something good

Fort Worth café unveils mural to celebrate its inclusive mission

The mural called "Come to Gather" is believed to be the first in Fort Worth to include ASL

NBC Universal, Inc.

A café and catering business in Fort Worth did something good to invite more guests to come gather for a meal.

Carpenter's Café and Catering unveiled a mural that tells a story of family history and a message of inclusion. The mural shows the word "gather" spelled out in American Sign Language.

"It signs the word gather, right? Because that's what it's all about. Like our space is about gathering people together and sharing a meal and congregating," Katrina Carpenter told NBC5. "Our space is a space that has been known to gather people from all over the city. No matter what race, no matter what background you are. And, this mural exemplifies that."

"All the hands that are portrayed in here, people from her journey and then also just portray as much inclusiveness as possible. And so really, the thought became, 'What if we are using American Sign Language to help tell the story?'," said artist Jan Riggins.

Riggins' work was funded with a grant from the artist-run nonprofit Art Tooth. The mural took her two years from concept to completion.

Carpenter says the result is the first mural in Fort Worth to include ASL. She invites everyone to go see it and take pictures or stop by the café at 1116 Pennsylvania Ave. Tuesday through Friday, 7am - 3pm. to come to gather and grab a bite to eat.

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