Community is strong; it is powerful. Community, alongside many other factors in our lives, paints who we are as people. Community, good or bad, and whether we realize it or not, makes us who we are.

In the South, we are known for our close, tight-knit communities, where everyone truly knows everyone. We may not all sit out on our front porches and sip iced tea, as many stereotypes portray, but we do truly recognize the importance of having a strong community.

Art in partnership with the community plays an important role in our lives even if we do not always realize it. Everything around us is art. Our clothes, our homes, the device on which you are reading this story, were all made by artists of some kind, even if they do not carry the title of artist. Art connects us, just as our community connects us.

On August 12, 2025, the G.V. Barbee, Sr. Library on Oak Island hosted an event called Beats and Brushes, in partnership with the North Carolina Museum of Art and the Brunswick Arts Council. The event provided the community a chance to come together, to learn a little bit about the creative art process, and help paint a mural which will be hung in the library, all while enjoying the sounds of various genres of music being played by the Double Cherry Pie band at the event.

Earlier this year, the North Carolina Museum of Art received a grant to fund this mural project which included libraries from all across the state. When hearing the news of the mural project, Ms. Ekria Dosher, branch manager for the G.V. Barbee, Sr. Library said that she reached out to Ms. Missy Tripp Ronquillo, local artist and owner of the Pescado Y Amor Art Studio and Gallery on Oak Island for collaboration.

Ms. Dosher said that the inspiration for the mural was the theme of this year’s Summer Reading Program, “Color Our World.” She described how their goal was to incorporate that theme with additional aspects of our local community, such as the ocean. She said that this mural marked the official end to the Summer Reading Program.

Artist, Ms. Missy Tripp Ronquillo, described the inspiration as, “When you open a book, the world expands in your mind.” She described that the world was in the center of the painting. She expressed that she hoped everyone had a great time and learned to appreciate the process, not just the outcome. “From concept to sketching it out, it only took around five hours,” explained Ms. Tripp Ronquillo.

Courtney Klemens, a representative from the North Carolina Museum of Art, expressed a strong passion for art education and the feeling that anyone can create anything no matter what barriers someone faces. She said that she hopes that everyone left the event feeling like a true artist.

A concert inside the library and a mural painted by us, by the community. A mission fueled by creativity and a product unique to our library.  The collaboration of Pescado Y Amor, the North Carolina Museum of Art, the Brunswick Arts Council, and the G.V. Barbee, Sr. Library culminated in an event that was truly special to all those who participated.

As a community, we not only came together, we all became artists. This mural is for us and by us. It is truly a representation of the Colors of our Community.

Gallery • 4 Photos

Josie B., Gabriel H.

Photos from the Beats and Brushes event