Partnership & Grantee Highlights

The Good of the Hive Mural

A piece of an international pollinator mural art project has arrived in Vermont

09.30.2026
One Hive

Mural in progress. Photo credit: Leslie Spencer

We were thrilled to collaborate with Matt Willey this summer on a mural dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of pollinators. The mural is part of his ambitious global project, The Good of the Hive, where he is painting 50,000 honey bees—one for every bee in a healthy hive—on buildings and public spaces around the world.

Matt has painted pollinator murals at locations around the world, including the headquarters of Burt’s Bees, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, and the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. Now, Vermont has its own piece of this growing global art project with a large-scale installation painted directly on a silo and barn in New Haven.

 

In August, we gathered to celebrate the progress of the mural. Community members had the opportunity to meet the artist and view the mural in progress, all while enjoying live music, dancing by the silo, and delicious local food and drink.

Phase 1 of the mural is now finished, with Matt scheduled to return in spring 2027 for its completion. Before coming back to Vermont, Matt will be painting murals at Cornell University, a church in Charlotte, NC, and the town of Timaru on New Zealand’s South Island. You can stay up to date with Matt’s work here.

One Hive

Mural celebration on 8/22/2026. Photo credit: Leslie Spencer

One Hive

Mural celebration on 8/22/2026. Photo credit: Leslie Spencer

In August, we gathered to celebrate the progress of the mural. Community members had the opportunity to meet the artist and view the mural in progress, all while enjoying live music, dancing by the silo, and delicious local food and drink.

Phase 1 of the mural is now finished, with Matt scheduled to return in spring 2027 for its completion. Before coming back to Vermont, Matt will be painting murals at Cornell University, a church in Charlotte, NC, and the town of Timaru on New Zealand’s South Island. You can stay up to date with Matt’s work here.