Binghamton Mural Brings Clean Energy Hope to Community

A vibrant new mural in downtown Binghamton is doing something most public art doesn't: connecting people who need help most to affordable energy solutions that can change their lives.

Artist Mia Hause and 24 community members unveiled "Planting Seeds of Change" Thursday on the wall of Truth Pharm, a community organization supporting people struggling with substance abuse. The mural bursts with native plants and human figures symbolizing sustainable living and multigenerational support.

But this isn't just pretty paint. The artwork connects residents in this disadvantaged neighborhood to practical resources like lower utility bills, affordable home energy upgrades, community solar programs, and pathways into clean energy careers.

"Clean energy can save residents money, make homes more comfortable and healthier, and provide good family-sustaining jobs for people in the region," said Karim Beers, director of Cornell Cooperative Extension's Smart Energy Choices Program.

Truth Pharm serves many unhoused, low-income, disabled, and BIPOC individuals. Hause said creating something beautiful for this community mattered deeply to her.

"It's really important to Truth Pharm and to me as an artist to provide that community with a joyful and uplifting and welcoming space because they deserve it," Hause said.

The Ripple Effect

This mural is one of nearly 20 spreading across New York's Southern Tier as part of the Thriving Futures Mural Initiative. Cornell Cooperative Extension partnered with Ithaca Murals and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to use public art as conversation starters about climate solutions.

The genius is in the approach: instead of lectures about environmental policy, colorful murals spark natural conversations about building a future where people and nature thrive together. Each artwork becomes a landmark, a meeting spot, and a daily reminder that change is already happening.

For the 24 people who helped paint this mural, they didn't just create art. They planted actual seeds of change in their own neighborhood.