"THRIVE"

A cityscape emerges in the background, divided by a brick wall covered with a mix of advertising and mission-driven themes. Look closely and you'll find hands joining together around the Capitol (1), connoting unity between the Foundation, its constituents, and the community itself. The monument to its left continues this theme of helping hands—columns become fingers (2) where the nails double as a string of lights, drawing your eye down to an outdoor balcony (3). This layers the idea of life within the city while nodding to the family's foothold in hospitality.

Moving down onto the wall, graffiti (4) speaks to urban life with a supporting theme of food security. Additionally, "Thrive" (5) was the central word that emanated from the staff when asked which single word best represented the foundation's purpose. This word also became inspiration for the title of the piece itself. On the left appears a faded advertisement showcasing diversity (6)—a nod to DC's community and the Foundation's commitment to work with and support all sectors. Within the image, the words "People First" echo the founder's mission to put people first, a theme that has been embodied throughout the family's work and missions.

(7) The "Eat" sign playfully references local business and food supply themes in general. Hidden treasure: what appears to be a "W"(8) —perhaps the artist's initial or a community member's mark—is actually the lesser-known literal "M" brand used by the family on their farm in Virginia.

To the right of the wall grow Black-Eyed Susans (9), Maryland's state flower. The foreground layers cityscape with food garden, demonstrating growth and nurturing of both nature and potential. At the foot of the panel, representational vegetables (10) root within the ground, footprints (11) of the community traverse the sidewalk, and a hidden logo (12) is embedded on a brick—recognizing a partner constituent whose contribution has directly supported efforts to offset food inequality and poverty in support of the community.

The overall theme of this panel incorporates housing and community. A row of homes, including multi-unit dwellings, is central. From the left, the brick house is imprinted at the top with the emblem of a beehive (13). This emblem signifies both the Mormon church (the family's deep-rooted faith) and represents Utah's motto, "The Beehive State." Note the church (14) visible in the background to the left of the house.

Within the lower right window is a silhouette of a couple holding hands (15) —a tribute to the founders of the Marriott brand and Foundation: J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott. A symbolic light shines from under the window (16) down onto the ground below, showcasing how their work has impacted and enhanced the community.

To the right, a two-sided bench (17) is symbolic of the "Friendship Bench" program facilitating interaction between elders and their community—while also beckoning viewers to spend time and reflect.  The people on the bench look toward children enjoying recreation in the park (18). These themes of growth and activity within the community continue with the appearance of a bicycle and forgotten ball (19) in the yard. 

(20 - DC Flag) .

Stepping stones—a virtual path of life—bring us forward through the depiction of once-marshy land transformed by infrastructure. To the left, viewers may glimpse underground pipes relating to the flowers above. (21) To the right, textures of history appear in a field of clover (22). The grass leads us forward into a garden where the American Beauty Rose (official flower of Washington DC) and purple lilacs (state flower of New Hampshire) grow (23).

As you come forward along the path, pause for a game of hopscotch (24), symbolic of youth and the stepping stones of education. In the foreground, shadows of onlookers enter the space—one carrying a fishing pole (25). To the right, the river terminates into a local reservoir with fish (26), speaking not only to the rich offerings of DC's waterways but also bringing forward the proverb "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." Throughout their efforts, the Foundation seeks to not only finance advancement, but to use their funding to educate and support sustainable growth of the community and its population.

Finally, in the foreground on right, five hands join within the negative space of the flowers to form a unity circle (27)—a motif that punctuates the Foundation's work and mirrors its impact on the growth and unification of the community.

The final panel extends the family and foundation from the local community to its reach beyond. The tree itself is a central figure representative of life, family, and money (28). From the top left, a ray of light casts a rainbow of color across the foliage, drawing the viewer to a single leaf. Showcased within is an eye (29) borrowed from currency, evoking the family's watchful stewardship (30). The foliage from top to center showcases varied leaves and seasons, representing the passage of time and cyclical growth.

As the viewer follows the horizon, on the left a bridge over the waterway (31) symbolizes local infrastructure. This bridge is a borrowed symbol of the "Bridges from School to Work" program—established by the Marriott family to support youth with disabilities in getting jobs.

Below the bridge are geographic coordinates (32) and a blue silhouette (33), indicators of the family's foothold within the state of New Hampshire. To the right are symbols of the family's presence in Utah: shadows cast by mountains onto the landscape (34) and the roof of a building forming the outline of the state (35).

Following shadows cast by the trees, our eyes are led to coins beneath the ground (36). This cyclically carries the theme of money cast from the tree back into the ground for future growth. These seeds are represented both figuratively and literally by the coins and (37) seeds beneath the ground below. On one of the coins, the "U" (38) represents the University of Utah, to which the family has donated funding to support infrastructure, research, and education.

Below the tree, the root system is formed by a historical representation of a DC map (39)—grounding the family's modern work within the local geography. Finally, the representation of the red cross (40) and EKG (41) are symbolic of funding for medical research and the health and pulse of the community.

This work began with a conversation. Before a single image was conceived, the artist met with the Foundation's CEO to deeply understand its mission, values, and legacy—aligning on a creative direction that would authentically tell its story. From there, Foundation staff were invited into the process through a collaborative sharing session, each contributing their own personal experiences, perspectives, and stories of community impact. The result was something the CEO herself described as powerful and memorable—a rare opportunity for a team to pause, reflect, and hear from one another about what their work truly means.

These stories didn't just inform the artwork. They became it.

Executed in Photoshop across over 100 unique layers and produced on matte acrylic with an aluminum metal backing, the final piece brings those stories to life through a blended approach of photography, illustration, and symbolic layering—transforming the Foundation's mission, people, and legacy into a single, unified visual narrative.

Allison Inglesby is a DMV/Maryland-based artist. Though she has previously worked for the Marriott Corporation, Allison was approached outside of this connection to commission this work. Her practice centers on creating layered narrative artworks that transform reality into contemplative visual stories, inviting viewers into ongoing conversation rather than delivering a single message.

As you explore "Thrive," watch for these carefully embedded details:

1. THE "M" BRAND (8) - What looks like a "W" on the brick wall is actually the Marriott family's cattle brand
2. THE UNITY HANDS (27) - Five hands form a circle within the negative space of flowers in Panel 2
3. THE PARTNER LOGO (12) - Hidden on a brick in the sidewalk of Panel 1
4. SILHOUETTE OF NH Lake  (33) - Depicted in bright blue on the surface of the waterway
5. THE FOUNDING COUPLE (15) - Silhouettes of J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott in one of the windows
6. STATE FLOWERS (9, 23) - Black-Eyed Susans (MD), American Beauty Roses (DC), and Purple Lilacs (NH)
7. THE DC FLAG (20) - Flying on the right end of the row of houses in Panel 2
8. DOLLAR TREE (28) - A notation borrowed from US currency embedded on the limb of the tree

Each viewing reveals new layers and connections between symbols, inviting ongoing conversation and discovery.