Last week, second year grad Chloe Smith participated in Mile 46 Art For Change Phase 5, a mural arts initiative based in Kajaido, Kenya. Chloe joined 30 other African and international artists for a week-long residency in the Maasai village of Mile 46, adding colorful murals and signage to the metal structures of area homes and businesses. The initiative began in 2021 and has recurred annually as an effort to amplify the community’s needs and jumpstart economic interest in Mile 46, an area suffering from the effects of climate change which has disrupted the Maasai people’s pastoral way of life. Throughout the week, paid local volunteers assisted with the painting, and children engaged with the artists while they worked, while both artists and locals participated in meaningful cultural exchange, fostering understanding and care across geographic and cultural lines. Chloe also brought along paintings inspired by her first experience at Mile 46 in 2025 as gifts for fellow artists and project participants.
