Since settling in Brandon in 2018, muralists Jennifer Herrera Condry, Will Kasso Condry, and Alexa Herrera Condry of Juniper Creative Arts have helped communities across Vermont transform blank walls into vibrant works of public art. On June 5, 2026, students at Neshobe School unveiled the artists' first collaborative public art project in their hometown: a mural created with the help of students, staff, and community members over the past two months.

Following an energetic countdown from the student body, members of Neshobe's student council pulled down a large sheet of brown paper to reveal a strikingly colorful mural featuring two large bees surrounded by butterflies and flowers, in a Vermont-inspired landscape of mountains and water with a school bus in the background.

From Idea to Artwork

The project began with a brainstorming session between the artists and the student council. Students chose bees — the Neshobe mascot — as the central theme. 

The artists then spent much of a week working with Neshobe art classes, where students created collaborative paintings on pieces of canvas that were later tied into the mural. 

Sixth grader Sam Disorda shared, “During art, my group was given orange, white, and yellow paint. We painted shapes on an already orange canvas piece. The canvas cloth that we used was cut up into the right shapes and put into the sky.”

Community members contributed leaves, stars, flower centers, and pollen elements during a public paint day, and Neshobe faculty and staff painted hexagons that became part of the bees' wings.

Jennifer Herrera Condry said students' work can be seen in the mural's underpainting and textures. Alexa Herrera Condry painted additional patterns to tie the pieces together.  

Although the mural developed gradually over several months, Kasso Condry's final work brought the many elements together in the days before the unveiling, creating surprises even for those who had been watching the mural take shape.

Originally, the artists planned to paint the mural indoors. Since spring weather improved just in time, however, they moved the project outside so students and community members could watch the process unfold.

"How often does someone get to see a mural get completed from start to finish?" Kasso Condry said.

Building a Community Mural

The community-centered approach is central to Juniper Creative Arts' work, particularly in schools. The process used at Neshobe reflects the model the group uses for its community murals across the state.

Jennifer Herrera Condry said the approach evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic, when artists often could not work directly with large groups of students.

"We asked ourselves, how do we get people painting with us on a mural where everyone's not clustered together?" she said. "This process we came up with also allowed us to reach more kids."

In this project, the artists explored with students the idea that just as they were building upon one another’s work as they painted, bees work together cooperatively, even using dances to share information about where resources can be found.

Herrera Condry explained that the sixth graders laid the foundation for the mural, with students in lower grades building on their work. The approach, she said, reflected the cooperative nature of a bee colony, where older bees help guide younger members of the hive.

Fourth grader Ellie Disorda summed it up simply: "This project is about trying to bring our school together and make the community more colorful and beautiful."

For Kasso Condry, the project reflected the energy of the Neshobe community.

"This is a lively community here," he said. "Everybody approached the project with a high level of excitement, so putting it together you have to figure out how to balance and match that youthful energy."

 He said community mural projects require artists to adapt to ideas generated by participants.

"We come into these projects blind — they come up with the concept, and we're challenged with representing that and giving it the balance so that there's equal representation of their work and ours."

The result, he said, was "a collaboration all the way through."

A Lasting Connection

Neshobe art teacher John Brodowski thanked the Vermont Arts Council and the Vermont Community Foundation for supporting the project and expressed hope that the mural will have a lasting impact on the school community.

"I hope the mural, even years from now, will make people smile when they look at it," Brodowski said. "The project, and the finished mural, represents the energy, sense of welcoming, and joy that our school can provide for the community."

Brodowski also emphasized the relationships formed between the artists and Neshobe students, staff, families, and community members throughout the process.

"We had so much fun working with them and are grateful for the experience," he said.     

The unveiling also included a full-circle moment. Assistant Principal Shauna Lee shared that she had taught muralist Alexa Herrera Condry when she was a student about 20 years ago, underscoring the deep connections among many in the Brandon community.

As the crowd dispersed following the unveiling, the mural assumed its new role as a permanent part of the school. For Juniper Creative Arts, the project marked a homecoming of sorts, bringing their collaborative approach to a community they have called home since 2018. And if the response to the mural is any indication, many in Brandon would welcome seeing more community stories brought to life on walls throughout the town.