Behind the Brush
As a high school student, Melissa Howard found her calling in art from drawings mountains and sunshine, to wood work and designs in charcoal. Now she painted murals, signs and gourds to share with others and showcase her gratitude and love of the world.
Yet, she never imagined that the tri-lingual sign she painted for Immanuel Mennonite Church in 2015 would end up being distributed around the world.
Howard was born in North Carolina, but her roots weren’t planted in the states. Her father worked as an air traffic controller. Before the age of seven, she and her five siblings lived in multiple countries including Libya, where she learned to ride a bike, and Japan, where she tried raw fish for the first time.
For Howard, being exposed to different cultures at such a young age felt natural. It allowed her to develop an appreciation for different people and their values. Howard believes everyone’s unique qualities are what make the world beautiful and interesting.
“We’re all individuals, and we all have something to give to each other,” Howard said.
After returning to the states, Howard and her family continued moving around before she made her way to Harrisonburg in 2002.
In 2009, after struggling with alcoholism for 32 years and an abusive relationship for four, she decided to save her own life by pledging to become sober and move forward by stripping the toxic people from her life.
“I won’t touch another drop again, and I won’t go with another person I don’t know,” Howard said. “I have just been alone since then, very happy with myself. I like me as a person, and I hope my next guy will like me too.”
She continued to surround herself with love and support at the Vine & Fig, a nonprofit community located in downtown Harrisonburg.
She first heard of the Vine & Fig in 2011 at a community center located just down the street. It was looking for gardeners, and Howard, who loves the outdoors, thought she would be a good fit. She now works full-time there, managing the finances, taking care of the pets and serving as the mother figure.
“They call me mom here because I take care of them,” Howard said. “And if they ever need anything I’m always here 24/7, seven days a week, 365 days a year.”
Howard spearheads the annual fundraiser for the Vine & Fig community. She worked with other volunteers at the Vine & Fig, make 125 cards, which are sent out to community members asking for donations. Each card has a different colorful, positive message on it and a handwritten note on the inside. The money raised goes toward upkeep of the building and paying the staff.
Creativity has been an important part of Howard’s life. She has used art as an expressive outlet and a way to move forward through her hardships and heartbreak, but it is also a way she expresses her love and gratitude toward others.
She has used art as an expressive outlet and a way to move forward through her hardships and heartbreak, but it is also a way she expresses her love and gratitude toward others.
In her free time, Howard paints signs and gourds with the intention of bringing smiles to people’s faces.
When she first started working at the Vine & Fig, she noticed how the building itself could use a little color and life to match the people inside of it. For two months, she worked on painting a mural on the back of the entire building. A vine and fig tree stretches from the ground to the top of the building with little details of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County in and around the tree thriving from it.
“I love beauty. I’ve been through a lot of bad things as a woman, and I go forward every day,” Howard said.
Attending church has been another way that has helped Howard move forward. She began attending Immanuel Mennonite Church four years ago. Now, Howard attends small group discussions once a month, serves as art director for the Christmas plays and paints signs that promote the church’s efforts.
Howard’s pastor, Matthew Bucher, needed help to spread his message of acceptance throughout the Harrisonburg community. Bucher knew of Howard’s love for people and passion for painting, and he was positive she could bring his unifying message to life: “No matter where you are from, we’re glad you are our neighbor.”
The original sign was painted in black and white. Howard wanted to keep the tone serious and simple, so people could focus on the message rather than the sign itself. She hopes when people read the words, they will realize that it is our differences that should bring us together.
“We’re all the same. Very different but the same in our hearts,” Howard said. “We all want peace and to just enjoy life. We have big obstacles in the way, and we just get through them.”