FTCC alumna Britney Deveault [Photo by Brad Losh]
Britney Deveault remembers when food pantries gave her family a helping hand.
Now the FTCC alumna is giving back, having used her talents to paint a mural on the FTCC Food Pantry door.
“This project meant a lot to me on many levels. Not only did I graduate from FTCC with an education that jump-started my career, I too have had to ask for help in a time of need,” she said. “My mother is a single parent of three who was doing the best she could when we were young. We often used the local food pantries as a means of survival. Toiletries, food, and sometimes clothing were provided by helping hands in the community.”
The mural was revealed in a ceremony Feb. 8 with FTCC faculty, staff, and administration in attendance, as well as representatives from the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County, which funded the project through a grant.
FTCC alumna Britney Deveault painted a mural on the Food Pantry door. FTCC Foundation funded the mural project with a grant from Fayetteville Arts Council. [Photo by Brad Losh]
Deveault, a 2021 graduate of FTCC’s Advertising and Graphic Design program, said it was an honor to “create a welcoming experience for those who need a hand.”
She chose bold, bright colors, incorporating foods and symbols of the collaboration that makes the Food Pantry work.
“I was inspired by the love put into this operation,” said Britney, who owns Deveault Design. “Right away, I knew that I wanted to include bright colored foods, hands that represent giving when you can and taking when you need to. I painted bow tie pasta, beans, and the suggestion of stacked goods. The quilted pattern represents a tight-knit community and one of the hands simply holding a heart for compassion. It was a pleasure working with FTCC Foundation and Fayetteville Arts Council to make it all happen.”
The mural is the latest improvement to the Food Pantry, which FTCC Foundation opened in November 2020 in response to rising food insecurity during the Covid-19.
The Food Pantry quickly outgrew its original space, moving to its current location behind the Horace Sisk Building to accommodate its expanding inventory of foods, toiletries and other necessities.
FTCC President Dr. J. Larry Keen called Deveault’s work “masterful.”
“You’ve got to have talent, you’ve got to have drive, but you’ve got to have caring as well,” Keen said. “That’s what’s represented here today.”
The FTCC Food Pantry door before the completion of Britney Deveault’s mural. [Photo by Natasha Brown]
Upon securing the Arts Council grant, the Foundation reached out to the FTCC faculty in the Advertising and Graphic Design department to find the perfect graduate to complete the project.
“This project is so special because we are brightening our Food Pantry with a beautiful work of art from an alum who herself has needed a helping hand,” said Sandy Ammons, Executive Director of FTCC Foundation. “We are so grateful to the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County for providing the funding for this project. The entire community will enjoy this project for many years.”
To learn more about FTCC Foundation, the Food Pantry and how to donate, visit faytechcc.edu/giving.
More information about FTCC’s Advertising and Graphic Design program can be found on the department’s page.
