance of her spoken-word poem in the video at the top of the story.