Blind and visually impaired youth to create floating public art on March 7 for the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool as part of America's 250th anniversary celebration
LOS ANGELES - March 5, 2026 - Portraits of Hope , the world-renowned creator of large-scale civic and public art projects, will host a special community painting event at the Braille Institute in Downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, March 7. Middle school peers and volunteers will join students who are blind and visually impaired to hand-paint elements of a monumental floating art installation destined for the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on the National Mall titled "America Shines on the National Mall," a historic art installation celebrating America's 250th anniversary and the country's next generation of leaders, in partnership with Freedom 250.
The event is part of a sweeping six-month national initiative that merges public art with civic education, creative therapy, and community building for children and adults. The initiative will see 20,000 children from schools, hospitals, and social service programs across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and tribal territories hand-painting approximately 3,000 interconnected floating blocks and pillars that illuminate from within, representing America's children as shining lights. The floating elements will be presented alongside mobile land displays that show how the art was made and showcase students' hopes for contributing to the future of the country. The project will be on display during a four-week exhibition on the Reflecting Pool later this year.
At the Braille Institute, Portraits of Hope will use specialized adaptive paintbrushes and textured paints that were developed to accommodate all participants' needs. Local students will collaborate alongside the Braille Institute children, reflecting the program's broader mission of community building and civic engagement.
"How great that in this 250th year, thousands of children and adults across the country will have an opportunity to be part of such a unifying experience and magnificent artwork that will be seen by millions later this Fall, right between the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument," said Ed Massey, Co-Founder of Portraits of Hope. "It doesn't get better than that!"
Founded by brothers Ed Massey and Bernie Massey, Portraits of Hope has engaged tens of thousands of children and adults across the United States and abroad over three decades, partnering with more than 1,000 hospitals, schools, and social service programs. Past civic art collaborations have included projects with NASA, NASCAR, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and the Special Olympics, using art to transform iconic objects ranging from the NYC taxi fleet and LA's coastal lifeguard towers to NASCAR race cars and frontline fire and rescue vehicles.
The "America Shines on The National Mall" initiative is presented in partnership with Freedom 250 and made possible by civic-spirited industry leaders, including PLASKOLITE, PALZIV N.A., IMAGE OPTIONS, COOLEY GROUP, ARUP, 3M, NOVA COLOR, EFI, SOUTH BAY GALLERIA, VUTEK, and HHLA, many with large workforces of military veterans providing goods and services on behalf of the project.
About Portraits of Hope
Portraits of Hope conceives and develops high-profile motivational art projects that merge the production of dynamic public artworks with creative therapy for hospitalized children and civic education for people of all ages. Founded by brothers Ed Massey and Bernie Massey, the organization has engaged tens of thousands of participants in collaborations across the U.S. and abroad, involving more than 1,000 hospitals, schools, and social service programs. Special brushes and methodologies have been developed for children and adults with illnesses and physical disabilities. For more information, visit www.portraitsofhope.org .
