When Art Can Change the World
By Kelly MacConomy
ALEXANDRIA,VA- At the 1972 meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, MIT meteorology professor Edward Lorenz posed a question: “Does the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas?” Popular culture embraced this conflating a theoretical principle—chaos theory—with butterflies in Brazil causing wind in the U.S. It spread like wildfire.
The crux of the theory is that small variations in existing conditions can subvert expected outcomes, with often widely unpredictable results. In Alexandria, 2019 brought unexpected changes to City Council, and a dynamic young woman, Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, serving as Vice Mayor. Bennett-Parker spearheaded the effort to bring the The Butterfly Effect mural project to Port City.
The Butterfly Effect & Social Butterflies
The Butterfly Effect is a global public art and philanthropy project that was founded in 2013 by California-based artist Tasha Wahl. The project’s website (butterflyeffectbethechange.com) says “The Butterfly Effect is an underground movement redefining philanthropy…by providing individuals the opportunity to give to a cause close to their heart.”
The Social Butterfly giving campaign pairs charitable causes and social media photo opportunities with the intent that philanthropy on the smallest level inspires contagious generosity, like a ripple in a pond or a domino effect. A lot of less is more.
Bennett-Parker first learned of the project on Instagram. “The Butterfly Effect Project highlights the opportunity for everyone to embody the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi,” she says, “becoming the change they want to see in the world by facilitating small acts of kindness, encouraging generosity and promoting creativity.
“The Butterfly Mural will build community, promote vibrancy on Upper King Street and spotlight nonprofits in a fun, interactive way,” she adds. Through September 8, visitors will be able to take a picture within the butterfly and select a charity of their choice (from a list of more than 250) to receive a donation, with funding provided by Ms. Wahl and ACT for Alexandria. The Butterfly Effect believes that we can be the change we want to see in the world by facilitating small acts of kindness, encouraging generosity, and promoting creativity.
Bringing the butterfly to life
Starting at 8:00 a.m. on a steamy day late in June, dozens of die-hard volunteers joined the Vice Mayor to piece together the intricate stencil that would guide painting of the mural later that day and the next to be ready for the fundraising kickoff. The butterfly pattern was provided by Ms. Wahl’s organization, customized for diverse Alexandria to include the pay-it-forward motto in Spanish and Arabic.
Bennett-Parker was joined, brushes in hand, by ACT President Heather Peeler and Tamsin Green, chair of the Alexandria Commission on the Arts. Mayor Justin Wilson, dressed in teal, happened to match the butterfly. Painters from Del Ray Artisans joined in and even members of The Zebra Press colored inside the lines on the Bloomers store wall situated along the South Patrick side at King Street.
