Mural Co-Op
"The highest, most logical, purest and most powerful type of painting is mural painting. It is also the most disinterested, as it cannot be converted into an object of personal gain, nor can it be concealed for the benefit of a few privileged people. It is for the people. It is for everybody.” -Jose Clemente Orozco (famous muralist)
We are a collective, passionate about advocating for the arts by collaborating with communities across the middle of the country to create murals. Through this program, we will provide people of all ages and abilities an opportunity to learn the history of mural making and to learn more about the places they live.
During the community mural residency one or two lead artists from our group will facilitate design workshops and invite people living in and around the area to participate in the act of imagining and creating together. This type of project can take several weeks to plan and two to five weeks to paint depending on the size and scope of the mural. Contact us for a timeline.
In a school setting one or two artists will work with students on designing a small-scale mural (less than 100 square feet). The school residency will take at least two weeks with the first week spent workshopping with the students.
During these workshops we will be sharing stories, drawing, learning about the history of murals, and working on a design for a mural at the school.
The following week/weeks will be spent painting the mural.
We believe it is important that public spaces are filled with images and stories that reflect the people who live there and that it is important to work together to unearth and amplify those stories. The act of coming together to imagine and share ideas about what it means to be a part of a place is important to the fabric of the community. Through the process of mural making, we are hopeful that people will see themselves as imaginers and creators, capable of manifesting the world in which they want to live.
Artists in our group reside in South Dakota and have spent most of their lives living in the middle of the U.S. We bring with us several decades of art training and community-based experience.
Amber Hansen draws upon various styles and investigates how media shapes traditions and dominant cultural narratives. www.amberhansenart.com
Darcy Millette creates mixed media paintings that consider our human relationship with nature and the concept of transitioning through the stages of life and being.
www.darcymilletteart.com