The Art Wall at the Barn at Boyds Mills
Starting in 2018, we began installing an annual art exhibit on the wall at the Barn. Art from the featured artist or book goes up in the spring and remains for the entire year, meaning that all who visit us for on-campus retreats are able to enjoy it. Here’s a recap of all of our Art Walls!
2026 Art Wall: WOODS & WORDS: THE STORY OF POET MARY OLIVER
For author Sara Holly Ackerman, the journey of WOODS & WORDS is deeply intertwined with Boyds Mills. After attending our Summer Camp in 2024, Sara worked closely with faculty member Rob Sanders to refine the manuscript. Their mentorship continued beyond campus, embodying the spirit of creative community we strive to build. As Sara noted in the book’s dedication, without the mentorship and support found at Boyds Mills, this book would not be here today.
Visit this page to see photos and read more about the 2026 Art Wall.
2024 Art Wall: POWWOW DAY
Our 2024 Art Wall installation features story and art from POWWOW DAY, written by Traci Sorell, iIllustrated by Madelyn Goodnight, and published by Charlesbridge.
From Scholarship to Workshop to Book
In 2017, Traci Sorell received a scholarship to attend the Novels in Verse workshop at Boyds Mills. While attending that workshop, Traci also made some breakthroughs on a picture book manuscript she’d been drafting. (Read more about that journey here.) That book, POWWOW DAY, was published on February 8, 2022. That day also happened to be the day before Traci’s 50th birthday and she gave a generous donation towards funding the Native Creatives Scholarship.
“POWWOW DAY wouldn’t be in the world if I hadn’t gone to where the magic happened in Cabin 7!” —Traci Sorell
2023 Art Wall: IN MY MOSQUE
Our 2023 Art Wall Installation features the art and story from IN MY MOSQUE, a picture book authored by M.O. Yuksel and illustrated by Hatem Aly. The two were happy to see their work featured at Boyds Mills, as the organization has played a big part in their lives as writers and artists.
Yuksel first came to Boyds Mills in 2017 as a scholarship recipient. She’s taken several courses on writing for kids since, which she credits among the key forces in the development of IN MY MOSQUE.She was also on the program committee for the Muslim Storytellers Fellowship.
Aly joined the Muslim Storytellers Fellowship as a mentor in 2021, and has worked closely with Yuksel and other participants on the program’s initiatives since. They’ve built a strong cohort of Muslim storytellers within Boyds Mills community, which will continue on via the additional funded programming and other opportunities.
2022 Art Wall: UNSPEAKABLE
Our 2022 Art Wall Installation features UNSPEAKABLE, written by Carole Boston Weatherford with illustrations by Floyd Cooper. The book provides a powerful look at the Tulsa Race Massacre, one of the worse incidents of racial violence in our nations history, and traces the history of African Americans in Tulsa’s Greenwood district and chronicles the devastation that occurred in 1921 when a white mob attacked the Black community.
Carole and Floyd are both long-time faculty members at Boyds Mills, and worked together on this powerful book, the last Floyd completed.
2021 Art Wall: AMERICA MY LOVE AMERICA MY HEART
Our 2021 Art Wall Installation features the book AMERICA MY LOVE AMERICA MY HEART, written and illustrated by Daria Peoples. Daria was a member of our first Diversity Fellowship, a mentee of Floyd Cooper, and is now one of our faculty members.
Watch our Gather interview with Daria Peoples and read more about the Art Wall.
2019 Art Wall: SING, DON’T CRY
Our 2019 Art Wall Installation features SING, DON’T CRY, written and illustrated by Angela Dominguez. Listen to an interview with Angela on our podcast: Finding Inspiration in Family Stories.
About the Book
From the School Library Journal review: In this semiautobiographical picture book, Dominguez honors the memory of her grandfather Apolinar, whose music and optimism had a great effect on her. Every year, Abuelo visits from Mexico, bringing his guitar and his joyful outlook. “He would tell us about his life, and if we were sad about something, he would say, ‘Sing, don’t cry. Because singing gladdens the heart.’” Abuelo advises that loss can open the door for new opportunities.
2018 Art Wall: A CHILD’S BOOK OF PRAYERS AND BLESSINGS
Our 2018 inaugural Art Wall Installation features A CHILD’S BOOK OF PRAYERS AND BLESSINGS: FROM FAITHS AND CULTURES AROUND THE WORLD, A Child’s Book of Prayers and Blessings: From Faiths and Cultures Around the World, with prayers compiled by Deloris Jordan and illustrated by Shadra Strickland. Shadra created nine spreads and 10 single-page illustrations using linocut, a unique hand-printed reduction linoleum printmaking technique.
“I focused on the things that connect us all: Things like nature, creativity, and celebrating our differences,” she said.
