The Learning Council: Arts In Society Youth Mural Project

Blending educational, social, and health-oriented goals, CEC storytelling awardee The Learning Council (TLC) is a holistically minded organization that works primarily to make the Colorado school system a more equitable one, provide healthy food to its local community, and support social justice initiatives. In this story, TLC describes its Arts in Society Youth Mural Project. TLC has a branch of operations called Arts For All (A4A). A4A is currently heading up a mural project, led by local high school students and graduates, that will showcase the rich cultural diversity, traditions, contributions and overall beauty that migrant workers and members of the LatinX community offer to our regional community. BIPOC and LGBTQ+ students were encouraged to apply through The Learning Council to participate in this creative project. The students who were selected have been meeting with migrant workers and collecting audio recordings of their interviews in order to understand the background stories of the LatinX folks who live in Delta County. Some of the questions asked during the interviews are: How did you hear about or arrive into the North Fork Valley/Delta County? How is the culture different in Mexico than here? What do you love/ What do you dislike about living here? What do you think symbolizes or represents your culture here? What would you like to see represented on a mural about your community? What is something that you do, have, or feel is special or specific to your home or your life?

Some of the takeaways from the interviews to incorporate into the mural are: many of the interviewees have a religious of Catholic background, the main instances of racism that they face happens in public schools, they want to be seen beyond just agricultural workers and to be recognized for their arts and culture, they are diverse in appearance, height, skin color, and origin, there is an assimilation of culture such as celebrating American holidays yet integrating their own culture into them like having Mexican Thanksgiving, and they still celebrate Mexican Independence Day.

This project addresses one main Social Determinate of Health (SDOH): Social Context. It incorporates social networking by acknowledging and celebrating the diverse and sometimes unheard parts of our community. It uplifts culture and promotes justice for all people. This project is also an educational project, for all the youth involved as well as for the people who view the mural and learn from the visual display of diversity and culture that exists in our regional community. It also addresses Built Environment, as it beautifies neighborhoods. This is a project that is still in the works — one of the two murals is finished and the other will be completed later in the summer. Here TLC has included some of the audio interviews, preliminary sketches for the mural, research photos, and photos of the completed mural.

“We hope that it can bring a smile and deeper understanding of the cultural diversity and contributions of all parts of our community,” TLC writes.