Will Kasso Condry
Originally from Trenton, New Jersey, Will Kasso Condry is a renowned visual artist, graffiti scholar, and educator. As founder and executive director of SAGE Coalition, a community arts nonprofit organization dedicated to organizing and implementing inner-city beautification projects, Will worked for many years with young people in blighted communities to broaden their perspectives on the role the arts can play in expanding and enriching lives. In 2015, he received the Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for Service to the Community.
Since relocating to Vermont, Will has taught at Middlebury College, as well as at the K–12 levels. He has served as the artist in residence at several higher-education institutions, including the University of Vermont, Princeton University, and Middlebury College. In 2022, Will was awarded the inaugural Vermont Prize, which “celebrates and supports the best visual art being made in Vermont today.” Will’s murals and illustrations have been commissioned by the Alchemist Brewery, Ben & Jerry’s, Fast Company, Firmenich, MetLiveArts, Metropolis Ensemble, Upper Pass Beer, and more. He is currently on the Board of Trustees for the Vermont Arts Council.
Will is cofounder of Juniper Creative Arts, a Vermont-based family collective built on a strong foundation of collabora- tion and creativity. They have a purpose-driven practice of creating art at the intersection of spirituality, nature, identity, community, and hip-hop culture. Their mural initiatives focus on creative placemaking to foster commu- nity building, sense of belonging, and the celebration of African diasporic culture, igniting conversations to bring about social change.
Project 270 - Vermont
At the time, we were reeling from the murder of George Floyd, nationwide uprisings, racial reckoning, and we hit a peak of awareness and influence of the Black Lives Matter movement. I created an image to reflect the active galvanizing for collective Black liberation that was taking place at the time. ‘Lady Liberation’ is my reinterpretation of Lady Justice through an Afro-futuristic lens. I wanted to bring this symbol back into our consciousness as we understand her to be the ancient Kemetic being Ma’at, the true symbol of Justice, Truth, Balance, Harmony, and Order.