New Burlington Mural Unveiled at Water Resources Building

On a Wednesday in Burlington, eight young artists celebrated the unveiling of a mural they had spent four weeks painting, adding their work to the city’s permanent public art collection. The mural, titled Our Water, Our Future: A Story of Memory, Stewardship and Continuity, now covers the side of the Burlington Water Resources building at 235 Penny Lane, depicting the invisible journey of clean water from Lake Champlain through the city’s pipes and back again, WPTZ reported.

The project represents the second year of Burlington City Arts’ youth artist apprenticeship program, a paid four-week residency that pairs young people aged 16 to 21 with professional artists to create lasting works for the community, according to WAMC and Burlington City Arts. This year’s cohort worked alongside Juniper Creative Arts, learning the mechanics of Burlington’s water infrastructure—the pipes, pumps, sewers, and storm drains—before translating that knowledge into visual form.

From Pipes to Paintbrushes

The artists did not simply decorate a wall; they studied the systems that keep the city running.

Our Water, Our Future mural created by BCA Teaching Assistant Gloria Kigonya and artist apprentices Deborah Beynnon — Photo: wamc.org

For Navin Bywaters, one of the eight participating artists, the four weeks culminated in something tangible. “I think I’m just proud of the work that was put into it by me and the other people and I think it came out really good,” Bywaters said.

The full title of the piece—Our Water, Our Future: A Story of Memory, Stewardship and Continuity—reflects the dual focus of the apprenticeship: honoring the infrastructure that delivers clean water while acknowledging the responsibility of protecting Lake Champlain for those who come after. Colin Storrs, the public art and grants program manager for Burlington City Arts, called the unveiling “a wonderful day to celebrate how we can all come together into a great resource for the community.”

New mural unveiled exploring water systems in Burlington aiming to protect Lake Champlain

Investing in the Next Generation of Stewards

Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak framed the mural as an investment in human capital as much as in public art. “Whose creativity, curiosity, and hard work are now part of Burlington’s public art landscape,” she said. “This mural reflects what we can accomplish when we invest in our young people and work together to build a stronger and more connected community.”

“We are leaving this to a younger generation to become these stewards and to take this on to ensure the future of our water systems. That they don’t run dry, that they don’t disappear.” — Jennifer Condry, co-founder of Juniper Creative Arts

Burlington City Arts noted that the mural was funded in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement LC00A01141-1 to NEIWPCC in partnership with the Lake Champlain Basin Program, linking the local artwork directly to regional watershed protection efforts.