Paint Night to Support Public Art—WFWP Billings, Montana

A very talented professional artist and muralist, Elyssa Leininger and 16 would-be painters gathered in the meeting room at the Montana Family Church on November 6, 2021. Elyssa Leininger has turned "graffiti galleries," in the city of Billings, Montana to the “Gateways to the Yellowstone River.” To see her work, which WFWP Montana supported, to help beautify the city please check out this previous article.

 On our paint night, Elyssa came in support of the Women's Federation for World Peace, and taught her “students” from ages 20 to 90 to paint a mountain lake at sunset. Everyone had a great time, chatted happily and painted some amazing works of art!  The donations received will benefit Elyssa’s ongoing public artworks as well as service projects and outreach for WFWP in Billing..

 There’s a quote that touches on the contributions Elyssa has made to public art in Billings. “Paying for public art is not an expense. It is an investment in the future...  It’s an investment in place making—measured by livability and quality of life—that also engenders community pride.” (Amherst, Massachusetts Public Art Commission). 

 In 2020 and 2021, the South Side Neighborhood Task Force has gotten Space2Place grants to help support Elyssa’s murals. I’m grateful for this hard working and devoted young, professional, wildlife artist and friend who is healing people through color psychology and with her God-given abilities in creating beautiful, uplifting works of art. Elyssa and her family continue to beautify Billings. Thank you, Elyssa!!

 And thank you to each person who came to paint. You are all great painters in my book!