Trust Building/s: Art That Begins With Listening
Empatía is part of Trust Building/s, a four-part mural series created by artists Alfonso Pérez Acosta and Noah Scalin, in collaboration with Mending Walls RVA.
This series has been years in the making.
Back in 2020, Alfonso and Noah collaborated on Together We Rise — a mural created during a moment of deep grief and reckoning following the murder of George Floyd. That wall sparked important conversations across our city and continues to be one of the most visited Mending Walls murals.
Trust Building/s builds on that history, but asks a quieter question — one that lives a little closer to the heart:
What does it really take to build trust?
The Foundations We Keep Coming Back To
Trust Building/s unfolds across Richmond through four murals, each centered on a foundational element of trust:
Consistency
Reliability
Honesty
Empathy
Each mural is inspired by real conversations between real people — people who may not agree on everything, but are willing to listen, stay curious, and remain in the room together.
Empatía holds space for that choice.
Where Conversation Meets the Wall
The Conversation Behind This Wall
At the heart of Empatía is the conversation between Alfonso Pérez Acosta and Wayne Dementi, the portrait subjects of this wall.
During our celebration, Alfonso and Wayne shared about their first conversation — the honesty, the listening, and the moments that shaped the spirit of Empatía. Their exchange became a source of inspiration for the mural, grounding the artwork in lived experience and real connection.
This mural also marks a meaningful milestone: Alfonso is the first Colombian to be featured in a Richmond mural 🇨🇴 — a moment worth pausing to honor and celebrate.
Empatía Lives Beyond the Paint
Empathy asks something of us.
It asks us to slow down.
To listen without planning our response.
To stay open, even when it’s uncomfortable.
During the mural celebration, those values were easy to see. People lingered. Conversations unfolded. Painted rocks — each one a small expression of empathy — found their place along the wall.
Empatía doesn’t tell you what to think.
It simply invites you to pause.
Gratitude, Always
We’re so grateful to Leah and Jeremy for gifting this beautiful wall — a generous act that made Empatía possible.
And a heartfelt thank you to Jim and Frazier from One Small Step for leading conversations rooted in empathy and connection. Their guidance helped ground this celebration in exactly what this mural represents.
This work is stronger because of community. Because of people willing to show up with care.
Carrying This Forward
Empatía doesn’t stop here.
It carries into classrooms.
Into conversations at home.
Into moments where we choose curiosity over assumption.
This mural is a reminder that empathy isn’t passive — it’s a practice. One we return to again and again.
If this wall made you pause, reflect, or feel seen, we hope you’ll carry that feeling forward.
That’s how trust is built.
One conversation at a time. 💛
Alfonso Pérez Acosta
A Colombian artist living and working in Richmond, Virginia, Alfonso brings a unique blend of art and education to everything he does. With a background in Fine Arts and a Master’s in Education, his work often explores the intersection of community engagement, contemporary drawing, and healing practices. Alfonso’s notable projects include the Settling Tables installation at VMHC, the Together We Rise mural for Mending Walls, and founding the Casa Lápiz Art Program for middle schoolers at the Sacred Heart Center. Recent exhibitions like Lengua Twister at Art180 and Healing Circles at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden highlight his continued dedication to fostering connection and creativity.
Noah Scalin
Noah is a Richmond-based artist known worldwide for his boundary-pushing work. He first gained recognition through his Webby Award-winning Skull-A-Day project and the imaginative League of Space Pirates universe. His art has been featured everywhere—from Times Square to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts to the pages of Fast Company and The New York Times. Noah’s work has been commissioned by major brands like Old Navy, Capital One, and The Martin Agency. Beyond his exhibitions and installations, he’s the founder of Another Limited Rebellion, an art & innovation consulting firm he co-runs with his sister, and serves as an influential voice on creativity, having held artist-in-residence roles at VCU and Old Dominion University.
