"Join Hands" - Mural by Laurel Burch

Laurel Burch

I didn’t have the honor of meeting her when she was molding and sculpting and writing her masterpieces. I only know that, despite her early diagnosis of a rare bone disease, her loving heartstrings grew stronger than any violin or guitar string could ever be and became the essence of the spirit that embodies her continuing wish to see humanity live in peace among nature and with each other. Throughout the years, despite fighting a battle against a disease that continues to claim parts of her physical being, Laurel moves forward in what I will call her own archeological personal journey and creates sparkles of joy and happiness for the world to enjoy from her bed and her wheelchair. She began by visiting cultures and countries that led her to creating works that reflect the warmth and love that she gives freely from the depths of her soul. Everywhere she traveled yielded a mutual love story.

Laurel joins Art Miles Mural Project in Egypt

And that is how I finally “met” Laurel in the flesh. During the Balkan conflict, I worked with the Widows of Srebrenica (widows of 10,000 missing men and boys who became victims of genocide). Hours, days, weeks and months passed where I was surrounded by grieving desolate women, praying and wishing for the return of their fathers, brothers and sons. At times I would have to run away and go home just to reassure myself that, outside the remnants of war and burnt out buildings and homes with roofs blown away by bombs, a world of color and joy still existed. Through the tears of the widows and women, I had to find a way to renew my own strength if I were ever to be able to find ways to help them get on with their lives. It was during those visits home that I would buy armfuls of Laurel’s scarves, greeting cards, bags--anything that would bring joy to the widows and their children. And it worked. The women began to look forward to receiving these messages and colors of kindred spirits. When I returned I wrote to Laurel to share my story and to thank her for pulling the widows through their darkest and most dreary moments; and that her work often brought a smile, or a flicker of a smile, to the eyes of these courageous women, who eventually had to face the truth about the disappearance of their men. Those fleeting moments, were worth it all to me and I told Laurel about them.

Laurel's Beautiful Scarves

Laurel in hospital

Throughout the years, as the Art Miles Mural Project has grown and literally exploded, I have remained in contact with Laurel, where I would often line up among her other thousands of fans during openings and signings. And in her wheelchair and from her bed she continued to produce more and more work, almost in a frenzied state of being, and managed somehow to give more and more of the remainder of her physical presence by teaching in special needs schools, helping raise money for them, and writing and developing a whole new language for illiterate pregnant women. She went on to develop projects from which the UN could model--and all despite living with excruciating pain, as she does to this very day.

When I get an email from her, I am humbled that she even has the time to think of me or our project and I find myself visualizing her, as did the Widows of Srebrenica, her blue eyes sparkling, her throat encircled with her own designs, and a smile on her face, disguising her pain, always sharing the love in her soul and her hopes for peace and love.