My Biggest Canvas Yet: Featured in ESSENCE for My 2026 FIFA World Cup Journey

There are some moments that stop you in your tracks.

While I was unpacking from an incredible weekend at ESSENCE Festival, I received the news that my ESSENCE Magazine feature was officially live. To say I was emotional would be an understatement.

For months, I poured everything I had into creating Trefoil Trail, my 10,000-square-foot public art installation celebrating the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Atlanta. What started as an opportunity to paint a mural became one of the biggest moments of my career—and a reminder that God can do more than we could ever imagine when preparation meets purpose.

In the feature, I share the journey behind the mural, the challenges of creating one of Atlanta's largest public art projects, the incredible community that rallied behind it, and why this project was never just about me. More than 200 Girl Scouts, city leaders, volunteers, and supporters helped make this vision a reality, proving that the best art is created with community at its heart.

Being recognized by ESSENCE is a milestone I'll never forget. As a Black woman artist, storyteller, and entrepreneur, I'm grateful that this project is inspiring others to dream bigger, trust God's timing, and create boldly.

This is only the beginning.

Read the full ESSENCE feature here: https://www.essence.com/entertainment/melissa-mitchell-fifa-world-cup-2026/